Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1892-04-30
KNOLLYS' STORY.

h4fJ1tAl - ~ OAt
Those who know my friend Knol
iys Dnly casually are apt TO set him
town as q cyllic. because at times he
4 a man Of eaturnine hu1nOr. given
10 rl.licuiing bravery and charity az
.nadnesg: but ! know danger holds
nD dread for him. and have acciden
ally happened on some Of his good
leeds. 10 me be has always seemed
man Of unusually lenient jUdg
8ent. putting the best construction
,,saable on the evil actions Of his fel
lows: though his own life Is beauti
falls clean. he takes people as be
finds them. not feeling called upn g.
attempt to revolutionize the world
III am unreasOnably proud Of my
friendship with KnOllys it is ls.dOn
able. for he is an experienced nun Of
the world. who must be ne ring
fifty. whereas / am not yet Airy.
It had been arranged. during his
short stay with Us In New York that
10 two months / should join him In
London; and the prospect Of another
delightful run through Europe with
him made me somewhat forg tiul Of
the fact that it was his last light IN
the city.
He had rashly promised my cousin
20 visit his rose gardens. and Dn that
afternoon redeemed his word When
we met at the club / noticed that
KnoIlys appeared tired H. stood
al the window. apart from tie other
men. looking across at the plaza. and
lid not II first notice me.
4 suppose II was iTksOme. | be
gan. IN Tom can talk Of nothing
tut his roses and his wife. You see
they arc renewing their honeymoon
Their affairs looked very black for a
time. but suddenly righted them
selves. and their friends are suffering
the consequences
Kuollys CEASED to watch the waver-
ing shadows Of the trees. and turned
Inquiringly.
1T was a misunderstanding,
continued, as we walked out 70 din
uer. Tom forgot that appearances
are often misleading, and she was
unable TO furnish satisfactory ex.
PLANTATION Of her conduct.
Il conjectured something Of the
kind from what be told me coming
back TO the city, and it reminded me
strongly Of a little episode in the life
VI friend Of mine And she, too,
in some indefnablc way-soTne turn
II the head or trick Of the voice
recalled my friends wife. The story
might interest you"
Il am quite sure it would, re
turned eagerly, for Knollys is Away
well worth hearing.
III all happened some years ago
but | think | remember the point
quite well, he commenced, smiling
family; II am not 80 certain, how
ever. that ] shall be able to do th'
story justice, for | am not a clevei
raconteur, and you will probably
surmise the end long ere | hav'
reached it, My fIiend-we nigh
call him Smith-my friend Smitl
was able TO be of some service TO
man whom he met in a foreign land
The man met with fatal accident
few days later, and, together witt
the valet. Smith volunteered u nuns
him. The stranger, feeling he had
claim on Smith because Of the firs
favor, burdened him with the pleas
ant task Of bearing the news Of hi
death to his wife.
Upon Smiths return to England
he carried out his mission, aud hay
ing gone once, went again. She wa
a very young woman, and very beau
tiful. and Smith was irresistibly al
tracted. Her husband had been
scoundrel, and, after a decent LAPS
of time. she married Smith. For th
first four years Of their marriage the
were 80 intensely happy that it is pos
sible they proved rather tresome t
their friends. About that time Smit
began to miss money and other art
cles Of value, and was finally able {
trace the thefts to the butler. tn
man vainly denied the charge, and
although none of the missing Walt
ables were found in his possession
he was discharged without charao
ter. This mild measure was adopte
because Of the intercessions of m
friends wife
For some weeks Smith enter
tanned no doubt that he had fastene
the burglaries on the proper party
but on returning home one evenin
he found his wife in the library
She had opened his desk by mean
Of a false key, and in in her hand
held a roll of notes. Guilt was d'
picted in every feature; she coweIe
before him -she was abject in lac
cowardice"
"She needed the money 10 save
brother" broke in authoritatively
mo, for she had no brother or an
near relative who might need help,
Knollys said, as he set down his glasi
Tho man, anxious TO find some excus
for her, suggested this; but it was fo
no relative. II twas for herself, yet sh
had wanted for nothing that none
could buy or love devise. He migl
not have conceived her sin 10 be s
fragrant had she not permitted tn