Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1906-05-29
CHAPTER III.-(Coutinued. J


"Three days later had rather pleas
mt surprise-this being the unexpected
arrival of letter from my father con-
u nlng a check for a large amount CT
money. Only a few words accompanied
the check. These were to The effect that,
having heard Of my indiscretion, my father
desired to put an end to the matter at
once. 1t was a very kind letter, and it
took a weight off my heart. / lost no
tine in cashing this check and taking The
money to my creditors. There was sufi-
Client to meet all | owed. | wondered, as
j did this, if l had wronged Gerald D.
quarreling with him. 1t seemed TO me 0s
II this gift from my father must nave
been brought about by his doing. i was
touched when this became a conviction III
my mind, and at the same time that
wrote 10 Sir Maurice, thanking him n
the best words | could for his great gen
crosby, | wrote also to my cousin, telling
him what had happened, and asking him
If l ought not to express gratitude to
him also. That was the last day, Ben, -
Hubert Tenby said, that l knew what
the word happiness meant! That same
evening l received hurriedly written
letter from Lady Charlotte Singleton, de-
string me to 90 and see her the following
day. She mentioned in her letter that
she was very much upset. | was very
little prepared for what awaited me when
/ reached her on the following day.
found her indeed in great trouble. All
her jewels had been stolen, and it was
evident to me before | had gone very far
INTO the matter that this robbery could
have been done by no outside person, but
only by one who, like myself, was we'll ac-
quainted with the way in which they were
kept. Can you guess the end of my story
now"
Ben Coop looked into the other mans
face
Surely, they never tried to say you
took these jewels, sir?''
They not only said it, they proved it,
Ben" The young man started to his
feet. when l look back | seem TO have
been hemmed in on every side. Every
thing was against me; even l, myself,
sew how hard it was to disbelieve the
evidence put forward. l had been the
last person to whom Lady Charlotte had
explained the working of the safe in
which her jewels were kept My need
for money was well known. | am afraid
had given lots of people the right to
regard me as rather a harebrained fei-
low. In any case, the whole world was
against me, especially when, in addition
to this blow, my father wrote, declaring
thar he had never sent the money | ac-
knowledged, and denouncing the check |
had cashed as a forgery! l cannot give
you line for line and word for word all
that hammered I LAT I
fill in the picture for yourself. | was
made an outcast from my home. There
was nothing for me to do but to leave
the country as quickly as possibly could.
In this sore plight it seemed to me that
the only friend / had in the world was
my cousin Gerald. He not only protested
to be amazed and bewildered at all that
had happened, but declared himself to be
shocked and grieved that any one know
ing me should believe me guilty of such
dish, l' rable conduct 1t was he who
went with me that wretched day that
sailed from England! l am not one who
doubts easily; but the truth of Gerald's
treachery was revealed most surely a lit
tie later on. Not content with driving
me in shame from my fathers home, not
content with having blackened my career,
taking everything from me in the old
country, he worked his vengeance out still
further. l had not been a month away
before his vengeance began to reach me.
/ fell into the hands of men whom |
know now must have been Gerald's ac-
completes. Friendless and almost penni-
less, / was an easy dupe to these men,
and almost before | realized what | was
doing l found myself arrested as an &C.
complete of a gang Of well-known burg
lars, convicted and given a heavy SEN
tencc And / should be now in the pris-
on had it not been for that days work
In your little station yonder / little ex-
pected to find gratitude from one of my
warders, yet it is always the unexpected
that comes in life; and when that poor
fellow was recovered, he left no effort I'M
tried to give me my freedom. The fact
that / had been a good-conduct man,
Hubert said, with a bitterness that was
most painful went of course, in my
favor. / also, it seems, had friend at
court, although l knew nothing of this
till afterward. TIE Governor of the jail
had taken a sharp interest in me, and he
and the warder together managed TO give
me my freedom. That is why you see me
here tonight"
Ben Coop's hands came down firmly,
yet tenderly, on the young mans shout
der.
"Ay, but it makes my blood boil to
hear what you have been telling me- It's
50 like what Robert Tenby would have
been. There's work for you to do. / an
not man to preach revenge, but l am a
man to urge any other to stand I'D for
his honor, no matter at what a cost: and
you must stand up for yours, my dear lad.
What are your plans? You will surely
have something in your mind?"
Hubert Tenby stood and stretched him
self his full height.
II am free - he said. in low. vibrant
tones. THAT is the first thing am try
ing to realize, and after that comes the
memory of my lost honor. have moth
Ing TO go upon, you know, only this hide
Gus belief that Gerald has been my enemy
all through. 1t does not seem as il |
could die, or let my father go, till we have
looked into each others eyes again. /
want 10 hear him say that l am his son
no mean, skulking thief who would fall
back upon such wretched dishonesty as
that that led TO my charge. 1 want, too
10 see my sister,
He paused, and Ben Coop seemed to
understand that pause. He had loved
himself once; he knew what was passing
In Hubert Tenby's heart.
1T is not only the old home. and the
father and the sister," Ben said to him
self; there is some one else-some one
even dearer than these :"
CHAPTER ".
Lady Betty Marchmont was in a very
bad temper. The coming of her hus-
bands niece had been a signal for an en-
tire change in her exisreaee. For the