The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-15

life. You shall hear how it occurred. and
then deliver Judgment on me-
When ! was about your age, Methuen
] Tell in love with beautiful girl whc
lived in the same village as myself. she
was pure and simple as an ANGEL and
the dream of my life was TO call her my
wife. She loved me, We were engaged
and / expected to marry her i'm a year OF
so.
Matters stood thus with me and my
sweetheart when l obtained a good ap-
pOintmeut in Glasgow. 1 went away Ia
my new duties trusting that in a year
time / should have ready a home for the
girl ] loved. For a time all Went we'll
We corresponded regularly, and absence
seemed to increase her affection. as IL Ger
tainly increased mine.
When nine months oreso had passed
and l was thinking of running over TO
Wick for day or two. letter came from
the girl loved. IT was a Wild lcttel'
out or which ! could make neither head
nor tail She said all was over forever
between us. she set me free: she had
fallen and many other wild things
of course 1 rushed homeward al once,
and on reaching Wick l found that she
had disappeared from her home the very
day she wrote to me. l will not trouble
YOU with the details of the shameful
story. Let il suffice to say that a black
souled scOundrel had lured her to ruin.
/ got a description of the villain and his
name, which proved TO be a false one.
But all my efforts to trace the pair proved
fruitless.
when next l heard from the unfor-
tunate girl il was nearly a year later.
She wrote to me from Edinburgh, and
told me that If l wished TO see hcr be-
fore she died l was to go to her immedi-
ately.
4 went. and found her at deaths door.
Her child was dead, and her hetrayer had
left her in her disgrace and penury. Be
lieVing she had only short time TO live
she told me everything. How the man
who betrayed her had come to lodge at
their farm during his holidays; the friend
ship that grew up between them; and
finally, how he decoyed away and ruined
her
the sCoundrel, and said that he lived
somewhere in Fraserburgh. She also gave
me his photo. and armed with these things
/ sought the man who had blasted the
life Of the only woman / ever loved.
Il went to the place named, and there ]
found the wretch But / did not up
braid him with sin; did not even expose
him to his wife and friends. Such pun
ishment would have been too cheap, too
easy. He never knew / was aware OF
the black work he had done.
4 planned my revenge and fulfilled It.
One night | lay in wait for David Graham
in lane outside the town. and when ho
came staggering homeward at midnight
l killed hm-at least ! had killed a man
whose resemblance to the scOundrel was
almost miraculous
Il did not find out my mistake until the
next day, when ! was back at the be
trayed womans side. Then on taking up
a paper | found that Duncan Methuen
and not David Graham had been found
shot through the heart in the lane just
outside Fraserburgh.
What that discovery cost me Will leave
to your thoughts. 1t was terrible to know
that my desperate act had been taken il
Nain-that an innocent man had suffered
in place of a black wretch. How J repenteo
my crime when it was too latc-toO late
1 fell i'll, was raving for weeks, and the
one who nursed mo back to life was my
old observation-disclosures mother. That IS
all / have to say"
Hugh Campbells eyes closed YEARLY as
his head sank back on his pillow, and Pau
Mcthuens hand stole toward the brown
bony palm lying so still on the coverlet
1T was a terrible mistake" the young
man murmured, land you have suffered
for it; 1 will not attempt to judge you
now"
You forgive me?"
Freely. You did not mean to kill my
father, and the other man deserved death
You have judged yourself already, and
God will adjudge you in the end"
God will judge me soon. Let death
come. In living all these years ] have died
a hundred deaths. Poor Helen must never
know anything of this. You will promise
me to keep my secret?'
Never word shall pass my lips. But
Helen? You will not part us now?'
would you marry her still knowing tha
her fathers hands are red with your ia
theirs blood?'
"She is blameless, and l love her SC
much!' the young man cried. Yes, l will
marry her whenever / mayv'
Take her, then, and may God bless yot
BOTH"
A little later the dying man was Joining
rho End