The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-07-31

Advancing with a bow, I spoke quick
ly the n word l had come there u
say. Agatha, 1 have lone you a great
wrong. and 1 am here to undo 1t.
why did you break with my brother
James? Because you thought him
guilty of theft; because you believed he
took the s., 200 out of the sum intrusted
to him by Mr.. Orr for your father?
Agatha, 1t was not James who did this;
1t was I, and James knew 1t and bore
of my misdoings h blame because he
was always a loyal soul and took ac-
count of my weakness and knew-alas,
too well-that open shame would Kill
mo-"
1 cast my eyes at Philemon. Seeing
that he was better able to bear her loss
than either James or myself, l said to
her very low: 81 thought you ought to
know the truth before you gave your
final word. l am late. blu l would
have been too late a week from now"
Her hand fell from the door, but her
eyes remained fixed on my face.
1T is too late now" she said. "The
clergyman has Just o who united
me to Philemon" Then she broke into
angry denunciation of me and of Phile-
mon, cursing the day she married him
and the fruit of their marriage to the
last child unborn.
The next letter was in Agatha's
handwriting.
Dear Philemon-You are gone for a
day and a night only, but 1t seems a
heightened absence to me, meriting a
little letter. You have been so good to
me, Philemon, ever since that dreadful
hour following our marriage / feel that
I am beginning to love you and that
God did not deal with me so harshly
when he cast mo into your arms. Yes
terday I tried to tell o this Then you
almost kissed me at parting. but was
afraid IL WAS a momentary sentiment
tally and so kept still. But today such
a warm well-spring of Joy rises in my
heart when ! think thai tomorrow the
house will be bright again and that In
pace of the empty wall opposite me at
table l will see your kindly and for
bearing face!
Another letter to Philemon a year
later:
Dear Philemon-Hasten home, Phile-
man; 1 do not like these absences.
Philemon, Philemon, IL anything should
happen the child! I think of 1t by day,
I think of 1t by night. / know you
think of 1t, too. though you show me
such a cheerful countenance and make
such great plans for the future.
A tote this time in answer to one
from John label:
Dear John-Thank you for words
which could have come from nobody
else, My child is dead. Could I ex-
pect anything different? If l did, God
has rebuked me-.
Below this in Philemon's hand:
My wife is superstitious. Strong and
capable as she Is. she has felt that this
sudden taking off of our firstborn is a
sign that certain words uttered by her
on her marriage day have been re-
Numbered by the righteous God above
us.
After this a gap of years. One. two.
three, four, five children were laio
away to rest In Dorchester church.
yard, then Philemon and she came to
Sutherlandtown, but not till after the
certain event had occurred, best made
known by this last letter to Philemon:
Dearest Husband-Our babe Is born,
our sixth and our dearest. and the re-
proach of It's first look had to be met
by me alone.
1 shall have to do something If l
would save this child to our old age.
1t is borne In upon me like fate that
never will a child prosper of my breast
or survive the clasp of my arms. II 1t
Is to live, 1t must be reared by others.
Some woman who has not brought
down the curse of heaven upon her by
her own b~lasphemies must nourish the
tender frame and receive the blessing
of it's growing love. What shall we do,
then, with this little son? Do you
know a man good enough or a woman
sufficiently tenderP l do not, but II
God Wills that u little Frederick
should i've he will raise up some one by
the pang of possible separation already
tearing my heart. l believe that he
will up some one.
The next letter opens thus:
] have lone what I threatened. I
have made tho sacrifice, Our child is
nc LONGER ours, and now perhapo he
may live. Mrs. Sutherland has 1t, and
you may have seen its little face
through the car window IL you we're in
the station last night when the express
passed through to Sunderlandtown. All,
but she has her burden to bear. too
an awful secret burden, like my own,
OnlY n VIII nave the chlld, Tor, Pnlle-
mon, she has taken II In lieu of her
own. which died last night In my sight.
And Mr.. Sutherland does not know
what she has one and will If you
keep the secret as I shall for the sake
of the life the little innocent has thus
won.
This was the last letter found in the
packet.
That afternoon before the inquest
broke up the jury brought In their YER
dict. It was:
Death by means Of a wound infict-