The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1894-11-30

might damn MN Tor good amt all, no
matter whom else it might involve, so
long rs it cleared her precious name
He must be patient, ho must he calm
and resolutc, but the mans cold blood
ed, selfish, criminal concealment nearly
maddened him. With infinite effort ho
controlled himself and went on:
''But il is of her I'm thinking, not
of you. 1t is the name you have COM
promised and can clear and should
clear, even at the expense of your own
lin fact, Mr.. Jcrrold, must clear
Now will yon tell me where you Were
and how you can prove it?''
II decline TO say | won't be cross
questioned by men who have no author
ity. Captain Chester said he would re-
fer it to the colonel, and when he asks
/ will answer--not until then. "
81 ask in his name am authorized
by him, for he is not we'll enough to
meet the ordeal.
lyon say so, and don't mean to
dispute your word, Captain Armitage,
but have right TO demand some
proof. How am to know he author
lied you?"
Ho himself gave mo this letter, in
your handwriting, " said Armitage, and
opening tho long envelope he held forth
the missive over which the poor old colo
mel had gone nearly wild. "'He found
it the morning they loft--in her gar.
den. -
If Jerrold's face had been gray be-
fore, IL WAS simply CHASTITY now. He
recoiled from the sight after one fruit
less effort to grasp tho letter, then raj
lied with unlocked for spirit:
"By heaven, Armitage, suppose I did
write that lettor? What does it prove
but what / say---that somebody has been
prying and spying into my affairs? How
came the colonel by it il not by fraud
or treachery?"
''Ee picked it up i'll the garden, L tell
you, among tho rosebushes, whore she
where Miss Renwick---had been but
q few moments before, and where it
might appear that she had dropped it. -
"She! That letter. What had she to
do with it? What right had she to read
it?'
Armitage stepped impulsively for
ward A glad, glorious light was burst
ing upon his soul. He could almost have
seized Jerrold's hand and thanked him,
but proofs, proofs were what he needed.
It was not his mind that was to be con-
WINGED; it was "society" that must DO
satisfied Of her utter innocence, that it
might be able to say, "Well, L never for
q moment believed Il word of it, - Link
by link the chain OF circumstantial evil
denoe must be destroyed, and this was
only one
''You mean chat that letter was not
intended for Miss Renwick?" he asked,
with eagerness he strovo hard to repress.
''It was never meant for anybody, !"
said Jerrold, the color coming back to
his face and courage TO his eyes. ''That
letter was never sent by me to any wo-
man. It's my writing, Of course-I can f
deny that--but never oven meant it to
go IL it left that desk, it must have
been stolen. I've been hunting high and
low for it. / knew that such thing
lying around loose would be the cause
of mischief. God! is that what all this
fuss is about?" And he looked warily,
yet with infinite anxiety, into his cap
tain's eyes.
''Thero is far more to it, Us you well
know, sir, " was the stern answer. For
whom was this written If not Tor her?
1t won t do to half clear her name. ="
"Answer mo this, Captain Armitage.
Do you mean that that letter has COM
promised Miss Renwick; that it is she
whose name has been involved and
that it was Of her that Chester meant to
speak,"
Certainly it was--and [ too.
There was an instant's silence; then
| Jerrold began to laugh nervously:
"Oh, well, fancy it isn't the first
| timo the revered and respected captain
has got away Off the track. All tho
same, [ do not mean TO overlook his
| language to me, and / may say right
now, Captain Armitage, that yours,
too, calls for an explanation. y
"You shall have it in short order,
Mr.. Jerrold, and the sooner you under-
stand the situation the better. So far
as am concerned, Miss Renwick need
| ed no defender; but, thanks to your
mysterious and unwarranted absence
| from quarters two very unlucly nights,
and to other circumstances / have no
need to name, and to your penchant
for letter writing Of most suggestive
| character, it is Miss Renwick whose
name has been brought into question
here at this post and most prominently
SO. In plain words, Mr.. Jerrold, you
who brought this trouble upon her by
| your own misconduct must clear her,
no matter at whose expense, or
| ''Or what?''
| IT make no threats. J. prefer that
you should make the proper explana-
tons from a proper sense of what is
| due.
"And suppose I say that no man is
called upon TO explain asituation which
has been distorted and misrepresented
by the evil imagination of his fellows?'
''Then may have to wiring tho truth
out of you--and will; but, for her sake,
want as little publicity as possible.
After this display on your part am
not bound to show you any considera-
| t;o,, ,,botouo,. ITr,6aretop1 tl,ie how.