Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1895-05-16

i had ever since been engaged In tuition
at his college. In short, l found my
| self in possession Of proofs that he had
| lived an arduous and virtuous life for
! the last seven years from the mo-
mcnt. that Is. when he appeared on my
horizon as a thief, to the present hour!
| laid the last paper aside with a
more complete sense Of bewildermcnt
than ever. But l was no longer fright
ened of him. 4 mere don from uni
versity ! could make shift to grapple
! with
well! Is it satisfactory" said he
eagerly as | returned him the last
paper
! | reflected for moment.
NO" said |. iii is not
Not satisfactory he repeated with
evident disappointment
Anything but" | returned.
II thought you would have believed
those papers" said he. II did not see
| how you could help it. But YOU are
determined to hang a milestone about
my neck?"
ooh dear, no." said |, dryly nothing
of the kind"
Look here!' said he, bending for
ward with eonfiding air; ''of course
/ am in your power But | don't be-
lieye you are as flinty as You pretend
No, | do no, Miss Keith! l shall ever
preserve in memory the impression
your countenanee first made upon me-
| ] shall, In spite of your averted face in
this moment. and in spite Of the afro
ciously hard-hearted and persistent
way in which you ran me to earth
| shall always connect you with hope,
pity and salvation after n great de-
spair"
A tone of very deep feeling quivered
\ through the last words. | kept my
! head turned absolutely aside. No, |
would not be duped.
"Will you not say something? Win
you not, at least, be generous enough
+ to make some remark" he asked with
an impatient sigh,
"Of course" | answered. resolutely
discharging from my tones anything
but the most metallic hardness. these
papers prove to me that YOU have
spent the last seven years or so in
genuine work at the university They
prove nothing more"
You choose to show me a relentless
spirit. And | suppose | deserve it,.
: But l have further proofs with me-"
So saying, he produced an ancient
looking newspaper and asked me TO no.
tice the date. The year was that Of
the incident of the theft the day and
/ week few months earlier The paper
was a northern Journal lie pointed
out paragraph which J forthwith
perused. 1t was TO the effect that Mr..
Hubert Marston, nephew of Mr.. Albert
Marston, well-known Yorkshire
manufacturer and NJ. r., had won Il
scholarship at st. Thomas's college,
Oxbridge and that it was supposed he
would end his career at the university
in the autumn. The paper added that
he had for ten years previously pur-
sued very satisfactory and steadily
rising career at public school.
That did fairly stagger me. OF all
his life there remained only a few
months to account for. During those
months it was that the robbery ( the
railway station had occurred. l found
myself looking seachingly into the
blue eyes, which were bent as steadily
upon mine.
And in that position we remained for
a few seconds. He was the first to
b speak.
"Do you now believe in me, Miss
xsAi. 4. a y,
mo" said l; Il cannot say that
There remains good deal to be ac-
counted for"
He gave a sigh of disappointment.
~ would give great deal, some
how" said he, 'if you would believe in
me just on my word. Yes, | would
give a good deal
10 this. at first. | made no response.
There was something downcast in his
air; he had a troubled look, and be-
gan to conceive in all this matter some
! great hidden stress of life, some trag-
zeal combination of circumstances,
! which might throw a man once in a
/ way upon a wild act out of consistency
with the rest of his nature. 1t was
growing dusk. We had been silent for
several minutes To relieve the situa-
/ ton | rose and stuck a match and be-
gan to light the candles. Then / APP
/ preached the window.
let me do that.' said he, springing
/ up, and he went to the window and
/ closed and latched it. | meanwhile
had my hand on the curtains.
"That also ! can do" said he
He came up to me and took the very
fold / was holding. There was some
thing in the commonplace action which
! relieved the embarrassment we had
both been feeling. Onr fingers met by
/ accident In moment his other hand
gently pressed my shoulder
/ miss Keith, said he, "Miss Keith!
! Only tell me that just on my word you
/ will believe in me. That you will take
back that ugly name you called me.
! That, in spite of everything, you will
say to yourself, This man Is not a
rultian.'"
/ pulled at the curtain.