The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-10-10

mally toward the town. His woebegone
{ face and, the quasi clerical cut of his
dust-stained, filthy costume caught my
Sir" he said. with a catching of the
breath. could you spare a few minutes
for what l fear will seem an incredible
sIncredibler' 1 said.
quite" he answered eagerly. mo one
viii believe 1t. alter it though l may. Yet
/ can assure you sir
He stopped hOpelessly. The mans tone
tickled me. He seemed an odd character.
Il am he said. one. of the most IN
fortunate beings alive"
Among other things. you haven't
dined?'' l said. struck with an idea.
Il have not" he said solemnly. for
many days
You'll tell it better after that" 1
said and without more ado led the way
TO a low place knew, where such cos
tune as his was unlikely to give offense.
And herewith certain omissions which
he subsequently supplied, l got his story.
AT first 1 was incredulous, but as the
wine warmed him and the faint suggeS-
ton of cringing his misfortunes had added
to his manner disappeared. l began to be-
lieve. At last / was so far convinced of
his sincerity that / got him a bed for the
night. and next day verified the banker 5
reference he gave me through my
Jamaica banker. And that done. took
him shopping for underwear and such like
equipments of a gentleman at large.
Presently came the verified reference.
His astonishing story was true. Will
not dInplify our subsequent proceedings.
He started for England in three days
, time.
II do not know how 1 can possibly
thank you enough, the letter ne wrote
me from England began. for all your
kindness to a total stranger" and pro-
ceeded for some time in a similar strain.
Had it not been for your generous as
sistance could certainly never have
returned in time for the resumption of
my scholastic duties and my few min
utes of reckless folly would perhaps have
fl ant a Il
in a tissue of lies and evasions of the
most complicated sort. to account for my
sunhurnt appearance and my where,
abOutS. / have rather careleSSly told
two or three different stories. not realiz-
ing the trouble this would mean for me
in the end. The truth / dare not tell. l
have consulted a number of law books in
the British museum. and there is not the
slightest doubt that 1 have connived at
and abetted and aided a felony That
scoundrel Bingham was the Hithergate
bank manager. l find. and guilty Of the
most fragrant embeZZlement. Please,
please burn this letter when reaG-I trust
you implicitly. The worst OF it is. neither
my aunt nor her friend. who kent rhe
boarding house at which / was staying,
seem altogether to bell we guarded atc-
ment 1 have made them-practically Of
what actually happened. They suspect
me of some discreditabie adventure, but
what sort of discreditable adventure they
suspect me of l do not know My aunt
says she would forgive me If | told her
everything. | have-I have told her more
than everything and still she is not salts
fed. 1t would never do TO let them know
the truth of the case. of course and so ]
represented myself as having been way
laid and gagged upon the beach. My
aunt wants to know why they waylaid
and gagged me. why they took me away
i'm their yacht. / DO not know Can you
suggest any reason? l can think of moth
ing. If, when you wrote. you could write
on two sheets. so that [ could show her
one. and on that one, if you could show
clearly that l really was in Jamaica this
summer. and had come there by being
marooned from ship. il would be eff
great service to me. 1t would certainly
add to the load of my obligations to you.
a load that / fear 1 can never fully re-
pay Although if gratitude -
And so forth. At the end he repeated his
request for me to burn the letter.
So the remarkable story of Mr.. Led
better's vacation ends. That breach with
his aunt was not of long duration. The
old lady had fully forgiven him before
she died.