The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1893-06-27
UNJUST SUSPICION.
A TRUE STORY.

Although ranked among the more
venial faults, suspicion often gives
rise to results as dire as those that lie
at the door of the worst passion.
Murder, suicide-all manner Of in
justice-has been traced to unjust or
misplaced suspicion. Perhaps NO trait
OF character has caused so much
domestic and social friction as a NOR
bid tendency to suspect. The follow
ing is only one of many instances that
the writer could relate of the lament
able consequences of misplaced suspi-
cion
A young German, intelligent and
prepossessing in appearance, came to
America to seek his fortune. He was
employed as ornamental gardener by
a rich and aristocratic lady in the
town of W. In about two years he
felt that he could afford to Keep his
promise to send for his afianced young
bride. She came, and took, for q
limited time, the duties of lady's maid
for her lovers mistress. In three
months they were to be united in holy
wedlock. How happy they we're in
the present and in view of future pros
poets There seemed to be no cloud
in the sky above them. But in one
short hour there was no sunshine ;
clouds, .hlac..i as midnight, covered
'SryGnlnB.
This rich lady had an extensive
missed an elegant silk and velvet robe
that she had put aside as cut of style,
some time before. 1t could be found
nowhere, and she certainly owned
such a dress. No one had access to
her wardrobe but Rika and herself.
Unwilling as she was to doubt the
beautiful, winning little foreigner,
who had won her fancy, she could not
doubt Rika's guilt. She tried to bride
her to confession, saying that she
should not be betrayed If she would be
ingenious and tell the truth. Rika,
with eloquent tears, gestures and
broken sentences, denied the u
ton, and persisted in her denial in
defiance of every inducement to con
fess the theft. Feeling sure that she
must be harboring a liar and thief
beside, Mrs. b. finally told John that
his m~uch-loved paragon was unworthy
of him.
1t was long before he could believe
1T. But proofs + proofs, and John,
almost distracted, told Rika that she
must be sent back to Germany. Rika,
weakened by. tears, grief and night
watchings, fell in a dead faint, during
which John gave rent to his grief in
p1t1ful CALCULATIONS Inc caresses, of
which she was unconscious.
On the morning of the day hat
Rlka was to sail, she was missing. A
search was instituted, and on the third
day, after the body of a beautiful young
/ girl was taken from the creek. Any
attempt to describe Johns grief would
be fulfil. He was mute with the silent
anguish that kills. He went about his
duties as in q dream, making mistakes
that proved his distraction, and
wanedred half the night upon the mar
gin OF the stream in which his loved
one had sought forgetfulness, or about
her grave. He shed no tears. His
mistress was more demonstrative.
She wept and wrung her hands, but
the bitterness of lifelong remorse and
conjunction.
A few days after these events had
TRANSFERRED, q lady came rushing up
the steps of Mrs. BIS elegant mansion.
AS soon as she was admitted to the I
iady's presence she exclaimed, what
is this that I see in this mornings
Times? Can it be that your poor
lady's maid is a suicide through my
remissness in bringing home the dress
you gave me to alter just before I left
W, more than q year ago." and
she took out the fatal robe that had
been the death of poor Rika.
"It'is my fault" exclaimed Mrs. B.,
pale as death and trembling like a
leaf. ut was my business to send for
1t. | feel that the cruel death of the
innocent lies at my door," and her
tears fell like rain. 1t is said that she
was ever after q sad and thoughtful
woman
But what of poor John? His heart
was broken and his intellect q wreck
from the hour that he was told the
truth. But God is merciful, and three
months after his darling had been
buried in her bridal robes, and placed
In Mrs. BIS family cemetery, 'poor
John," as he was uni yersally called,
was conveyed to q humane asylum for
the insane-a mild, harmless and
happy lunatic. Being allowed his
freedom, his sole happiness consisted
In going to the postofice, always sure
that he should find the letter that
announced the arrival OF his "beau-
tiful, darling Rika."