Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-05-03

who had loved her so passionately an
so well?
What would he do? Would he writ
to her and claim her, or mercifully lie
her rest in peace?
Ethel had not moved or stirred al
night; but when Helen entered tn
room, she believed that her charg
had just risen.
When the girl turned round to he
with a white, wan face, and great hol
low circles round her eyes, Miss Digb!
uttered a startled little cry.
You are not SO well today, Ethel,
am sure she cried; g you have no
slept we'll have brought you the
Times"
A blush that seemed to burn the
beautiful face rose over it-Heler
could not understand why.
Ethel turned eagerly to her, and
held out her hand for the newspaper.
Shall l stay with your" she asked
Il shall be pleased to spend the morn
| ing in your ROOM
mo, no. thank you, Helen!" she
cried, eagerly; Il 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?
10 Il;
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 filled 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 distinguished scholar. But
his father was ruined by the failure Of
some mines in which he had risked the
&c n~tI T
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.
He lost, won and lost again, princi-
pally on the race-course; he gave him
self up to all kinds OF folly, took a
large house, lived in grand style, gave
magnificent parties, meanwhile appro-
priating money that was not his own,
intending at some future time to re
fund H.
Then, in order to hide his defalca-
tons, he purposely falsifed the &C
counts, and, when he found it impos-
sible to hide his crime, he crowned it
by forging 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 of effecting it seemed
vain.
At last he was found at the Queens
Hotel, st. Ina's Bay, where he had
been hiding in disguise ever since he
had committed the crime; and those
in court wondered, as they heard this,
why he had fingered in such deadly
peril.
No one knew, and no one guessed,
the story of his passionate love for
beautiful, proud Ethel Gordon.
The trial would have been longer,
but that the prisoner made no defense.
He at last admitted his guilt, and asked
for mercy-he was young, and had
been sorely tempted.
To be continued.