Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-04-22

uncOmrOrtaDleneSS or MS DlacK clOLneS
had forced itself upon his attention.
Suddeny the door opened and be-
nevolent looking man entered the room.
Harry Raymond" he said, holding the
young mans card between his finger
and thumb. "Are you the son Of Will
liam Raymond"
"Yes, sir"
He had determined not to say "sir,"
but it had slipped out before he knew.
"And how is he?" asked Mr.. Ora
ham, shaking him by the hand. liar
ry Raymond had fully resolved that he
would not shake hands with his enemy.
He would put his hand behind his back.
But somehow when the time came he
forgot.)
"He is Dead" said the son sternly.
'He died last week, and he was buried
to-day"
"Ah, 1 am sorry to hear 1t. Well, he
and l were very friendly once. sit
down, Mr.. Raymond. Is there anything
1 can do for your"
Anything he could do for him! The
man who had wrecked the fathers life
could ask the son If there was any
thing he could do for him!
perhaps you would like desk in
our Office" went on the elder man as
his visitor remained silent. II have no
doubt it could be arranged"
"No," said Harry Raymond, flushing
scarlet, as the more generous impulses
Of his nature rose to the surface. 81
have come on very different Grand"
He paused. 1t seemed impossible
to tell this florid, benevolent, prosper
GUS looking man, the very image and
symbol of all that wealth and good
repute could do, that he had been
thief, and worse than a thief-that he
had allowed another to suffer the pen
atty Of q deed for which he himself
was chiefly responsible. Yet Harry
RAYMOND had resolved that he would
do it,
81 want you to clear my fathers
name Of the stain that lies on it," he
said abruptly.
Graham started and changed color.
"It is true then; he does not mean
to deny it,! said Raymond to himself
exultantly.
"How can 1 do that?" asked the old
er man quietly.
"By telling the truth. The time has
come, Mr.. Graham, when the truth
must be told"
"And that is?'
SIN a word, that my father suffered
for your fault"
"Ah. who told you this, may 1 ask?"
"My mother"
"Your mother?"
Eyes, my mother. l only learned it
to-day. My father kept your secret
while he lived-kept it though you had
ruined his life. But it must be told
at last"
The rich man sat silent, his head
supported on his hand, his elbows on
the arm Of the easy chair. He was ST.
lent and preoccupied.
Graham nodded.
"And suppose l refuse to do any
thing?" he asked after another pause
''Then l will publish the facts ey-
erywhere! cried the young man holly
Il will proclaim to the world that my
father suffered your punishment-was
made the scapegOat for your sins"
II owe that to my dead father" said
the young man after long silence
Again Graham nodded. Then he
arose and, going to a cabinet. unlocked
drawer and took from it a small
packet of papers. This he laid on a
small table, which he carried to the
spot where the young man was sitting.
Perhaps it would be as we'll for you
to glance over these papers before you
take any such steps as you have just
mentioned" he said dryly. II will leave
you now, and come back when you
have finished reading them" With that
he left the room.
Harry Raymond took up the packet
and began reading the first paper he
took from it. 1t was an account of
his fathers trial and his face changed
as he read.
GAIL lies" ne muttered as he threw
it down and tore another paper from
the bundle. That he laid down with a
grOan and took up another.
So he went on. till the table was
strewn with papers. The footman came
to him with a decanter of wine and
plate of biscuits, but Raymond did not
even know that he had entered the
ROOM
When he had read the last line he
put his elbows on the table and his
hands over his face and groaned in
the bitterness of his spirit.
Alas! it was his father and not
Graham who had been the moving
spirit in the piece of guilty folly they
had perpetrated, and his father alone
had benefited by the fraud. Graham
had done little more than hold his
tongue when he might have prevented