The National tribune., 1901-06-20
Ind sewsr-digeers apding the buried treas

slept very little any night, usually awak-
ening with a start and thrill Of horror.
In tho dread bf some terrible calamity he
lost appetite. After a little the glorious
exuitation Of having so much hidden
wealth began to wane. At times he would
sit down to think how fortunate he was,
and how happy he would be, when the
whole matter had blown over and he
would be at liberty to use some of the
funds which he had stored away. But,
alas! he was to realize that the matter
was to never blow over.
When the sabbath day came Henry
went as usual to church with his wife.
His awful guilt was shrieked in his ears
when the minister read from Leviticus,
XIX-11:
'.Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely,
neither lie one to another"
Henry sat up and gazed at the preach
er, whose awful, accusing eye was on
him.
Who told him of it?" was the query
which rose to his lips, to be checked be-
fore the thought found utterance in words.
The second morning lesson was from
Proverbs, Xxx, and when the eighth and
ninth verses were read Henry almost
started to his feet. The awful words
rang IN such trumpet blasts upon his ears
he could scarce restrain himself from run
ming away.
Henry left the church, secretly resolved
| to 90 no more. The preacher seemed to
suspect him, and chose subjects that were
home -thrusts. That afternoon he found
himself heartily wishing he had never
seen the hateful money.
Weeks passed, and he was wasting
| away under the dread remorse until his
wife and friends became alarmed for his
health. He was advised to see phySi-
clan, but Henry knew that his ailments
were beyond the skill of any DOCTOR His
nervousness was approximating a col
lapse which might end in insanity. He
often feared that he was on the verge of
mental destruction.
His wife, poor creature, was filled with
grief and alarm, as night after night she
found him lying awake, or his slumbers
haunted by hideous dreams. She went
one day to the family physician, who had
prescribed for Henry without avail, and
after giving him the full details of the
symptoms asked:
Now, Doctor, can you tell Inc what
ails him?''
The doctor bowed his white head. after
a few moments deep thought, and said:
Mrs. Grimshawe, there seems to be
something weighing on your husbands
mind"
I'VE have mortgage on our home,
Doctor, which has annoyed him, L know"
The doctor shook his head vaguely and
answered:
It's more than mortgage Mrs. Grim
Shave. He has more on his mind than
Il mortgage; it Is greater, it is deeper;
now. if you could find out what it is we
might relieve it,"
That night when they were alone, and
Mary saw her poor, dear husband, so
haggard, pale and careworn, she put her
arm tenderly about his neck and said
Henry, won't you tell me what it is
that EiliIunr fThnra ic
weighing on your mind. | don't care what
it iS-tell your deer wife, who shares all
your troubles, and | will make it lighter
for you" D ~
Henry started his heart stood still.
Could it be possible that she suspected
his secret! He would rather any other
person in the world should know that aw-
full truth than the wife of his bosom.
No! While he lived she should never
know that her husband whom she thought
so true and noble, was a thief The secret
would die with him, and the treasure
might rot in the earth beneath the flag
stones in the cellar floor. With an effort
he frightened up and said:
why, no, Mary; it is nothing to tell,
better, than have been for some time
| am we'll" =
"Oh, Henry, if you could once more
be like yourself; if you could once more be
cheerful and happy as you once were, you
would make our gloomy world so bright"
Why, | will; am. | was just think
ing; that is all-thinking on business"
Don't think of business when at
home"
Il won't" he answered, with laugh,
and for some time the cheerful old smile
came back to his face.
One evening, when he was home, little
Alice came, and climbing upon his knee
put her arms about his neck in the old,
loving, childish way. The sweet, inno-
cent kisses of his invalid child burned
upon his cheek, and he gently put her
down.
No, nor he muttered to himself "She
is too pure, too innocent, to kiss a thief
Oh, child!' he thought, you little know
that your father is liable at any time to
be seized and dragged to prison. May
God help you to bear that disgrace when
it comes"
Sometimes he had painful thoughts of
digging up the package and secretly re-
turning it to the express company. He
would have made restitution could he
have done so without being detected. But
he knew the company was revengeful,
and the very fact that he was penitent
and had restored the ill-gotten gains
would not ameliorate his crime in their
eyes. In spite of every plan he laid for
restitution, there was some way, he
thought, whereby the money would he
traced back to him, and he saw himself
under arrest for having retained it so
long. Then, that Little Gentleman in
Black was busy as usual with his whis-
'pered suggestions in his ears.
Thou fool; keep it, The matter hath
nearly blown over. Return it now, and
you will not only be called Il thief, but
fool as we'll Think how the newspa-
pcrs condemn the cOnScience-stricken
fools who return conscience money. Your
self ard family will be forever disgraced
if you attempt it now
Henry was desperate. His heart was
filled to overflowing. Once he thought TO
pray, went to his closet, and locking the
door bent his knee before the throne of
mercy: but at once there rang in thunder
tones through his soul: Thou can'st not
expect forgiveness before restitution"
He rose. and leaving the closet never
tried to pray again. Given over a victim
of remorse and fear, ut the end of IL
months he was a physical and mental
wreck, yet all the while he hugged that
awful secret to his breast. The skeleton
in the closet was known to no living soul
He dared not tell his wife and children,
for the disgrace would break the hearts of
those whom he loved more than his own
life.
A year and a half of this terrible life
which was killing him, had passed, and
he knew the end must come soon, either in
death or insanity. The latter he felt was
creeping upon him, and he feared that in
some moment Of delrium he might saw