The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-06-26
THE ADVERTISERS
 DAILY SHORT STORY

ing. Condensed 1t would be about as fol- lows:
 The knowledge Is mine as yet: the di- rectors will not stumble upon the truth TOT another day; love her; she does not rove me; there is nothing about me to love; no one cares about me except my mother. and she will believe in me in 1 spite of black and white: it is my duty sse as man (Willie was fond of thinking of himself as a mann to spare. my mistress every pang l can worry through some-
 now; Carson would go all to pieces. He entered the bank, went straight to
 the presidents room and told that aston tshed official that he had stolen the money. He offered also to resign his place and make restitution if there was no prosecution The directorate was l anlxons to avoid scandal and this was | agreed to, Willie drew SiO0O from his small deposit in another bank, turned it | In to cover the defalcation and walked
 out He passed Carson on his way to the door, and, moved by some impulse
 stopped and held out his hand That young gentleman was whitehead and precipitation stood in beads on his
 forehead, but other clerks were looking l on, so he said coldiy:
 No. Triggs I'm sorry for you. but l can't shake hands with you. I've got to handle the banks funds and I want to keep my fingers as clean as possible"
 Willie answered merely in a whisper: All right! 1 know and you know that Know. Do as you think best" So he went away.
 The news leaked out as such news will. It Is possible that Carson mentioned it to his companions. Anyhow, Willie Triggs was out Of job and out of social posi- ton, a marked man. He bore it patiently. Then two strange things happened
 A large merchant in the town refused to believe him guilty and gave him work at posting books.
 Miss Nettie Carson, who had cared nothing about him before his tragedy thought of him constantly and became his fiery champion. He used to sit in his room at night and cry over the poems he had written, sniff the withered rose and dampen the handkerchief He was not much of hero after all. It would have done him good to know that she was his friend and defender. but he did not know 1t. Of course he had not called on her.
 On certain afternoon of a weekday the bank directorate sat behind closed doors and their faces were grave. The cashier had said to them:
 "Trfggs is out Of the bank and there Is another thousand missing"
 They determined to say nothing more and to go through the books carefully
 That afternoon on the Gainesville race course san Blas." an odds-on favorte, led his field for three-quarters of mile. failed unacountably in the stretch and his way through the crowd of betters in front of the stand of Red Mike" Walsh. the book maker. tore a ticket in two and hurled the pieces in his face
 You scoundrel." he yelled "you had the horse pulled. You're thiefu'
 Nothing loath. Walsh sprung from his perch and grappled with his assailant. There was the flash of a knife. a groan and fall. then the thron gsurged Hacx around them. In little while Walsh came from 1t in the grasp of two po- licemen. After him came a stretcher and on the stretcher was a man whose shirt was crimson from waist-band to collar The face was waXen white with death dews on 1t: the breath came gaspingly; the man was Bob" Carson.
 After dark 2 messenger came for Willie He was wanted at the Carson home and went wonderingly. At the bedside was the father. gr1ef-stricken and stern. a half-unconscious mother. the girl pale but compos, d. and a notary public
 This concerns you. Triggs.' said the father. Nette went to him and put her hand in his. The notary read the con fession. It was concise and complete. Tho dying man listened intently That's right" he said at the close, and smiled feeby. An hour later he was dead,
 Willie Triggs IS happy now. but his wifes mother has never been brought to look on him with affection. That, per haps. is natural. If you should tell him that he is a hero he would not believe it. ny his way of thidking the thing he did was the only thing to do