The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1905-01-05
A Realistic Affair
fOriginal. /


about the treatment of those who for
the first time acted criminally. One day
he lett a twenty dollar bill on his desk,
Went into another room for ten min
utes, and returning missed the BILL
Calling his chief clerk, Frank Shepherd,
into his office, he said to him:
''Mr. Shepherd, twenty dollar bill
has been taken from my desk at time
when no time but the clerks was pres
ent. Please tell them for me that if the
one who took it will return it he will
not be prosecuted nor even lose his
position. lie will remain on probation"
Shepherd went away and the next
morning confessed that lie was him
self the thief. He laid twenty dollar
bill on his employers desk. received a
kindly but impressive lecture and with
drew. That night he wrote a note to
Beatrice Chaifee, to whom he had re-
Gently become betrothed, telling her Of
the incident and offering to release her
from the engagement.
Let US take d back step in our story.
Shepherd had proposed, waited day
for an answer, working himself into q
fever lest he be refused, and at last re-
ceived an affirmative reply. We hear
great deal of the inconsistencies of
women; the inconsistencies of men are
usually concealed Frank Shepherd eX-
perienced very severe case of mascu-
line Inconsistency. The day after his
acceptance he sank into state of
melancholy. Whether this came from
reaction, an overwhelming sense of the
obligations lie was assuming or some
thing of both, mingled with great
deal more, it is impossible to say;
nevertheless he would have given
worlds if he had not been accepted.
Beatrice Chaffee made no reply to
her lovers confession for several days;
then she wrote him that she was much
Influenced by what his employer had
done-in fact. found herself in much
the same position as Mr.. Upton. She
felt that she ought to give him
CHARGE to redeem himself, and she had
decided to do so. If he would come
to her inAtwo years with q record clean
give her answer a second time Mean
while they were not to have anything
to do with each other and he was to
be free to marry any one else
One inconsistency is liable to lead to
another. First, Shepherd had been in
terror lest. the girl would refuse him !;
second, plunged into gloom because she
had accepted him; third, being free, he
was plunged into new gloom because
he was free. What distressed him be-
You'd measure was that he was con-
fessed thief and must wait two years
to learn If he would be taken again into
favor.
One day his employer called him into
his office and said to him:
shepherd. you didn't take that TWEEN
ty dollar bill you confessed to have
stolen"
why do you say so?
Something about your way of con-
fcssion made me suspect that you were
doing so to shield some one else
left marked bill ON my desk, had the
room watched by detective and
caught the thief
Shepherd was silent
"The lady to whom you were en-
gagged came to see me about the matter,
wondering if you did not have some
motive in making a confession of hav.
ing stolen what you did not steal.
have proved now that you did so to
shield the real thief. your cousin, Mark
Leonard
Shepherd started
Il have sent for you to say that Leon
ard will be treated with the same
leniency l have shown you, and that
you are not only eXonelated from al
blame, but stand far higher in my est
nation than ever
After pause Shepherd asked Upton
if he had informed Miss Chaffee as te
these late developments, and received
the response that he had left that pleas
ure to the man most concerned. Shep
herd thanked Linn and was about Il
Withdraw when he turned and said:
Il would like to have you inform
Miss Chaffee that l am not the rea
thief, but say nothing as to the motive
for my confession
Upton promised to do SO at once.
There had come 81 crisis in Franz
Shepherds life Emotional people rul