Los Angeles herald., 1907-01-06
kA@An 0l0 Mai6 @acrifice

He blurted it out between heart-rending sobs,
while gay snatches of the latest musical comedy
fioated up from the drawing room. The old, sad
story.
The loneliness of country lad in London,
then bad company and gradual deterioration in
the society of Friends" who persuaded him that
only milksop refuses to play cards for money,
then debts of honor which he could not pay.
One of his quondam Friends" had threatened
to write to his father, TO expose him to the
manager of his bank as a gambler il he did not
pay up And in his despair and fright he had
succumbed to a chance temptation and ''bor-
rowed' some money that passed through his
hands at the bank in the vain hope that a
change of luck would enable him to repay it.
The upshot of it all was that il he could not
find fortyseven pounds before the end of the
week he would be irretrievably ruined And he
could expect no help from home. for his father
was the traditional poor clergyman with a large
family.
"They can hardly make ends meet at home a.
it ISL he sobbed. "And the disgrace will break
my parents hearts. The thought of them has
nearly driven me mad during the last few weeks
| can't make up my mind whether it would be
best for me to drown myself or run away. or to
stay and face the exposure, which means being
sent to prison. If knew which would hurt them
least [ would do it."
And then he lifted his head from his hands
and looked up at her piteously.
Il don't know why | have told you all this"
he stammered. "But your eyes were 80 pitful-
just like my mothers. I know can trust YOU.
although you must loathe and despse me-
Clemence was ineXpressby shocked. Sobs
choked him again as he spoke of his mother and
she stood by in compassionate silence. Oh, the
tragedy of it! Another young life full of promise
was wrecked by the accursed gambling folly that
had ruined thousands of others-unless the money
was Forthcoming. Yet she believed his repent
ance was truly sincere, and not merely the facile
penitence of the sinner who is found out He
had had a severe lesson, and friend who held
out helping hand to him now might determine
the whole course of his after-life.
Guy" she said presently, "if I try to find
the money for you, will YOU promise me to do
nothing rash in the meantime?"
"You" he gasped, unable to believe he heard
Alright.
Il have not got the money" Clemence said.
flushing little, "but 1 have something which I
could sell. / was once told it was worth sixty
seventy pounds, and | have always expected
to have to sell it some day. You would pay me
back, of course. by instalments And think
need hardly ask you to give me your word of
honor that you will never touch card again"
His gratitude and relief were incoherent, al
most inarticulate. He blessed her for saving
his mother from shame and heartbreak, but he
broke down utterly when he tried to thank
her.
"You will thank me by keeping straight in
the future, she answered gently.
That was the gist of what she said. He told
his mother long afterward when he had proved
the sincerity of his repentance, that she talked to
him like an angel.
Clemence did not go to sleep again, and when
the dawn came-it was a gray dawn. grav and
colorless, like her life, she thought nvoluntarily