Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1900-05-03

disgraceful marriage were ever made
| known.
Il should kill myself" she said
with clanched hands; Il could not
face the exposure and the shame"
The third Of August was a bright,
warm, beautiful day, but Ethel sat in
her own room, silent, melancholy, list
less wondering what laurie was do
ing what was happening.
| Her heart seemed faint and cold as
she pictured him in the felons dock
his handsome face white with shame.
his head bent iorger thief waiting
to receiving his sentence
She cid not love himshe never had
4 loved him but all that evening she
sat at her window watching the sun
set, and the moon watching the
purple evening shadows and the dark
gray shades Of night watching the
stars while others slept, until the
crimson dawn that locked so fair in
the eastern sky broke once again over
/ the earth.
He knew his fate by then; sentence
| had been pronounced upon him, and
soon she should know it. Was he
watching the rise of the early dawn
through the prison bars? Was he
thinking Of her, this forger and thief,
who had loved her 50 passionately and
so well?
What would he do? Would be write
to her ana claim her, or mercifully let
her rest in peace?
Ethel had not moved or stirred all
night but when Helen entered the
room, she believed that her charge
had just risen.
When the girl turned round to her
with white wan face, and great hol-
low circles round her eyes, Miss Digby
uttered a startled little cry.
You are not 50 well today, Ethel.
am sure" she cried; you have not
slept well | have brought you the
Times
A blush that seemed to burn the
beautiful face rose over it-Helen
could not understand why
Ethel turned eagerly to her. and
held out her hand for the newspaper
Shall | stay with your" she asked
l shall be pleased to spend the morn
ing In your room"
NO no, thank you, Heen!" she
cried, eagerly; u want to be alone"
Helen fingered to perform two or
three kindly offices for her, and the
girls impotence reached fever heat
Would she never go? Would she new
er be able to open that paper and
know her fate?
At last, with kindly words and an
anxious look Helen Digby went away.
Ethel was alone then. and the burn
ing, trembling hands fastened to open
the paper
There it was, in large letters: "The
! trial of Laurie Darlington for theft
and forgery" The report Of the trial
occupied considerable space She did
not overlook a single word.
1t was surely The saddest simlest
story ever told Of any mans downfall;
so sad and so simple that, as she read
it, tears filed her eyes and fell on the
paper-tears of pity for the thief and
forger who had tempted her.
He came Of a good family the Car
ringtOns of OXford-and he was the
only son of his mother, a widow His
father had once been a rich man, and
he himself had received an excellent
education; he had distinguished him
self at college, and had hidden fair to
become a distinguished scholar But
his father was ruined by the failure Of
some mines in which he had rsked the
whole of his fortune, and Laurie was
taken from college to be placed in the
Anglo-Scottish Bank
There he attracted notice by indus
try, perseverance, and honesty By
degrees he reached the highest post in
the bank; and, although young, his
talents were SO great that he was made
manager when the gentleman who had
occupied that position died.
There was before him a glorious
future. and nothing marred it but his
own folly, he allowed himself to be
tempted by the love of gambling
lie lost won, and lost again princi-
pally on the race-course; he gave him
self mp 60 all kinds of folly, took
large house, lived in grand style, gave
magnificent parties, meanwhile appro-
priatins money that was not his own,
intending at some future time to 70
fund H.
Then. in order to hide his detalel-
tons he purposely falsihed the ac-
counts, and, when he found il impos-
sble to hide his crime, he crowned 1t
by forgius a check for five thousand
pounds and running away with the
money The directors offered a large
reward for his capture. but for some
time All hope 90 o1fecting it seemed
vain