Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1902-10-22


Young Gaylord's voice came to him
He said:
"This means State prison."
Elizabeth shuddered, but William I'D
not For a moment he was the
stronger of the two. At length she
said:
Not yeti" :. 49,
= Young Gaylord looked at her as if he
scarcely comprehended. Then she
added:
There is always hope"
This reused him and brought him
back to himself. Ee said:
mot for me-"
'Let us see. Tell me ALL"
Have you not hcard?"
Something from my father, but per-
haps not all. Tell me"
Tn four words: l robbed the bank" ="
eyes, know. But that is not all"
and Elizabeth gently laid her hand on
his arm. Il have come to see you" she
added, Ito help You, if can. Will you
not trust me? am, know, only a
woman but, trust, true woman, and
one who must be convinced that her
ideal of true manhood is unworthy of
Ter faith before she will give that
ideal up. =
my trust in you tells. ME that there
is something yet to be uncovered, and
may not one as lead as am claim all
loyalty from you? Tell me all, William,
and then | can decide fc- myself that
which l 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
fastly moment and then said:
Il will tell You all. But, why should
l? 1t may break your heart for, sure
ly, it will shatter your faith where l,
had rather be adjudged felon than
have it broken. Besides, you may not
believe me- Your father is the presi-
dent Of the bank"
"But l will believe you'll must be-
lieve you. Ny faith, unto the pleading
OF my heart, is pledged. My trust in
you is immutablc until you have made
my mind turn traitor to yourself, and
led it to doubt my own sincerity. Do,
William, tell me ALL"
why should break your heart, and
destroy in you trust. which must
make you miserable for life, and make
you despise Me forever? 1t is better
that should bear this burden alone,
for by so doing may retain, or at
least some time regain, some share in
your esteem. %
William, love you! Now, tell me
ALL" So. z-,s,,.s & g ,lT'i$ Ia
Young GAYLORD hasitated only llnt.l ;
sTvsisnoS S1eiasped@hfs own He
saw her love in all its sweetness, and
purity unfolded as plainly as he had
an hour before seen the anguish upon
his stricken 1nother's face. He spoke:
God forgive me ifeI 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. | worked faith
fully. My salary was small. l do not
plead lnls in eXtenuation of nay error,
but it was wholly out of comparison
with my duties. The directors were
close fisted men, At the end of a year
l asked for larger salary.
1.-THE directors said they could get
competent and more experienced men
for what was receiving. My good
mother had only income enough to sus-
tain her properly, and my Salary bare
ly kept me decently. saw no pros
pect of making home of my own.
But l plodded along. Eagerness to ad-
vance in the world sharpeps the wits.
One day discovered that the directors,
your father included, were speculating
in a mining trust. One discovery led
to another. l was not long finding. out
that they sometimes used the bank
deposits to add to their personal gains.
'It was easy for me to persuade my
self that if the officers could make
money in this way, could 'notgfail to
do so. Six monLIs ago began to use
my own money.SI mad saved nearly a
thousand dollars. I went into the min
ing trust. At first I made a little
money, and l had $780,. Then I 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
discovered 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 my
self, guilty, and perhaps mistrusting
how much knew, they granted my re-
quest. Then l thought of you. Your
father must go with the crash. could
not drag him down and disgrace you.
l determined to run away, and before
1 went one of the directors, more bold
than the rest, came and told my mother
that was defaulter.
She would not believe him, but l
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
cleanly shaved my face two days be-
fore, procured secondhand suit OF
clothing in exchange for others, and
was in the ferry house when. Jimmy
found me and urged me to come back.
Why | did net resist him l do not
know; only that you had sent him.
simply could not go, and | returned.
Tomorrow MY mother will beggar
herself to try to save me. If she fails
and | almost pray Heaven she may,
| must. 20 to Jail. ;" =: - =