Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1895-02-22
A CASUIST.

A CASUlSI.
The circumstances that led to Ernest
Marsden's withdrawal from London
have never been properly explained. His
disappearance excited some comment,
for, although Marsden was by profess
sion a subordinate, it had been his hui
NOR to occupy positions Of direction in
his spare time as relaxation from his
more serious toll He was we'll known
political organizer and speaker as well
as an occasional contributor upon eco
nomio questions to the monthly reviews.
By day he was employed at an office in
Cornhill It was there that made his
acquaintance. Our duties brought us a
good deal together, and a considerable
intimacy sprang up between us. Mars
denis relations were all dead, and he
was once good enough to say that I was
the only friend he possessed in the
whole world.
Things were in this condition when
called one night at my employers prl-
vate house on business matter that had
been overlooked. was shown into the
drawing room. From an adjoining
apartment could hear at intervals the
voices of two men in violent alteration.
After time Mr.. Henderson appeared in
the drawing room and asked me to ac-
company him into the other room. Ern-
est Marsden, the only occupant, received
me with grateful SMILE
81 have asked you to take part in this
conversation, F" said my employer. be-
cause believe you to be friend of Mr..
Marsden's and likely to advise him
helpfully at very critical moment in
his career. You were away this after
noon from the Office and are therefore
ignorant of what has occurred. l have
been robbed, and your friend is the only
possible culprit. At half past IL today
an amount of ego was paid to me per
sonally in gold and notes. Before going
out locked it up in the safe in my pri
vate room, safe to which you and Mr..
Marsden have the only other keys. Mr..
Marsden, whom I left at work in my
room, went out about ten minutes later.
I am assured by the clerks in the outer
Office that no one else entered the room
during my absence. returned in half
an hour. The safe was locked, but when
opened it 1 found that the gol6 GAO
had disappeared. I have told Mr.. Mars
den that if he will make a clean breast
of everything and restore the money he
may retire from my employment quiet
ly and without scandal.
This statement upset me good deal.
I hoped, of course, that my friend could
clear himself of the accusation. Ny own
position in the matter was none too
pleasant. Although / had had leave Of
absence for the day, had been obliged
to come back for my purse, which, by a
strange oversight, I had left in the
pocket of my Office jacket. Unfortunate
ly had returned to the Office about
1890 o'clock Finding the door Of Mr..
Henderson's sanctum unlocked-the
door, mean, opening directly into the
passage-I had slipped in and out with
out apparently those in the outer office
having noticed my return. Marsden,
however, had met me upon the stairs.
To make things more ugly, ! had that
very day come into the possession Of a
sum of money under circumstances that
could not have been made public. To
my great relief, Marsden made no refer
ence to our meeting, although aware,
no doubt, of the effect it would have in
diverting suspicion from himself.
The scene that followed was very
painful one. Marsden insisted upon his
innocence, and bitter speeches passed on
both sides I fancied at one time during
lull in the storm that caught the
sound Of some one weeping in the next
room. The conference broke up, having
come to no conclusion. Mr.. Henderson,
whom contradiction always dashed into
a fury, followed Marsden into the hall,
threatening him with exposure and
imprisonment. Suddenly the driving
room door burst open, and tall, proud
looking girl swept into the hall will
not attempt to repeat verbatim what she
said. Some of it has escaped me, and
the rest, without her dark eyes and i'm
FASHIONED bearing, seems ordinary
enough. Marsden had proposed to her a
year previously and had been refused.
His constalcy in the face of every dis
couragement had touched her deeply,
and lately she had come to realize that
her feelings toward him were complete.
ly changed. Under ordinary circum-
stances she would have waited for him
to address her again. Of his continual
devotion be had given her many elo-
quent, if silent, demonstrations, and
now that his fortunes were at their low
est she asked as favor to be allowed to
stand by his side and to fight his battles
against all the world. At the end of this
speech, which was delivered with all
inconceivable elevation of manner, the
girl would have flung herself upon her
lovers breast, but he repulsed her with
strange gesture ''Don't touch me,
Lucyr' he cried passionately. II stole
it..
Two hours later I went round to
Marsden's lodgings, for, in spite of his
confession, felt sure that my friend
was not guilty of this base thing. ]
found him busily engaged putting his
belongings together.
II 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 thief. -
"But tho confession?'' l stammered
"Sit down." Marsden replied, land
twill explain everything
His explanation was briefly this
Twelve months before he had made Miss
Henderson an offer of marriage under
the impression that the girl was madly
devoted to him. Whether he loved her
he was not at that time sure Within a
week of his rejection-he had been re-
fused-he knew for certain that he did
not After that he had met Lucy Hen
derson frequently and had found the
mixture of friendliness and pity with
which she treated him exactly to his
fancy. He knew that the girl thought
she had darkened his existence forever,
and he had encouraged her in this no
ton. He felt that he was acting the
part of a glorifed Major Dobbin and