The Washington times., 1902-08-10
FOR LOVE, LIBERTY, AND HONOR
By W. S. SNYDER.

may not one as leal as ! am claim all
loyalty from you? Tell me all. Will
liam, and then | can decide for myself
that which | cannot permit even you,
under cloud beyond which | cannot
see to decide for me. Come, then,
tell me all"
The young man looked at her stead
lastly a moment and then said:
Il will tell you all. But. why should
II? II may break your heart; for, sure
ly. il will shatter your faith where
had rather be adjudged a felon than
have broken it. Besides, you may not
believe me. Your father is the presi-
dent of the bank"
But | will believe you'll must be-
leve you. My faith. unto The pleading
OF my heart. is pledged. Ny trust in
you Is immutable until you have made
my mind turn traitor TO yourself. and
led il to doubt my own sincerity. Do.
William, tell me all
why should | break your heart, and
destroy in you a trust which must make
you miserable for life. and make you
despise me forever? II is better that
| should bear this burden alone, for oy
so doing | may retain, or at least some
time regain. some share in your cs-
teem."
NlIlldm. loNt yOu- -NV"' ttii NV
all
Young GAYLORD hesitated only until
he had looked into her pleading eyes.
Her hand now clasped his own. He
saw her love in all its sweetness and
purity unfol4ed as plainly as he had
an hour before seen the anguish upon
his stricken mothers face. He spoke
God forgive me If do wrong, You
remember. Elizabeth, that two years
ago | was made cashier of the bank
by your father. My hands were then as
clean Of crime as my mothers name
was above suspicion. l worked faith
fully. Ny salary was small. | do not
plead this in extenuation of my error.
but it was wholly out of comparison
with my duties. The directors were
close-fisted men. At the end OF year
| asked for a larger salary.
The directors said they could get
competent and more experienced men
for what | was receiving. Ny good
mother had only income enough TO sus-
tain her properly. and my salary bare
ly kept me deceDtly. | saw no pros
pect of making home of my own. But
plodded along. Eagerness to advance
in the world sharpens the wits. One
day l discovered that the directors, your
father included. were speculating in n
Il hsN olt ulSIONtIy leu "
other. l was not long finding out that
they sometimes used the banks deposits
to add to their personal gains.
1T was easy for me to persuade my
self that if the officers could make
money in this way, ! could not fail %
do So Six months ago ! began to us e
my own money. | had saved nearly a
thousand dollars. ! went into the min
ing trust. At first made a little
money, and l had $1,000. Then l went
deeper. Meanwhile the banks officers
were speculating. The trust began to
go backward and / began to steal. The
officers were doing the same. They
could keep going because their oppor-
tunities were better. They had easier
access to the funds.
The deposits were running low.
Three days ago the officers called me
into their private room. They had dis
covered my speculations and told me SO.
/ confessed. and asked for three days IN
which, TO make my losses good. They
knew that they WERE like myself,
guilty. and perhaps mistrusting how
much / knew, they granted my request.
Then l thought of you. Your father
must go with the crash ! could not
drag him down and disgrace you. de-
termined to run away. and before |
went one of the directors. more boil
than the rest, came and told my mother
that | was a defaulter.
she would not believe him. but I was
in the house, and when confronted by
them / confessed my guilt, but made
no explanation beyond the mere con-
fession. This afternoon l. having clean
ly shaved my face two days before
procured a secondhand suit OF cloth
ing in exchange for others, and was in
the ferry house when Jimmy found me
and urged me to come back. Why |
did not resist him do not know, only
that you had sent him. simply could
not go, and l returned. Tomorrow my
mother will beggar herself to try to
save me. If she fails-and l almost
pray Heaven she may-I must go to
jail"
Here young Gaylord broke down com
pletely. Elizabeth did not. She still
clasped his hand, but she almost choked
as she said:
And this is alp
AL"
And my father was as guilty as the
rest?''
Gaylor bowed his head. Then Eliz-
abeth said:
Il believe you. You shall not go to
Jail"
1T was for me you hid my fathers
crime. surely my love can save you.
and in 1t you can never again go astray.
II you could do this much for me. my
womanhood would be false hearted TO
falter in my duty. Walt here for me
until tomorrow. / Will come. ! Will
go TO your mother now"
Mrs. Gaylord's pillow was wet with
tears that night. but they were the
| tears of gratitude. and peace came to
her like a ray of hope that never leaves
a somber shadow. from the Giver OF
| every good and perfect gift
! The remainder Of this story is quickly
told. What Elizabeth said to her father
viii never be repeated in words. but
it had its full and perfect effec, She
returned TO young Gaylord the next
evening and this is what she said to
| him:
| William, my mission has been sue
cess. ! believed you. and | know that
| you told me the truth. You are free
man. Before ! rested last night, my
| father. confronted with your words. con-
fessed all. | went with him TO the bank
tcdav and faced the directors with him
| His head was only one Of all the rest
that burned. suffused with shame | de-
manded your freedom, and my father
| then admitted that the trust had ad-
vanced again and that the bank was now
as solvent as II ever had been. Even
your investment had been no loss
| Indeed, there was something said
about the profits gained. and | then de-
! auinA prop1tca from Sanaraf.