The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1896-11-05
a LOVERS JEALOUSY.


ing fixedly at the young clerk. II have
no doubt that II IL you who have robbed
ma
The hot blood flooded Robert Acland's
neck and face a. he took in the meaning
Of the words.
II swear to you. sir" he cried. pas
Qionately, shat you wrong mel swear
1t by my soull"
M. II wish could believe you, Robert"
NJ. vyse replied, "for like you; but,
unfortunately, appearances are too
much against you. What, may I ask.
were you doing at five o'clock yesterday
evening in my private room? You had
| no right or business to be there"
"Nor was l." returned the young fel.
low, proudly, drawing himself up to his
full height. II have never been in this
room in my life except when you have
sent me. Has anyone told you that
was here last evening, sir?"
Eyes. Robert; your comrsde, Richard
etarlie, assured me of it not ten min.
| ptes ago."
Richard Starkie!" exclaimed Acland,
In great wonderment. 'Why, he must
| b mad. What can have possessed him
! TO tell so wicked falsehood? We have
always been good friends, he and I.
Why should he thus try to ruin met"
The words, the tone, were those OF
m innocent man. Mr.. vyse began to
waver in his opinion as to Acland's guilt
Robert" he said, more kindly, "will
you swear to me before God that you
are innocent?"
Raising aloft his right hand, II call
the God before whose judgment throne
we both shall one day stand to witness
that l am guiltless," he declared, SOL
emnly. "Surely, sir, you will believe me
pow?"
Mr.. vyse held out his hand. "Yes.
Robert, believe you," he said, "and I
beg your pardon for having doubted
you; but what Starkie's motive in ira.
ducing you has been am at loss to
understand"
$50 am I, sir" answered Acland. "His
conduct ~ quite reprehensible."
swell, Robert" wound up the old
gentleman, as he dismissed his clerk,
syou must promise me one thing-that
you will treat Starkie just the same as II
nothing unusual had occurred. II is my
wish"
II will try, sir, but it will be hard
task" Acland replied, as he quilted the
room.
OF course the news that their en-
ployer had been robbed ran like Wild
IRE through the small community. Il
was Richard Starlxie who first made
public the i'll news-for no official intl-
NATION Of it was given; but to his fel-
low-workers he dare not try to incrim.
mate young Acland, for Acland wss .
3evorite with his colleagues, and Star
lkie knew well that any remark sug-
testive Of his guilt would be received In
stony silence-the silence of sheer dis.
belief.
That evening Bob Acland went to SO
Elsie venner, the girl Of his heart.
There was no actual engagement be-
tween them, but Elsie understood quite
well that Bob was only waiting for q
rise Of salary before asking her to be his
wife. He had intended to tell her moth
ing about what had occurred at the
ofice during the day, but the quick
Witted girl soon saw that something
was amiss, and taxed him with it. And
after a little hesitation on his part and
little pressing on hers the whole story
came out.
''I cannot think, darling" finished
Bob, "what has induced Starkie to do
It,"
"shall tell your" said Elsie, de-
murely.
"You?"
Eyes, I. can, you know" And
then she proceeded to orelate how Richard
Htarkie had few days before asked her
TO marry him, and, on her refusal, flown
Into violent rage, not only heaping
anathemas ON her head. but also on
Bob.
"And you believe he has attempted t.
ay the theft at my door to blacken my
character in your eyes? What q scoun-
1rel the fellow must bel"
IF you had seen the look on his face
when he left me" replied the girl, "you
V0uld think. as do, that he IL capable
f anything."
Next day Bob Acland repeated to Mr..
vyse the conversation he had held with
Elsie Venner.
Meanwhile Richard Starkie was in a
very unhappy frame of mind. He had
INST sufficient manhood left to be able
10 appreciate the unutterable currish-
pess Of his own conduct. But that did
not tend to make him sorry for what he
had done. No, 1t rather embittered him
till more against his rival. A mania
or gambling. Inherited from his father,
Who had bet away large estate dur
ng his life, dying only just in time to
ave himself from actual starvation,
bad in the first instance made him short
bf money.
In order to retrieve his position he bet
till more heavily, and again lost. Ill
nck pursued him from day to day, till
= last, unable to meet the demands
pade upon him, exposure stared him in