The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1902-03-06

GudC she WenC WIN CQe mlSerd Die
story of what an unjust world calls
your shame"
It crushed her as feared it would.
For long time she sat with her face
hidden in her hands, and her sobs
were so many dagger-thrusts for me.
When she lifted her eyes to mine
there was the light of a new pur-
pose in them.
II must go away from here-at
once," she said. II should have gone
at first. I would have gone, if had
not been afraid"
Il know. But you may trust An
gus. And it is for him that I must
plead, Winifred. He knows the worst,
now, and since he loves you the YER
dict of an uncharitable world is
nothing to him. Won't you give him
leave to speak to you, Winifred?"
She started back with a little cry
of anguish.
"You speak of shame, and it is you
who tempt mel" she said, in sor-
rowful reproach. "That would be
shame, indeed-shame and sin. You
say you know the facts. Are you
quite sure you know all of them?"
"Let me tell you what I know, and
you shall say if it be the truth. Two
years ago the nameless one had
business engagement which domi-
ciled him in a village in New Hamp-
shire. While there he met a young
girl, an orphan, whose father had
left her a modest competence. I
know not if it were for the sake of
the money that he wooed and won
her, and was willing to dare the con-
sequences of crime punishable by
law. But the thing was done, and
the crime was scarcely committed
before another woman came with
child in her arms to claim him as
her lawful husband. He fled, like the
coward that he was, and the young
girls people connived at his escape
to bury the shame of it. And since,
the girl-wife who was no wife has
paid the penalty of sin that was
not hers. That is what I learned.
through friend of mine in Massa-
chusetts who has known the man
and the evil heart of him from his
youth up. Was my informant cor
rect, Winifred?"
She had heard me through with
out finching, and her eyes met mine
steadily.
"Not entirely correct" she said.
with hardness in her voice which
1 had never heard before. "Bitter az
IT wnT11 ho
were. 'Wooed and won, you said,
but that is hardly fair toto the
young woman. There were constrain-
ing circumstances; her guardian was
overwhelmingly urgent, it seemed
to her at the time"
"Why should he have been?"
queried. "Surely, the most ordinary
inquiry would have shown the young
man up in his true character"
There were reasons why the in
quiry was not made; why any past
OF his, however despicable, would not
have weighed an ounce in the scale.
You said that the young woman's
father had left her a competence.
That is true; and it is also true that
her guardian had-had-"
l began dimly to see the drift of
1t and supplied the reluctant word.
Had stolen it. Go on"
There was chance for him to re-
trieve, through speculation to which
the other man, as the chief engineer
OF the Improvement company, held
the key. He was willing to sell the
key-at a price and the price was
paid"
II understand; the price was the
young woman, herself. Is that the
only inaccuracy in my friends story?'
mo; there is another. You saw
there was mock marriage, and so
there was; but it was the first one.
The poor girl with the child in her
arms has that shame to bear"
"What!-then you are
so far as a scarcely completed
marriage ceremony can make me so.
1 am Herbert Wykamp's lawful wife,
She left me at that, and it was a
full week, and many things had hap
pened, before I could bring myself
to tell Macpherson. I did it at last.
and he heard me through patiently.
"That settles it," he said, soberly:
land I'm too glad for her sake to be
sorry for my own. The thing is bit
ter enough without the shame; and,
somehow, Jack, I have feeling that
my love could never have made that
up to her. They can drive me out
now, as soon as they get ready. I'll
go without KICK
"She is going" ventured.
SIS she?-but, of course, she would.
Then must stay. There must be no
chance for the evil tongue to wag."
II thought you would say that. 10
that Setter coming up?"
There was heavy step on the
stair, and Macpherson listened.
NO. that isn't jake" he said. II
wonder who it is at this time of
night?"
We were not left long in doubt.
The door opened presently to admit
q man whom Anp11s knew and Al