The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-09-22

look of agony pass over her features
40 she instnctivcly pressed her hand to
her heart. l knew then that the let
ter contained some important revela-
ton. and L became anxious to obtain
possession of it. When she had done,
could see that she was laboring under
a strong emotion; but she controlled
herself, replaced the letter in it's en-
velope and said, merely: This does
not tell me my husbands whereabouts;
but | shall doubtless have further news
OF him in the course of Il few days. I
saw that she was attempting to shield
him in the suprositCn that lie was still
alive. | therefore broke the news of
his death to her as gently as could.
The first shoot, seemed to utterly I'M
nerve her: but after awhile she became
somewhat calmcr. After all, it is bet
ter So she said, at last. Then she
handed me this letter. There was no
further reason for Withholding it. Read
it now"
at is postmarled at the general post
office at five o'clock" said Sturgis; at
was therefore mailed before or during
Chatham's visit to the bank. 1t may
have been mailed by Arbogast before
the scrubbing was done, or perhaps by
the chorewoman when she left the
bank"
The reporter drew the letter from it's
envelope and read:
1.-THE Knickerbocker Bank,
New York. Dec. 81, 1896.
my Darling Wife: When you receive
this letter shall be far away-a disgraced
criminal-and you will be worse than a
widow.
II dare not ask your forgiveness for the
trouble I am bringing upon you; for I
realize all too clearly the extent of the
wrong have done you. But feel irresist-
IDLY impelled to lay before you in all their
nakedness, as Il do before my own conscience
the circumstances which have led to my
downfall. A knowledge of these may per-
haps enable you to understand, in meas.
ure, the temptation to which 1 have sue.
cumbed: although I find it hard myself
now that all is over, to realize how came
to yield to it.
Perhaps you may remember the cele.
bratlon of my fiftieth anniversary. We
were having a most enjoyable evening In
the company of the friends whom you had
invited to participate In the festivities
when caller was announced. I was Obliged
to leave our guests in order to receive him
In the library. This man lost no time In
stating the nature of his business with me
His name was Thomas Chatham; he was
an expert accountant, who had been en-
ployed at the KnickerbOcker bank to ex.
anime the books. and he coolly informed
me that he had just discovered serious
error in my bookstore that had enabled
depositor to ovcrdraw his account b,
large amount. At first refused to be
licve him, although he submitted copie!
from the books showing exactly how thu
blunder had been made. When he intimatet
that it only rested with me whether thu
error should be reported to the bank.
Indignantly refused to listen to him. H,
remained perfectly unrufiled during ou
interview and left me at last with tn
statement that he would wait "a hours be
fore handing in his report to the presi
| dent.
MY first step on reaching the banl
the next day was to verify Chatham state
ments. Alas! they were only too true. Their
was the terrible blunder staring me in tn
| face. l could not understand how I ha,
| come to make it,, but there it was, an,
| nothing could explain 1t away. had hope'
against hope up to this time: now saw
clearly that I was ruined man.
| There was only one honorable cours
| open to me-to frankly confess my respon
sibility for the blunder and take the con
sequences, whatever they might be.
hesitated, and I was lost.
81 hesitated because felt that my posi-
ton was ut stake. Would not my erro
| appear incXcusablc to the officers of tn
bank, since could find no palliation for l
III my own eyes? I was SO years old.
| shrank from the necessity of beginning
| again at the foot of the ladder which
had SO laboriously climbed after lifetim
no easy matter for me to find another pc
sition.
'"The more thought the matter over, tn
more became convinced that there Nigh
| be another way out of my trouble. Wa
| 1t not probable that the dcpositor who ha
| proiited by 49, mistake had done so limo
Gently? -" wCuia he not be willing I
repay a5onut uverdrawn? At tn
worst sl>u,d refuse to do this Nigh
ii not 1T lor me to scrape tosethe
ara il, e1|uah 10 make good the de
iicirEcy co.'s way ! could correct tn
| hluGdcr "a 10 one would be the wiser fo
it. }3ut ii hat man Chatham? Woul
not his report betray me? / recalled hi
depended upon myself. What did he mea
by that? Probably he would set prc
upon his silence This would add consit
| eraDly to the amount l should have I
raise; but would not this be better. after al
than the loss OF my position? AT any rat
l should not be any the worse OFF for lis
tening to his proposal. whatever it migt
be.
ITO De Continued.l
| Every square mile of sea is estimate