Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1902-09-18

"But surely"
81 know what you would say. L
was willing to work; was not willing
to beg. l know it was all wrong, from
your point of view, but | should be
sorry to think that l did what | be-
leved to be wrong"
Surely you must know it is
wrong"
mo, / don't. If l did, you would
be relieved of what l conceive to be
a painful duty. L should surrender
myself at once"
Then you are not sorry? I saw
you yesterday afternoon, and hoped
you were"
81 was sorry then-and am now;
for the very good reason that l have
lost the money"
Lost it?" she gasped.
"Yes" And he told her about the
hiding of the treasure and its disap-
pearance.
ooh, dear'" she said; that makes
it all the harder"
For you to DO what you must?
You mustn't think of that. l
shouldn't have made restitution in
any event"
"Thcn you know what / must do?'
"Assuredly. | knew it yesterday. It
was merciful in you to reprieve me
even for few hours, but it was
wrong"
"Wrong!" she burst out. ''Is it
generous to say that? Are you so
Indifferent that you think everyone
else is indifferent?"
81 know you are not Indifferent
you couldn't be. But you must be
true to yourself. Will you go to the
captain now?"
81 thought of doing that at first"
she began. at seemed to be what |
ought to do. But when | saw what
would happen; that 1 should be
obliged"
81 understand. We must guard
against that. You must not be
dragged into it. But since you can't
go to the captain, what will you do?"
braith."
and you have not yet sent it?"
"No; otherwise l shouldn't have
spoken to you"
"To be sure. But now you must re-
write it, without signing it, and send
it. I suppose you have described me
so the officers will have no difIiculty?"
"Ye-es; that is, tried to. But why
mustn't 1 sign it? They will pay no
attention to an anonymous letter;
and, besides, it seems $3.50 cow
ardly."
"They will telegraph to every river
town within an hour after it reaches
New Orleans; you needn't doubt that
And as for it's being cowardly, it is
nothing of the kind. 1t is your duty
to point me out, and when that is
done your responsibility ceases. There
are plenty of people who can identify
me if ! am taken to New Orleans"
at is very DREADFUL she muir
mured; "only you don't seem to
realize it at all"
Don't !? You must remember that
I have been arguing from your point
Of view. / shall escape if | can do
it without taking advantage of your
candor."
BY this time her fear of him had so
far departed that she asked him what
he would do.
81 shan't try to run away. So far
you have bound me by your frank
ness. When the officers appear, my
parole will be at an end. Is that
fair?"
1T is more than fair. 1 can't un-
derstand."
Cant understand what?"
"How you can DO this-how You
could do what you did last night, and
yet"
He finished the sentence for her.
-'And yet be robber of banks. |
suppose it is a bit puzzling from
your point of view. But there are
many things indivisible by any rule
of two. May | go now?"
She suffered him, and when he was
gone she went to her room to re-
write her letter. She finished it and
hurriedly gave it to the night clerk,
and straightway knew that her peace
of mind was wrecked for the remain
der of the voyage.
Such, indeed, was the fact. After
time enough had elapsed to admit of
the letter reaching New Orleans she
became n coward of landings, fear
ing lest she should see him taken.
Nor was Griswold without his
nerve-wrenchings though as the voy-
age grew older he began to take
heart of grace. In the ordinary
course of things, Miss Farnham's let
ter should have reached New Orleans
in time to have procured his arrest
at Greeneville; but when the Mis-
issippi town was passed, and many
others farther on, he began TO fear
that she had recanted, and to bewail
his broken ideal.
lie had no means of knowing that
her letter had lain on the clerks desk
until Cairo was reached, but such was
the pregnant fact, and to this over
sight Griswold owed his first sight of
the st. Louis landing.
1t was at the landing, at the very
end of the long period Of suspense,
that Charlotte saw the final act in
the drama.