The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1899-12-08

drove up to the gate and jumped on
upon the stone block.
If terror could have killed her
Mahala must have dropped dead be
fore she reached the porch and saw {
figure emerge from the darkness o
the house. 1t WIS her father, and sh,
fell into his arms unable even to ask
a question.
You've told her Lefty" he said re
proachfully.
II haven't, pa. prepared her, land
this is the result" responded Lefty
bursting into tears. But Mahala was
already able to stand on her feet and
lie led her into the parlor. Ifshe had
any doubt that the calamity was seri
GUS, this would have convinced hel
of it-this solemn entrance into the
best room.
Trouble has come upon us, daugh.
ter" said the old man.
Il have guessed it. Enos is dead?''
gasped Mahala.
mo, child" said the fater. 1.-THE
trouble that has come to this house is
not the trouble that death brings.
them that trusted him, He has rob-
bed the bank and is off with the hard
earnings OF widows and orphans.
Eros-our Epos-is a traitor and a
cowardly thief"
But at that Mahala sprang to her
| feet.
IF an angel should tell me that"
she cried, I'D know it was q lie.
| Whom have you been listening to,
| father? Who has dared say such
! things of the son you know 80 we'll to
be good and upright2"
The old man turned away, sat down
| beside the table, folded his arms and
hid his face in them. Mahala, with
flashing eyes and burning cheeks,
turned to Lefty.
Who has been telling father these
| falsehoodsa" she asked.
Nobody told him." Lefty answered
Everybody keeps away as if we had
the plague and they knew it. We
| read it in the paper this morning.
Oh, Mahala, it was such an awful
momentr
You don't believe it, do you, Let
typ" asked Mahala, scorn in her
tones. You don't believe it OF our
| EnosPn
You can read it for yourself, sister,"
said Lefty, taking newspaper from
little secretary built into a dark
corner behind the door after the re-
markable fashion that obtains in most
farmhouses. You can read it if you
can bear to, Mahala."
I'm not afraid. Lies without any
foundation, spiteful hints and in
nuendous that have frightened you
all, | feel sure" And Mahala seized
the paper, marched straight to
her room, lit lamp and began to
read:
Through the efforts of O bright
membe of cur staff we find ourselves
in a position to give the full particu-
lars Of the robbery of the Longtown
Savings bank in advance OF any of
our contemporaries. Last evening
the cashier, Euos Pynchon, the son of
a highly respected resident of Elm
bridge, absconded with all the cash
IN the bank and many negotiable
papers, having previously falsified
his accounts to an amount not yet
definitely known.
He went away, as usual, on his
bicycle, and the facts were not dis
covered until the next day, when the
assistant cashier entered upon the dis
charge Of his duties.
What makes the breach of trust
more painful is that Enos Pynchon
was an intimate friend of the bank
president, Mr.. Cyrus Percival, and
that the sister of the guilty man, Miss
Mahala Pynchon, was about to be
married to Mr.. Edward Percival, the
presidents only son. OF course this
engagement is now at an end.
IGVarnr~ Ar Daroiuol
assistant cashier have accompanied
the detectives who are in pursuit of
the fugitive"
Mahala had said that she would not
believe an angel who told her an evil
tale of her brother, but as she read
this column of the EimbriJge Gazette
it had the effect upon her that any
thing printed in black and white has
On most people.
at is too cruel-too cruelr' she
cried, casting the paper from her and
finging herself across her bed. How
could heaven be 80 cruel to us2''
Thus she lay, dry eyed and feverish,
until the door opened and Lefty came
softly to the bedside and began to re-
gotten she still wore.
LIZ COIuS " yea, ucdE, Gu6 StIl
pleaded tearfully. Mother ought to
have some. Perhaps You can coax
her to take it; can't" Mahala COM
they dared not meet each others
eyes.
When the meal was done, they all
sat about the room and waited until
the last train came in. and though as
suredly they expected nothing they
were conscious of a new despair when
it was gone.
The next day Mahala and her
parents sat together in the living
room, as people at sea gathered in the
cabin of a vessel when storm is rag
ing. They heard the church bells
ring, and the wheels of carriages on
their way to the Thanksgiving SER
vice.
81 shau't never have the face to go
to meeting again." said Mrs Pynchon.
They were the first words she had
spoken since breakfast time. And
again there was silence, for they
would not speak of that of which their
thoughts were full and no interest in
anything else in the wide, wide world.
As the evening train came in Mahala
thought how she had looked from the
windows of the car the night before,
thinking of her happy home and her
Overwhelming herself the happiest
girl alive. Now she believed herself
to be the most miserable.
Light lamp" said old Mr.. Pyn-
chon. "If we cannot rejoice on this
Thanksgiving day, at least we can
pray" He took a Bible from the
shelf where it was kept and opened it
and read aloud the psalm he thought
most fitting. Then the women knelt,
each before a chair, and the old man,
standing, lifted mis- voice in prayer.
He had intended to make it petition
for mercy, prayer for the sinful, and
sorrowful in general, but his heart
was too full and he soon found him.
self uttering agonized petitions for
his poor, lost boy.
He prayed with his hands clamped,
his eyes closed. The sobs of the
kneeling women filled the room, and
some one who had opened the door
stood, one hand on the lock, the other
on the door jamb, gazing at the scene
with astonished eyes.
80 God, have mercy upon my poor,
wandering Enos. Though he has
| brought his parents gray hairs with
sorrow to the grave, forgive my poor,
prodigal son, Enos as forgive him."
were the old mans words. Then he
opened his eyes.
Enos stood before him in the door
way, and as he stepped in the room
remarked:
Father that was powerful prayer
and it seems to have been felt 80 by
the family, but must ask, respect
came to need so much prayer and
crying over? am not aware of hav-