Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-03-23
THE DEPOSIT.

southern Germany dWeIt the Lazy lua, Ia
therless and motherless daughter of the
highly revercd Burgomaster Trottenheim.
Beautiful, rich, her own indulgent duena,
she could not want for adorers, conspicll-
Gus among whom were three youths I'M
equally endowed with the gifts of fortune.
There could be no question of the wealth of
Walter, son of the most opulent jeweler of
the city, or Of the poverty OF Alexis, who
seemed to possess nothing but the paper on
which he was continually inScribinC new
draft Of his one sonnet never To be finished
in this world.
But of Adcbcrt's property men only
eurnised that it was risAcd in adventurous
speculations, and that his fortune alter
nately scared and Tagged like pitching
kite. Perhaps, however, those who knew
most would have marvelcd least ut the eN-
preston of absolut despair which darkened
his countenancc as one day he crept into a
somber thicket of yew, pistol in his hand.
1t is over.p lie cried. She has fOuted
me to my face. Adieu TO the last hope of
repairing my losses. appeasing my credit
urs and Withdrawing that fearful deposit
ere the day of reckoning, now so near at
hand | should die of shame thcn-better
die of shot now
And he pressed the mu22lc ofhs pistol to
his temple. lie was in dire carnest-an-
other moment would have been his last
when the pistol was wrcnched from his
hand, and a well known voice exclaimed:
Hold! or at least declare first, for the
information and, it may be, the consolation
of thy friend, whether Ida has rejected
thee"
she has not, Wal;er,' returned Adel-
bert. Not the pang of unrequitted love,
but the goad of accusing conscience, chascs
l.. {.
Walter it imports thee TO know, for thy
inheritance will be curtailed by my inn
probity Trusting in the honor of his old
friends son, thy father has advanced me
10000 ducats upon the security of n sealed
packet, whose contents ! have tabled to be
family jewels, mysterously intrusted to
me. Oh, Walter, Walter, the sweepings Of
the streets were precious in comparison.
Now 20 and denounce me to thy fathor-go
and betray me to Ida"
Il am a gentleman" said Walter stif1ly
and walked away, carrying the pistol with
him The wretched Adelbert remained the
prey of torturing thoughts until dismal
sound struck upon his ear, and he fled pre-
cipitately rs Alexis entered the grove re-
citing the latest version Of his sonnet.
When Walter on his part had quilted
the spot, he was tingling all over with the
profession, which in its effect on the inner
man is much the same thing. He had not,
however, proceeded far ere lie encountered
n black and Il white parsonage, neither of
whom indeed had quilted him during his
interview with Adelbert or any of us at
any period, but Of whose presence he then
became distinctly conscious. The black
spirit thought that $4,000 ducats was u
great deal Of money, to which his white
comradc assented but added that honor
was perfectly inestimable.
The black spirit had much to say about
Adelbert's iniquity, and the white about
its retributon. The question of Walters
duty to society was fully considered from
opposite points of view And then the
black spirit introduced the Lady Ida, and
by depicting her in the character of Adel-
bert's bride removed the debate from the
realm of ratiocination to the region of SEN
suous perception, where the white spirit
was at singular disadvantage
And as the arguments of the black gen
tleman and people of his sort are invariably
found to gain in weight the longer one is
willing to listen to them, thou wilt not mar
vel iudicious reader, to meet Walter next
morning in Idas saloon making a clean
breast of Adelbert's breach of honor, but
silent as to his own.
Ida, however soon made him confess that
his knowledge of the secret was derived
from Adelbert himself, and intimated very
plainly that she considered his the meaner
action of the TWO.
"Oh, lady" pleaded tho impassioned
Walter, "allowest thou nothing for the
overwhelming might of self forgetting love!
Wouldst thou have thy slave sit stupidity
beholding thy innocence entangled in the
los - S,t-ip i,,h blind allcrrianna 4,
ronventions-nay, even to sanctions other
wise imperative? Not of such clay is thy
Walter fashioned. Show him the law that
restraints, the obligation that debars him
from seeking thy veal through evil report
and good report. and he will rend that law
and spurn that obligation as he shatter,
this vessel and tramples upon this quadru
ped"
Ida's vase of flowers lay shivered upon the
floor, and her little dog writhed and howleC
beneath Walters superintendent boot
lie was evidently beside himself, and Id
could only recompose him by commanding
him to depart her presence and never re
turn unless he brought the false packe
with him.
ITO what end, lady? When it has beer
opened in court, the cheat will be NANTES
10 thee and to the world"
And how know that it may not hev,
been tempered with meanwhile? Produce
ii tomorrow or see my face no more"
Walter meekly represented that the de
post was not in his custody, an argumen
inanfestly devoid of weight. lie promiseC
obedience and departed. On his way hom
he had much communication with hi
black companion, and ere the prescribed
time this excellent young man had pos
bessed himself of the packet by means of
false key
He hurried to Ida with his prize AM
placed it in her hands. She waved hin
back while she broke the seals. TO hi
hmazement, the first indication of her ser
timents was II fit of laughter, but her eA
preston became tragic when she had sati,
led herself that the contents were indee
but paper. She turned fercely upon Wa
TER who found it advisable to quit he
presence with expedition. How awful
fond she must be of him!' he soliloquizeC
Would | had known it ere | sacrifice
lny finest feelings for her sake! And ye
what u scrape have got intUl The packe