The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-06-04
AGATHA WEBB.
Continued From Page 49,

Because you thought him guilty OF
theft; because you believed he took
the $1,000 out of the sum entrusted to
him by Mr.. Orr, for your father?
Agatha, it was not James who did this,
it was /, and James knew it and bore
the blame of my misdoings, because
he was always a loyal soul and took
account of my weakness and knew,
alas, too well. that open shame would
kill me-"
1t was a weak plea and merited no
reply, but the silence was so dreadful
and lasted so long that l felt first
crushed and then terrified. Raising my
head, for l had not dared to look any
of them in the face, l cast one glance
at the group before me and dropped my
head again. startled. Only one of the
three was looking at me, and that was
Agatha The others had their heads
turned aside and / thought, or rather
the passing fancy took me, that they
shrank from meeting her gaze with
something of the same shame and
dread / was myself suffering from
But shel Can 1 ever hope to make you
realize her look or comprehend the
pang of utter establishment with
which 1 succumbed before it. 1t was
so terrible that l seemed to hear her
utter words, though l am sure she did
not speak: and with some wild idea OF
stemming the torrent of her reproaches,
i made an effort at explanation and I'M
petuously cried: 1T was not for my
own good. Agatha, not altogether Tor
self 1 did this ] loved you also madly,
despairingly, and good brother as l
seemed. 1 was jealous os James and
hoped to take his place in your regard
If | could show a greater prosperity
and obtain for you those things his
limited prospects denied him. You en-
joy money, beauty, ease; / could see
that by your letters, and if James could
not give them to you and / could o.,
do not look at me like that l see now
that millions could not have bought
you"
.Despicabler' was all that came from
her lips. at which l shuddered and
CROPPED about for the handle of the door
But she would not let me go. Suodulng
with grand self-reStraint the emouons
which had hitherto swelled too high in
her breast for either speech or action,
she thrust out one arm to stay me and
said in short, commanding tones: How
was this thing done. You say you took
the money. vet it was James who was
sent to collect it: or so my father says
Here she tore her looks from me and
cast one glance at her father What
she saw | cannot say, but her manner
changed and henceforth she glanced
his way as much as mine and with
nearly as much emotion. Il am wait
ing TO hear what you have to say, she
exclaimed. laying her hand on the door
50 as to leave me no opportunity for
escape. I bowed and attempted an ex-
pIanation. Agatha" said l, the COM
mission was given to James and he
rode to Sutherlandtown to perform II,
but it was on the day when he was
accustomed to write to you and he
was not easy in his mind for he feared
he would miss sending you his usual
letter"
And then 1 told the story you know
SO well. how / took the money and how
after Mr. Gilchrist had accused you OF
the theft you found out my guilty Sc
cret and told me that you had taken
NV crime on yourself, and how after
wards my virtue was not equal to as
suming the responsibility for my crime.
John" she said-she was under vio-
lent restraint-"why do you come
now?"
standing just as before with ms eyes
turned away. There was discourage
ment in his attitude, mingled with a
certain grand patience. Seeing that
he was better able to bear her loss than
either James or myself, l said TO her
very low Il thought you ought TO
know the truth before you gave your
final word l am late, but l would have
Her hand fell from the door, but her
ewes remained fixed on my face.
1T is TOO late now" she murmured.
1.-THE clergyman has just gone who
united me to Philemon"
The next minute she had faced her
father and her new-made husband.
Father, you knew this thingi" Keen,
sharp, incisive. the words rang out L
saw it in your face when he began TO
speak.
was a very sick man, and the scene
had been a trying one.
IF l did, was his low response, sit
was but lately. You were engaged then
TO Philemon. Why break up this sec
ond match?'
She eyed him as if she found it diff
cult to credit her ears. Such indifTer-
ence to the claims of innocence was in
credible to her. 1 saw her grand profile
duiver, then the slow ebbing from her
cheek of every drop of blood indigna-
ton had summoned there.
"And you, Philemon" she suggested,
with a somewhat softening aspect, you
committed this wrong ignorantly, new
er having heard of this crime; you
could not know on what false grounds
/ had been separated from James
had started TO escape. but stopped
lust beyond the threshold of the door
as she uttered these words. Philemon
was not as ignorant as she supposed
This was evident from his attitude and
expression.
Agatha" he began, but at this first
word. and before he could clasp the
hands held helplessly out before her,
she gave a great cry, and, staggering
back, eyed both her father and himself
in a frenzy of Indignation that was all
the more uncomfortable from the su-
perhuman effort which she hitherto
made to suppress it. You, tool" she
shrieked. You, too and 1 have just
sworn to love, honor and obey you,
Love you, Honor you, the unconsciol-
able wretch who"
But here Mr.. Gilchrist rose, weak
lettering, quivering with something
more than anger; he approached his
daughter and laid his finger on her lips.
BE quiet" he said. philemon is not
to blame. A month ago he came TO see
me and prayed that, as a relief to his
mind, / would tell him why you had
separated yourself from James. He
had always thought the match had fall
len through on account of some foolish
quarrel or incompatibility, but lately he
had feared there was something more
Than he suspected in this break, some
thing that he should know. So 1 told
him why you had dismissed James, and
whether he knew James better than
we did. or whether he had seen some
thing in his long acquaintance with
these brothers which influenced his
Judgment, he said at once. This can
not be true of James. 1t is not in his
nature TO defraud any man; but John
I might believe it of John. Isn't there
some complication here?' I had never
thought of John. and did not see how