The Dickinson press., 1894-06-09
a buSba3d'S
~CriM2.
BY FLoRENcE WARDEN

tensely relieved by the result of the in
luiry, was Mr.. William Bennington.
Even the salvation of the credit Uf the
family did not weigh upon him against
the humiliation of finding that his ex-
u~ltation over his nephew's downfall
had been premature. His c.ngratula-
lions SO obviously lacked sincerity that
Duke asked him with a touch of his old
msolcncc. If he was sorry to see his
sharactc: cleared.
You can comfort yourself. you know
uncle" he Went on, glan:ing uneasily
1T his wife. Who had heard the result
Of the examination IN Sh,i1drrins ST.
lence. Thy the knowledge that We are
ruined. ! have forged you. name to
bills which will be due before ! can
meet them. and"
Cicely rose from her "a: ,:r, and tot
tered over to her h%us.an:i's side. But
She would not look at :h, elder man.
who was taking out his POI iirt BOOK
with 4 flush on his face. The res: Of
the party. on II hint from M:nna, had
gone ont OIL the lawn.
IF You can't meet the bills when they
become due. l WILL" said Nj. Eerring-
ton. He did feel some contritiOn for
the eagrInrSS hr had shown in hunting
out the young fellows supposed crime.
and he w.tS ;,,iXiu,S to rrinstita him.
self in the n;uud position he :::Aed to
occupy. by Ill ar'ion Of great gencr
DSity. He therefore produced frcn; his
pockct:ank nc very bills OH which
Duke had forged his name. As Il lnat-
ter of fact. he had got them ir:o his
own possession with the object os using
them to ruin his nephew. as :1ticely
shrrwdly guessed. Duke. hcwever.
more impulSive than his wife. was over
whrlmed 10y this act Of fo~rrlearance-
1t WAS some minutes before he could
speak. and when he did so, it was in q.
subdurd and humble voice
II can't thank You. uncle" he began
brokcnly. but my wife-my children
God bless Won uncle. / viii never come
so near disgracing our name again."
He wrung his uncc's hand; and the
elder man touched and even abashed
by his evident sincerity. returned the
pressure with real warmth. Then he
turned to his ncphcw's wife.
II am sorry. madam. if l caused you
pain I'll my last visit" he said. IL
won't intrude upon YOU any longer. l"
He pulled out his watch and looked
at it with the desperate anxiety Of a
man in search of III excuse to get away.
Il have an appOintment-at least, 1
promised my Wife to be home-lalf an
hour ago. intact. Where Algernon"
He darted III n the garden. The
two young men We're standing at Il side
gate. anxious to get away without hav-
ing to intrude upon Duke and his wife
after the trying scene they had just
gone through.
Leonard" said Minna. suddenly.
take me to see Aunt Marion. and tell
her that Duke has come back and that
you are about to become the happiest
Of men, as they used to say in old
fashioned novels. She lives up on the
Heath. it's only ten minutes walk, and
she will give us Il cup Of tea. You won't
mind going without dinner for once, it
will prepare you for what you are to
expect with me for a wife"
II shan't mind it. 1t will be one way
of economizing. Shall l wait here
while you run in and tell them where
you are going?"
Minna shook her head, smiling rather
archly.
'"They won't miss me-" she said, "and
it's a good thing that you have been
kind enough to propose to take me of
their hands. For, if I'm not mistaken,
they've fallen in love with each other
at last"
So they had. Duke. Passionate, i'm
pulsfve. weak of principle, affectlonate
adored the wife WHO had stood by him
worked for him. suffered for him. CT.
ely, high-mi. ded, reserved, not easily
moved. had had the fire struck out Of
her at last. They sat together in the
lrawing-room. lovers for the first time,
while the dusk deepened.
"Cice:y.' whispered Duke. as he tried
TO look into her pretty eyes in the gath
aring darkness, its Il strange thing to
have to ask, but If you had nCvel
thought 1 had committed n murder
would YOU ever have loved me?"
"Oh, Duke. don't say such absurd
srch wicked things! I have Away.
loved you. have l not?'
, "Ye-es.'' said Duke.
, She believed she had, and there wal
no need to contradict her.
For the strongest love of the stron,
I is that which has most to give, and I,
+ forgive. Duke felt this dimly as. hum
! bled, subdued, penitent, he leaned bacl
in Ills Wife's arms and just caught tn
outline of her delicate face in the halt
E light.
+, do you understand what it mean.
Cicely, that W. are ruinetl?' That "
must live in a little one%-brick-thick will
y at {45 a year, like n Of my JUNO
clerks. ana manag, without = 4aFriagi
q and with only two servants? TIL
a thought of it Of having Drought you. m
" beautiful, darling wife. down to that
- makes me mad!"
. "But I don't mind" said Cicely, wit
= 1 quiet sigh; lin fact, If it were not fc
: YOU, and that l am afraid it seems sc
y fish. l would be glad. I couldn't lrv
= here any lOnger.''-I think ! shall b
Z more to you when we have only a littl
> house and a little money than l shoul
l. be if we were still going to he we'll of.
. Her feminine instinct was RICH
C There was more real happiness in stol
J. in the humble future than there ha
l. been in the proud past.
L THE END.