The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-09-04

0 % GMRDs @Mo eeCD &c
RI; 81: THE CAN0NS WARD ill.,; 81:
lsjs0S OR 4 TALE OF MONEY MADNESS. s1eeoy
BY JAMES pawn. r~SE%


I the money that has been stolen from
! you; only a small portion of it will
now be necessary for u needs, and
the rest will, of course, be paid you
| as we receive it; but, as to the prin-
cipal, 1 don't see how it is ever to be
refunded"
You may make yourself quite
easy upon that score, my dear
Sophy," said the canon, with tender
| gravity; "for, as a matter of fact, it
has been refunded"
"What-what-did the person
who wronged you of it repay"
Astonishment and ~incredulity
checked her utterance. .
why no, my DEAR" put in the
canon, dryly; lit was not quite that
way. The money came in directly
from your hands. Our friend Nav
ors had, in fact, left you a large sum
His lawyer tells me it had been Or
iginally intended for the college, but
that some time ago-hearing that
matters were not going prosperously
with you-he made a new will. Then
quite lately he saw Robert, and for
| the first time was made acquainted
| with the matters in connection with
my trusteeship-how the money had
to be paid twice over, and SO forth"
Good heavens! How vile and
base he, must have thought mel"
groaned Sophy.
"Quite otherwise, my dear; he es-
| teemed you so highly that he at once
understood the sorrow and remorse
you were suffering, from having been
made the instrument of my ruin. He
felt that if he left you this money
the first use you would put 1t to
would be to repay me; but that I'M
der the circumstances you would not
have the power to do so, that your
husband, in short, would have pre-
vented it. That it would have been
like pouring water into a sieve. He
therefore bequeathed the $4,000
that I had advanced to you to my
self, taking care, however, to explain
to Aunt Maria why it was done. He
felt as sure as if he had consulted
your own wishes that such a dispo-
sition Of his property would be sat-
isfactory to YOU"
Heaven bless HIM" murmured
Sophy, gratefully. "He has lifted a
burden from me which I should 9TH
erwise have carried to my grave"
THAT was the very feeling for
which he gave you credit" put in
Aunt Maria, softly. "He read your
heart, my dear, though he could not
win IT,"
1T was never worth his winning,
Aunt Maria" she answered, bitterly.
II was not fit to be the wife of an
honest man."
NAY, nay!" said the canon; IF
it comes to honesty I shall have little
to say for myself. Not only has the
sum been bequeathed to me which
was evidently intended for you, but
MAYORS has left money to my boy
Robert. Myself and family have be-
come receivers, as it were of stolen
goods, we'll knowing them as Fred
would put it, to have been stolen"
Then Robert will be able to mar
ry the girl Of his choice exclaimed
Sophy, delightedly. "He will'no long
er have reason to accuse. me Of hav-
ing wrecked his happiness"
eff it has been wrecked, it must
have been amply insured" smiled the
canon, to Judge by his face when I
last saw him. He has telegraphed
for his Alma, who will be at the
Laurels in a weeks time"
But I thought you had left the
Laurels-been driyen-elsewhere-
all through:me.";
"Tut, tut! let bygones be bygones.
Money that makes the mare 60 has
the same effect (if judiciously ad-
ministered) upon a tenant. We have
gone back to the old house, Sophy,
and to the old ways; only one thing
is wanting. we must have our 'Sophy
back in her old home"