The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-11

though my brother Frank was the neir | to the estate. Sir Harry would do nttle for him. At last he procured him 2 situation in the city. There Frank met will. and they became great friends. My brother brought Will | home with him- l And you fell in love-" interposed Mrs. Trail.
 1 "Yes," cried Ellen. passionately. q 1 loved him with all my heart and soul
 with every fibre of my being did love | him. Will was clever and kind, and 1 had a future. He and Frank were al- | ways together. Sir Harry chose to l dislike VIII, and said he led Frank
 wrong. But 1t was not true. I am
 sure 1t was not. My mother loved Will also, but when she heard Sir Har- ry talk she became distant. You know how my mother adored Frank"
 'He was the apple of her eye" said
 Mrs. Trail.
 'The idol of her heart" went on
 Miss Manners, pacing the room hur-
 riedly. She would have died had
 anything happened to him, and there fore she was afraid lest Will should | lead him astray. I was engaged to 1 Will then, and mother wanted me to
 give him up; but I reused. I believed
 in WilI-always-till that night" | 'Ihe Chr1StmaS eYe!
 | And even then I should have trusted
 him." continued Ellen, without heed ing. T should have clung to him and married him. If he was innocent he was treated vilely; If guilty he needed me more then than at any time. Ohl Gertrude, if Christ left us when we sin most. what would become of us?" My dear, don't talk like that" said Mrs. Trail uneasily; but Ellen talked on rapidly.
 q should have forgiven Will, but I did not. On that night-it was in the great hall on Christmas eve. I and Frank and mother were here. Will | had been asked also. The village children danced round the tree and | everyone was bright. Sir Harry was just giving the presents from the tree | when he was called out. A special messenger had arrived from his bank He returned to accuse Will of having l forged his name to a check for a large amount. I put my arms round Wilis neck, but my mother drew me away. And there, with all the people round | under the glory of the Christmas tree. stood Will. being accused by my cous- in. Sir Harry"
 What a shame to accuse him in public"
 T think that was done so as to make it impossible for me to marry | him." said Ellen, slowly. "Only Frank | stood up for Will, and insisted that he | was innocent. But the check had been presented by Will. so there could be no doubt of his wickedness. I tried | to believe that he was innocent. but l could not"
 Did he not defend himself?" asked | Mrs. Trail, curiously and indignantly l 'No," cried Ellen, throwing out her hand with a gesture of despair; If l only he had-but he said nothing Once he was about to speak, but when | he looked at mother with her arms | around Frank as though to guard him | from harm, he held his tongue, and
 walked out of the hall. Sir Harry did
 not prosecute him. at Franks request
 but Will left the office, and I never heard of him again."
 | Did you brother talk of hfm?' | No. Mother would never hear his
 name mentioned. She dreaded lest his
 example should lead Frank astray.
 Had Frank acted so wickedly my moth
 CT would have died. As 1t was. Franks l death broke her heart. I think she | was sorry for Will, as she loved him
 also, and he adored her. But no one | was sorry for me-" ended Ellen. bitter | ly: everyone congratulated me on hav- l HE Hdu d ndTTO" c5Cdpc
 ing a criminal"
 Well, my dear, so you had" 1 Gertrude" cried Miss Manners, pas
 sionately T would give all I possess
 to see Will again, and could l see him
 I would ask him on my knees to be-
 come my husband"
 | Mrs. Trail looked aghast. "Oh, my
 dear. that would be wrong. After all
 the man Is a criminal
 T can't think he is." said Ellen l restlessly; there must be some expla-
 nation."
 Then why did he not make it?' Miss Manners made a gesture of de-
 spair. ''I don't know" she said. faint. ly. He walked away without a word
 to Frank. who was his friend, ant
 without speaking to me. And l." she
 burst out, was his promised wife
 Gertrude. I was i'll for a long time Then Frank inherited the property and
 died. Mother followed. and I was left
 alone. I never go into the great hal Il hate 1t! It was there that my
 darling was accused of the crime. Oh If I had only loved him enough to have married him! I should have be- lieved in the face of everything" What Is the mans other name?' asked Mrs. Trail, rising.
 l f1dnDury-Wllllam said Ellen, in stifled voice. "Hark, The child is coming. I can't look on ner now. I should have been a moth CT myself, Gertrude. It wrings my heart to see Dorothy's face. I will go to my room. Stay here and play with the child"
 She hastened away with her face quivering. and her eyes filled with tears. In her hurry she did not see the startled look in Mrs. Trails eyes Good Heavens!" that good lady was thinking. How can I tell her that MT. Hanbury is Dorothy's father ?'' and she stared at the pretty child with blue eyes and golden hair who danced gaily in the room.
 But this additional pang was spared to the lonely. heartbroken woman. Ellen retired to her chamber, and there lay down to calm her nerves. By din- ner time she was completely herself, and when Mrs. Trail desired to re- sume the conversation she refused. No, dear" she said. decidedly. my memories of teh past are too pain full. We will have as happy a Christ mas as possible, but even for the sake of that sweet little child cannot have a Christmas tree" and with this Mrs. Trail was fain to be content. | For the moment she was almost in- clined to tell her friend the truth. but sense of pity for the miserable woman restrained her.
 Ellen was restless that evening. After the child retired to bed she left Mrs. Trail knitting in the drawing