The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1903-07-18
A DECOY
tOriglnal. ]

fOriglnall
Clarence Trevor and | both occupied
| positions I'm the post Office. Clarence
! was twenty-eight and | was twenty.
| Was 1t the rich tones Of his voice, his
! handsome eyes, peculiarly winning
/ smile that attracted me, or was ii none
! or all of thcscl | don't know, but from
| our first meeting loved him, aud some
| thing told me that he was to have an
| important influence on my life
! Then came reports of money being
! taken from letters passing through our
| post office. The excitement died out,
! and il was admitted that there might
| have been some mistake. Meanwhile
Clarence Trevor was advanced ana oc-
Cupicd private office. one day |
went TO this office 10 ask question
concerning my department. There was
no one in the room. On the table lay
a letter and its envelope. I ne latter
had been torn open, and the former had
been taken out. on the desk also was
n twenty dollar bill. The envelope was
letter pertain to him in any way.
trcmblad Clarence Trevor, the
man | secretly worshiped, was "A thief.
But what could have induced him to
leave the evidence Of his guilt in this
exposed positionf | heard a step In the
corridor In nm instant | had clutched
the letter, the envelope and the bill and
thrust them In my pocket The person
I'm the hall entered an adjoining office,
then another then came into Trevor's $.
He was Il man had never seen.
Come with me-" he said.
"What fOrt"
81 came TO arrest every one in these
Offices. You are the only one | can
find All the rest are out. Where is
TrcvorY'
81 don't know
lie took me down to the postmastcr's
office, where was searched and a de
coy letter with the bill it contained
found In my pocket
Then came mental struggle. Should
| accuse the man In whose room | had
found the dccoy? Would | be able to
screen myself by doing so? With the
faith OF woman who loves believed
that there must be cXtenuating Circum-
stances would not accuse him.
My people were broken hearted over
my disgrace. thought 1t singular that
they should not have seen from my de
mcanor that | was bearing another's
load II ! had been guilty | could
never have borne myself SO sercnely.
"Thc girl seems to have no sense OF
good and evil or shame" said the news
papers.
Clarence Trevor attended the trial. |
watched him closely. Under a calm
exterior could see signs of great men
tai anxiety. When was asked To
plead | said, Guilty" and looked at
Trevor. He turned away, with shud,
der, and left the court room.
The day before | was to have been
taken To the state prison Trevor came
to see me. His agony was terrible, but
he concealed 1t from all but me
"You have wrecked my life" he said.
Il can understand your feelings.
You think you suffer more than If
had acted differently"
"Uow could you. whom | marked for
true woman. be "a
"1hief? Don't spare the word. |
am content to bear it."
"Half a day later and there might
have been eve ore between us IL
that could I've vas my intention on
the evening of your arrest to have ask
Ell you to he my Wife
what? With the sin on your shoul.
dcrs"
what SIM"
"The sin for which suffer"
He looked at me with n blank stare,
/ what does this mcnnr' he asked.
| In "A twinkling understood what he
! could not understand. He was not
! guilty, He did not know that | was
sacrificing myself for him | sank
/ down on prison stool and. leaning my
head against the wall, gaspcd;
| Thank Cod
"This Is msddenlng, For heavens
sake, explain"
ION the day Of my arrest | went to
| your office. You were not there. |
found the dccoy on the desk Some
one was coming. seized it and put
II Ia my pocket"
My head swan and for moment
lost sight of everything Then he
was knccliug at my feet. looking IN
at me with an expression | shall not
attempt 90 describe
received his uvownl of love. his
prayers that would bc his wife IN n
cell
How he dartcd away 10 the lawyers
an order for now trial and | WI,
taken out on hoil, are matters whicl
seemed to uc TO follow one another
rapidly. but were slow enough fol
Clarence The reason for mn THIS wa,
kept secret though IL was state,
that new evidence would hr hruugh
out at the next trial. As soon as WA
liberated the matter was suffered I,
du,p. and | was told that new dvtcg
tive scheme was IN operation 10 dis
cover the real thief who fearing dc
lection, had attempted to throw th
proof of his guilt on clarence Trevor
Clarence had net been away FROM hi
office q minute when entered IT, am
some owe very near his oldrv mus
have hccu the guilty Que
, Several months passed and we wer
getting discouraged when one du