Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1905-04-26

other people may tnlnk wnas sney
like, but could not bear that you
should consider me thief"
"But the Confession / STAN
mered.
"Sit down." Marsden replied,
"and I will explain everything"
His explanation was briefly this
Twelve months before he had made
Miss Henderson an offer of mar
riage under the impression that the
girl was madly devoted to him.
Whether he loved her he was not at
that time sure. Within week Of
his rejection-he had been refused
he knew for certain that he did
not. After that he had met Lucy
Henderson frequently and had
found the mixture Of friendliness
and pity with which she treated him
exactly to his fancy. He knew that
the girl thought she had darkened
his existence forever, and he had
encouraged her in this notion. he
felt that he was acting the part OF a
glorifed Major Dobbin and playing
It uncommonly well. On one occa-
sion he had sung ''The Devout Low
err" in her presence with so much
feeling as to have affected even him
self. That he was doing great
evil by this posing he had never re-
fected. He had not even dreamed
that Miss Henderson's feelings to-
ward him were undergoing any
change. When she had proclaimed
her love for him that night he had
been for a second dizzy at the chasm
that had opened before him. "And
now you know" he concluded, "whJ
1 confessed to the robbery"
"But what the devil has all this
to do with it?" I replied angrily.
"What would you have done in
my place"
T-P-progress was by nc
means rapid-"I suppose you could
not have told her straight out that
you no longer loved her ?"
'Insult her at the moment she
was standing up for me so magnif,
centlyw
"Well, then, have married her."
"Quite out of the question. I'm
possible!
GAS it is" he said, "the connec
ton has been severed, and her maid
emily pride has not been wounded
As for me, can 90 to another tow
and start afresh. Henderson ha'
accepted the f40 | have sent him
and you, he and his daughter arr
all who will know anything of THU
affair"
l took up my hat to leave.
"You won't let this interfere with
our friendship" said Marsden
holding out his hand.
Ernest Marsden," l replied, "yol
are either the greatest saint in crea
ton or the meanest hound. | viii
write to you when I ascertain
which"
Since then Marsden has writer
to me once or twice, but / have new
er replied to him. / cannot MAKE
up my mind about his behavior
That he was wrong to have followed
Miss Henderson when he knew tina
he did not love her is beyond ques
ton. This being SO, it is clear t.
me sometimes that he ought to hav'
married her, and his subsequent con
duct appears mean beyond credence
To escape an unpleasant duty h
dishonored his own name. At othe
times it is equally obvious to M
that he ought not to have married
her-a return of her affection wa
not to be expected-and he chose
quixotically heroic method of spar
ing her self pride. As l have said
| / am as far from a decision as ever
and all this while Marsden, my oil
chum, is suffering acutely from m,
neglect. ;.
There is one question that de
mands an answer. How was it that
in spite of his confession, ] at n
time believed in my friends guilt!
I had stolen the money myself
London Sketch.