Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-11-25
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MargaTet'S Lover !: ::

Il x 4 4;
"Aunt Prue, how proud you must have
/ felt when you won that $100 prize in
your first story competition! I wonder
what you did with all that sudden
wealth"
81 have never yet told any one what
first did with the money, Margaret" re-
piled Mrs. Morris, ''but it can do no harm
to tell the story now. 1t all happened
ten years ago.
Gas I was on my way home with the
two crisp $50 bills in my pocket l met
young man who had been one Of my pu-
pills two or three years before. He was
quite a favorite Of mine, and had
known his people for many years. On
this day he turned and walked with me,
and l soon guessed that he was in some
deep trouble. After awhile won the
story from him. He had been speculat-
| ing in stocks and had borrowed IN
known to his employers, 500 of the
| firms money. He had lost and, in de-
spair ut being unable to refund the mon
ey, had forged his qncle's name to a
check, which, however, he had not yet
found courage to present for payment.
"Well, the end of it was that the crisp
$50 bills in my possession changed hands,
the forged check was destroyed, and
Charlie left me, with broken words of
thanks and a few earnest promises for
the future"
did he ever repay you the money,
auntie?"
Eyes, he paid it all back in few
months. believe he has always lived an
honest, upright life since, and l have
never regretted the first investment OF
my prize money"
A short time later, as Margaret Rim
mer was on her way home, she heard
deep, manly voice say, Good afternoon,
Miss Margaret" And Professor Hay
fell into step by her side.
81 have just been calling on my Aunt
Prudence" said Margaret, as they walk
ed on slowly. -"I have spent delightful
afternoon reading some Of her old stories.
You know, she won hundred dollar
prize once with one Of her first stories"
Eyes, remember" said the professor
somewhat absently, looking down as he
spoke at few fluffy curls that escaped
from beneath the brim of his compan-
IONS hat. II remember that l met your
aunt on the day that she received the
prize, and she allowed me to walk part
of the way home with her. You know,
she was my teacher in the old high
school,"
.sNo, 1 did not know It," replied Mar
garet slowly, with shock Of surprise.
To herself she was repeating with SICK
heart: ''This is the end Of auntie's story.
His name is Charles Hay, and it was he
who walked home with auntie that day.
He must never know that / know" She
forced herself to take some part in the
conversation, trying to put aside for the
time the thought Of what this knowledge
must mean to her, that she could never
again look up to him with the old re-
spect, that the sweet fancies that had OF
late begun to come to her of dearer
friendship between them must be reso-
lutely crushed out. No, it could never
be Just the same again.
When few days later Mr.. Hay called
on Margaret and in few manly words
told her of his love, Margaret gently, but
decidedly, refused his offer. She would
give him no reason, except that it could
never be. No, she cared for no one else
but it could never be. So the professor
went sadly away, and Margaret, with
pale face and eyes dim with unshed
tears, sought her room.
For hours that night Margaret Rimmer
Law awake and wrestled with the prob
lern-was it fair to condemn the man of
80. honest, respected, who had won his
place in the world, for the folly and sin
of ten long years ago? Had he not nobly