The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-04-12
A FORCED PROMISE.

Where Is the heiress who has not? An,
TIVE men loved me.
George Redfern was wealthy and In
fluentlal banker, 10 years of age, reserve,
In manner and with an indisputabl
standing in society, man against whom
no breath of reproaoh or blame had eve
stirred, while Robert Dene was compare
lively poor. having only his salary as con
fdential clerk in the Redfern bank-out O
which he supported q widowed mother
and was one OF those merry, cheerful fel
lows who somehow, perhaps from theil
very love Of company and pleasure, ge
the name Of being wild without dessrv
ing it.
Mrs. Dene had been my dear dead moth
er's friend. Naturally often went to visit
her.
met Mr.. Redfern at Mrs. Dene's cot
tage one evening when he had stopped tc
speak to Robert on some business. @
was at the window, leaning out, and
he saw me. l knew afterward that was
the reason he astonished Robert by accept
ing his invitation to come in.
seemed to meet him everywhere. He
made the acquaintance of people whom
visited. Hetook TO going to balls theaters,
operas, and when l had met him good
many times he requested permission to
call on me.
Robert heard Of 1t and grew Jealous.
One evening he came to me, his face look
ing gloomy.
1--WE have been friends for years." said
he, "and believe you like me well enough
to grant me favor. love you, Kate. That
no news to you, is itp Well, never should
have told you so, never should have asked
you to become my wife, because you are
rich and l am poor; but, my girl, can t
stand quietly by and see another take what
I'd have died to win, so want you to tell
Inc truly if you intend to marry Redfern,
and If it's Yes l shall go out of it until l
can get over it.
Next day Mr.. Rcdfern proposed to me-
My heart, in spite of its own happiness,
ached for the bitter pain he showed when
told him l was engaged already.
81 had set my every hope on you. can
not give you up!" he cried, with an inten.
sity of passion that startled me. ooh,
child, have mercy on me! Think again.
Give me time lam richer than you think.
If you are ambitious'-
II am not. have wealth enough and
covet only happiness. shall marry Rob-
ert Dene, the man love"
'You shall not marry him; rever while
l live"
And he rushed out of my presence like
mailman, leaving me shocked frighten-
ed, pcrplexed, and with strange, sad
cloud upon my happiness.
said nothing about it to Robert how
ever. His relations with his employer con-
tinued pleasant, as usual l felt surprised
when he told me that Mr.. Redfern had
himself congratulated him and made some
slight but graceful allusion to the dsap-
pointment to himself,
"Probably," thought, "Mr Rcdfcrn
regrets his Incorporate wrath and foolish
words and takes this method to let me
know Of it,"
1t was evening, and Robert and were
sitting together alone, when suddenly and
unccremoniously the door was flung open
and three men entered
Two Of them were officers The indigna-
ton which their rude entrance caused
gave place to II sickcning fear when saw
inc lnlfu-IeOfge Keulcrnl
Next minute Robert was under arrest.
l don't know what l said or did in the
first horror of it, I remember clingng
around Roberts neck and some one ask
ing, Whats the charge against him2"
Then came the stern answer from George
Redfcrn's lips, Robbery"
ITS n liel" / cried, looking straight
into Rcdfern' S face. "Hc is innocent"
Redfcrn's stern voice broke in:
Men, search himl"
saw 1t done, saw them draw forth
roll of notes ! heard Rcdfern identify
them as lis own and declare that none
but Robert had access to the safe or vault.
I understood it all l stepped up to
George Rcdfern and looked into his face.
Come with me into another ROOM
said II will make a bargain with you
Let your men remain with their prisoner
here"
When We were alone, ! said passionately:
" Mr.. RedfCrn, you are villain. You
have plotted to separate me from the man
love and blast his reputation You shall
fail in both You know that he is limo
cent"
am not his Judge, Miss Craven. He
himself will tell you that placed those
notes IN the safe in his presence and that
no one mas since had access to it but HIM
self. An hour ago | missed them. You
saw where they were found Let the law
decide the rest
"1he law! p cried Man do You not
know he has mother whom such charge
would kill? Will you be murderer"
ono ~ Ln bnoprnl,, 80,
not l. You murder two of us-his mother
when she learns the story of his guilt,
from which you cannot save her, and me.
You murder me, for the hour that secs you
marry him sees me corpse.
What could dor
Tbs son $ Imprisonment on shameful
charge, and probably condcmnation-for
the plot was carefully luid-would kill his
mother.
So accepted the alternative he offered.
j promised not TO marry the man l loved
during the lifetime Of the man hated
George RCdfcrn formally Withdrew the
charge made and gave one Of the notes to
each officer as bride for silence
And the world wondered and called me
n coquette and "hard to please, " and a
year went by and found me unmarried
true love stil-and nliScra-
BILE
The end came suddenly. One winters
night messenger summoned the two
whom Rcdfern had wrongcd to his bedside
He was dying.
I've brought you rain and sorrow,
haven't |? All, that's nothing You have
brought me down to death. loved that
woman-lnved her. l became II villain for
her sake. like you, Robert. l meant to
make you my partner some day. Kate"
turning suddenly toward mo, you know
] took the notes out Of the safe No mat
ter, I've made amends. I'm dying and
Robert DnnG is my heir"
Robert was rich now, and his mother to
this day LylIcyrs that it wns lovers quar-
rel that kept us apart SO long, Better 50,
sur thus the memory Of the man who
sought to blast our lives and lost his own
is spared, and we can spare him in his
grave and pity him too. Exchange.