The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1895-03-16
1ucy!' he cried passionately.

it,"
Two hours later l went round to
Marsden's lodgings, for, in spite of his
confession, l felt sure that my friend
was not guilty of this base thing. !
found him Justly engaged putting his
belongings together.
Il am glad you have come" he said
after an embarrassing silence. Other
people may link what they like, but |
could not bear that You should consider
.I!e q thief
But the eonfession?" l stammered.
"Sit down. Marsden replied. land
/ will explain everything"
His explanation was briefly this:
Twelve months beio-e he E"d made .aiss
Henderson 81 oflr Of !.uEria--o UadJr
the impression that tac girl Was nladly
devoted to him. Whether he loved her
he was not as that tine sure. Within Il
week of lis rejectio1-llo mad been re-
fased-he knew fer certain that 10 did
not. After that he had met Lucy Hen
derson frequently and had found tho
mixture Of triendlincss and pity with
which she treated him exactly to his
fancy. He knew that the girl thought
she had GarkeHed his existence forever,
and be had encouraged her in this 10
ton. He felt that lie was acting the
part of Il glorified Major Dohbin and
playing il u~ncommoniy we'll. On i &C.
casion he had su..g .'Ihe Devout Lover
il her presence with 50 much feeling as
to have affected wen himself, That he
was doinga great evil by tlis posing he
had never reflected. BE had let ever
dreamed that Miss Henderson's feelings
toward him were undergoing any
change. When she had proclaimed her
love for him that night. he had boon for
G second dizzy at the clasm that had
opened before him. And now you
know" he concluded, why / confessed
to the robbery
'Eut wEat tie devil has al this to
Go with it, l replied ansrily
what would yoa havo done III my
placer"
'L-I'-pre:ress was by no means
rapid! suppose goa couldn't have
told her straight u that yoa no longer
love herr"
Insult Eer at the moment sic WIS
standing up fer ne SO nasaidcentlyr'
We'll, then. have married. her"
"Quite out Of the question. impossi-
ble!'
"As it is. lie said, 1.-The connection
has. been severed, and her maiGenIy
pride has nos heea wounded. AS fer ms,
can go to another town and start
afresh. Henderson las accepted the ga
have sent him, and you, he and His
daughter are all who will know any
thing Of this affair"
| took Up NY hat 70 leave.
You cont Let this interfere with
[ friendship said MarsGen, holding
out his hara.
Ernest Iarsden," replied, "you
are either tie greatest saint i'll creation
or the E4eanest hoand. will write to
you when / ascertain which"
Since then MarsGon has written to
me once Or twice, but | have never re-
piled to him.ZI cannot make Up my
mind about his behavior. That he was
wrong to have followed Miss Henderson
when he knew that ho did not love her
is beyond question. This being SO, it is
clear to me sometimes that he ought to
have married her, ana his subsequent
conduct appears mean beyond cr6dence.
10 escape al unpleasant duty he dishon-
ored his own name. At other times it is
equally obvious to mo that be ought not
to have married her-a return of her
affection was rot to he expectea-and
he chose q quixotically heroic method
Of sparing her self pride. AS I.have said,
am as far from a decision as ever, and
all this while Marsden, my old chum.
IS suffering acUtely from my neglect.
Their Is one question that demands
an answer. How wa it that, in spite Of
his confession, | at no time believed III
my friends guilt?
had stolen the money myself. Lon
don Sketch. -