The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1895-03-02

this base thing. l found him busily en-
gagged putting his belongings together.
Il am glad you have come" he said,
after an embarrassing silence. "Other
people may think what they like but
could not bear that you should consider me
a thief"
'But the confession 90 | stammered.
sit down." Marsden replied, 81 will
explain everything"
His explanation was briefly this; Twelve
months before he had made Miss Hender-
son an offer of marriage under the impress
sion that the girl was madly devoted to
him. Whether he loved her he was not
at this time sure. Within week of his
rejection-he had been refused-he knew
that he did not After that he had met
Lucy Henderson frequently and had found
the mixture of friendliness and pity with
which she had treated him exactly to his
fancy. lie knew that the girl thought
she had darkened his existence forever. and
he had encouraged her in this notion He
felt that he was acting the part of a gloritied
Major Dobbin and playi X it uncommo lily
well. On one occasion he had sung The
Devout Lover" in her presence with so
much feeling as to have effected even him.
self. That he was doing great evil by
thus posing he had never reflected. He
had not even dreamed that Miss Hender-
sons feelings were undergoing any change.
When she had proclaimed her love for him
that night, he had been for second dizzy
at the chasm that had opened before him,
And now you KNOW he concluded,
why | confessed to the robbery"
But what the devil has all this to do
with It," replied angrly.
''Wnat would you have done in nv
place.
II progress was by no means rapid
II suppose you couldn't have told her
straight ought that you no longer loved
her ?''
Insult her at the moment she was stand
WELL then have married her."
Quite out OF the question. Impossible.
AS it is" he said, 1.-THE connection has
oeen severed, and her maidenly pride has
not been wounded AS for me- can 20 to
another town and start afresh Henderson
has accepted the f4O have sent him, and
you, he and his daughter are all who will
KNOW anything of this affair"
took up my hat to leave
''iou won't let this interfere with our
friendship" said Marsden, holding out his
hand
Ernest Marsden," | replied, ''you are
either the greatest saint in creation or the
neanest hound. will write to YOU when
ascertain which"
Since then Marsden has written to me
II &c or twice, but have never replied to
lim. cannot make up my mind about
'ehavio,. That he was wrong to have fol-
lowed Miss Henderson when he knew that
lie did not love her is beyond question.
hat he ought to have married her, and his
subsequent conduct appears mean beyond
'redence. To escape an unpleasant duty
he dshonored his own name. At other
times it is e,lu.lly obvious to me that he
ought not to have married her-a return Of
her affection was not to be expected-and
he chose quiXotically heroic method of
'paring her self pride. AS have said, |
I'm as far from a decision as ever, and all
this while Marsden, my old chum, is suffer
ing acutely from my neglect.
There is one question that demands an
answer. How was it that, in spite of his
confession, | at no time believed in my
friends guilt?
had stolen the money myself.
Sketch.