The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-07-13

ping forward. she placed on the table at
Jilingstone's elbow.
what is the meaning of this?' he cried
IN quick protest. 1T is hers-her own, her
own. / tell you. by every moral right. Has
she not told you Observation-Disclosures
under which l have paid her the money.
Il know the real circumstances. You do
not" she rejoined. c~lasping her hands nerv-
Ously. Il will tell %y0u-but stay You are
a gentleman-a man Of honor? Your resti-
tuition OF the money proves that i shall
throw myself and another entirely upOn
your mercy. Punish me. indeed. II you
please. / well deserve II. But-but-I rely
other whom my confession must neees-
sarily involve"
4 will do nothing to abuse your conf
dence." he answered. his heart beating
with a strange. expectant excitement.
I am Mary Rebbeck,' she said.
Yes. And I know all about my poor
fathers affairs. When he wrote those let
ters 10 Mr.. livingstone his mind. never
very strong. was quite of the balance. But
he afterwards admitted. as mother and L
knew all along. that there was very little
truth in them, and that Mr.. livingstone
treated him quite as literally as he de-
served. Indeed. think that If he had not
been egged on by your fathers enemies.
who were jealous of his success. he woult
never have preferred any claim at all
against him."
But the fact of my father keeping the
letters" began the young man. Surely
He never kept them" she said. Those
letters which you found were merely copies.
And they were placed among your father
papers after his death
He stared at her in utter amazement.
1T is true" she continued. Listen The
man who placed them there was-l have
only just realized it. but ii is now as plain
to me as dayliGht.he is mad-mad. l tell
you. His mind has become twisted, warped.
utterly deluded by incesSant concentration
on one absorbing idea
d you speak of Father Rawston?' he
axnlain1HH hnarCnlV aC the truth haQQn fO
dawn upon him.
Yes Your father. you must know. upon
strength sufficiently before he died. he
would leave half his fortune to Holy
Church to be expended by her upon her
work among the London poor. But he was
even then in articulo mortis, and was un-
able to carry out his pious intention. And
why did not Father Rawston tell me
this?' demanded the young man. Instead
There was only his word" she replied
quickly. He feared that it would not be
believed; or that. If il was. the suggestion
OF undue influence would be raised against
him.; and so the money would be lost tC
Holy Church. That was why he had re.
course to trickery and fraud: that was why
/, as mad and deluded as he, was con.
senting to aid and abet him. l thank Goo
that have now come TO my sensesi"
He said nothing. but sat staring into the
fire with haggard, sorrowful eyes, daZeC
by the sudden, heavy shock. Father Raw.
ston, the man of all others whom he hac
trusted, IN whose perfect integrity, whose
lofty principles. whose sublime idealism n,
had reposed unbounded faith; whom h
had believed, If any ever was. to be a per
feet disciple of the Master-that this mar
should have sought to impose upon hin
by a cold, cruel, diabolical fraud-it wa:
as If his whole confidence in human ma,
ture were suddenly cut away beneath his
feet.
She read his ~feelings-it was not Difficult
i'm his expressive face.
DO not Judge him too hardly" sh,
pleaded, clasping her hands in an entreat
ing gesture. What / say is true. Hi.
devotion to Holy Church has turned hi
brain. He sees not as san men see. HI
is mad"
Yes" he said YEARLY. putting his han,
to his Torches and speaking rather Il
himself than to her, IT think you are right
He Is surely mad"
She turned to go; moved quickly TO tn
door; paused there an instant, looked bacl
and then passed out. leaving him with hi
hand to his forehead still gazing wearil,
into the fire. London Truth.