Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1893-09-29

was rule that none of the guests
| should ever find him sleeping there un-
| der the stairs.
Nevertheless, huddled up to keep
warm, Bill could not coax the sleep he
had right to expect in consideration
/ of the hospitality below. Strangely
enough his mind fitted to the young
man who had sat alone in the bar, and
to his expression wheL the gentleman
was talking to Null. A sharp arrow of
light came from door open about an
inch, latchless door. Bill decided
that that was the room of the young
commercial Traveller.
Bill clasped his hands around his
knees and watched the arrow of light.
Was it the presumed story of this
young man, or was it new tale, to be
told to some future gathering in the
bar, that revolved in his brain?
There was a poor, proud fellow in
that story, in love with beauty who
had promised to be his wife. His
wealthy classmate is presented to the
girl. Then there comes the day when
the girls father is on the verge of bank
ruptcy, and the lover knows it. His
wealthy CAdSSlnobC ID lOhNl VI IlIl-lldS
given him key to the house where he
lives, so great is their intimacy.
That night the lover resolves to go to
his friend and ask for a loan to bridge
over the bankruptcy Admitting him
self to the house he finds that his
friend has been suddenly called to
another city to be gone a month. The
lover goes to desk to write his request
to him, when in a drawer he sees a
great pile of money his friend has neg
lected to send to bank, and some gov
ernment bonds as well. And the bank
rupt cannot wait! In a month the
friend returns; the lover tells him what
he has done.
$50 away!" says the friend. You
have zone too far. Can you repay me
the I.oney?"
"Not now," is the answer. II will
wo"'S for it and pay you"
The friend turns from him. The lover
reads the meaning of this, and he leaves
town that night. He writes to Ellen,
his betrothed, and receives no reply.
He learns that the officers of the law
are on his track, and he disappears. In
five years he is back again. Ellen has
married the wealthy classmate from
whom the lover took the money to save
her father from ruin. That was the
story Bill thought of as he huddled
under the stairs.
He smoothed his hand over his face.
Curse it! / must Sleep he said, but
his eyes still fastened on that arrow of
light still streaming from the inch
open door. II will sleep; mast, curse
it allr'
In the dark room, not in the light
one, there had been for hours
thought of the little school-teacher-a
thought obtruded upon by 4 reminis-
cence of a wealthy man with valu.
able package, and an old, besotted
creature sleeping under the stairs op-
posite the wealthy mans room.
All at once the young man took off
his shoes. There was buzzing in his
ears. He opened his door and saw the
light streaming from the crack in the
next door. He looked into the room
The blue-plush box was on the table,
and at the table sat the owner of the
package writing letter on the paper
Null had furnished him. Yes-why,
the man had fallen asleep as he wrote;
his eyes We're closed, his check rested
on the table. The young man flew
over the stairs. Old Bill was under
them, the man who would likely be
accused of any depreciation. Another
minute and he had reached over the
man sleeping at the table, had the box
in his hand, was out in the entry, in
his own room, trembling like a leaf.
He sank upon the edge of the bed
holding the box to his heart. What
was in the little box? Suppose he had
been fooledl
He struck n match and lighted his
lamp. He opened the plush box. Two
magnificent diamonds flashed in his
eyes.
His life with Mary was assured. He
cholled, he laughed-then he felt a
touch upon his shoulder. Old Bill was
in the room. lie took the box from the
young man.
81 saw you do it all, he said hoarse-
ly. "As / am, you can be. | once did
as you have done, only no one saw me
do it. L loved n woman and by my dis
honorable act 1 forfeited her love.
will take these baubles to the man you
took them from"
The young commercial traveller put |
his hands before his eyes.
'Oh, my Godr' he said, and Forgive
me, Maryg'
Old Bill left him and entered the next |
room. He must have made noise in
going in, for the gentleman awol1e and |
confronted him.
At the same moment gong sounded |
below. The train was ready. The |
gentleman turned from Bill and gave a |
quick glance at the table.
Here it IS" said Bill, and held out |
the blue-plush case.
The gentleman took it from him, his |
face set and hard. He gathered up his
wraps and prepared to go to the train. /
At the door as he left the room, he |
paused an instant as though he would
say something. But he checked him
self, and with a dark, forbidding look
he went hurriedly down the passage
way to the stairs.
Old BID yawned and looked around |
him. What pleasant, warm room it
was
'And as for that bed that has not
been slept in," he said, lit is positively
disrespectful to neglect it." There
came n sweep of rain against the win
dow II WONDER" said Bill, ''if Null
would be any the wiser if turned in
for an hour or two? haven't slept in
a bed like that for years. First let me
dowse the glim."
Going to the table to put out the
lamp he noticed the partly-written let
ter over which the gentleman had fallen
asleep.
A word at the top of it arrested Bill
The word was Ellen"
Ellen had been the name of her of
years ago!
Dearest Ellen" he read, 81 am de-
tanned for few hours by an accident
on the road. l have with me IA
couple of diamonds WHICH will put in