The morning news., 1899-12-03

discussing sone unhappy rcumst ance re-
garding their affection.
What should he do? There was no wav
out except past them. Would il be better
to come out. and so let them know he
had heard their talk. or would it not be
more delicate to remain til they had gone.
not listening, and they would never know
any one had ever overheard them He
decided on he latter alternative, and re-
mained perfectly quiet
But try as ne would 1t was impossible
not to hear their whole conversation.
But what difference does that make. -
asked the young man. "You know per
fect.y well, Alice that if 1t were thou
sand times worse, that if it were you
yourself. l would marry you"
"Oh, but think of it, Ned. Think what
your friends would say! Ned Grant mar
ried the daughter of an embezzler serving
his time in Jail
The Judge couldn't help wondering if
this were the sop of Grant on the Su-
preme bench. whom he had never met.
although he knew his father Intimately.
The girls gentle voice broke as she said
This. and Ned cried:
"Oh, Alice, I wish you wouldn't think
of that. 1t just breaks me up to see you
cry. you know"
Then followed a silence during which
Alice must have been in some way com
forted, for she said in a steady voice:
mo, my dear boy. I have been very
weak to see you SO often and have these
rides. l should have refused and tried
to forget you. But, Ned 1 couldn't; I
can't think of anything but you-and-I
do love you sou
More silence. Then:
"And Ned, this really must be the last
/ can't marry you. No, dear, please
don't go all over it again. l know that
ii would be a great wrong to you to say
yes. II would always be a hindrance 10
you. We would have no friends and a
/ young lawyer must have friends. Who
would come to your house if they knew
your wife was The daughter of Rand the
embezzler?"
That was whore the judge almost dis
covered himself He sentenced Rand to
twenty years hard labor and he had stll
fifteen years TO serve 1t was n queer
case and not Quite clear. SO this was the
mother,ess girl he had heard so much
! about.
''Now. see here, Alice" the young man
said, you know it takes two to make a
separation. So while you may think it besr
not to see me again. 1 shall not give you
up and shall see you every opportunity l
can, so long as Il doesn't bother you Dad
knows all about it and he's with me-"
The judge wanted 10 shout: Good for
dad" bur he didn't
Then they got up to go and after an
otler lOuB silence tney lett nm alone. He
knew all about the trouble and pretty
mean he felt about it, too
AS he rode slowly home he turned the
little tragedy over and over in his mind
and the more he thought about il the more
| he felt that he had made a mistake by
staying and listening. At last he evolved
a plan calculated 20 ease his own con-
science and give the young man some
courage. So the judge sent him this let-
! ter:
Mr.. Edwin Grant-I had the misfor-
! tune to overhear part of your conversa-
ton with Miss Rand to-day, although in
/ quite an accidental manner. IT, as | sur.
mise, you are the sort of Grant Of the
Supreme, you are mode of the right sort
OF stun TO regard Miss Rand's views as
only temporary obstacle to your happi-
ness. sentenced Rand. and If YOU care
to eall en- me l should be glad TO see vou.
| Perhaps we may think of some arguments
to make Miss Rand look at the case diff
! ferently. AT any rate. I agree with his
honor, your father. and am also with
! you. Yours, Robert Storrow."
The next day the Judge was obliged to
so 10 distant city to act as referee In a
case.
The Rand case was almost purely a cir
cumsiantial one, and hung on the hand
writing IN which the false entries had
| been made In The books. The handwritlng
exDerts az agreed that the entries had