The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1912-08-13

broken. And so at last we came to the
inevitable conclusion that we must &c
away together, be married and when
the knot had been tied would ask for
giveness.
Looking back on this period, it seems
to me that must have been demented
I, pauper. had no right to WOO the
daughter of a rich man, certainly no
right to consent to an elopement to
gain that which ! could not gain honor.
ably. was 2 fhief as much rs or more
than one who starves and steals bread
or the wherewithal TO buy bread /
was hungry for love. while the starv.
ing thief needs that which Keeps the
life in his body But ! yielded, and
now ] am paying the penalty.
And yet am paying a penalty
There is in me a pleasing sense of do
ing penance for my sin Is it for the
sin? M: It is for her love glory
In my sutle,ing since ! know that
have saved her from what | could not
bear to have brought upon her.
If we were to go away together we
should have gone sooner. Farmer Hos
mer got wind of something wrong and
shut Marcia up. He did not know
where the danger lay and had never
seen me. Indeed. | had purposely kept
out of his way, for | dreaded to meet
him. Marcia's Imprisonment made me
desperate. and then land then
0nn NIGHT oil 1E{u
dark, carrying a ladder, l went to the
Hosmer farm, stood under Marcia's
window and threw gravel lightly
against the panes. Softly she raised
the sash and looked out. ran up the
ladder and was about to ask her if she
would go with me when she said:
'HeavensI What are you doing? Fa-
tier drove to the county seat today
and is expected home every minutev'
AS she spoke there was a sound of
wheels crunching on gravel almost un-
der the window. Marcia, frantic, pull
ed me in.
1.-The ladderr' exclaimed He will
see it."
He did see it, for heard the wagon
stop directly under the window, and
certain mutterings that told me would
be caught in Marcia's room.
Then a certain GOODNESS came to me.
from where l know not, and a resolu-
ton was taken to save Marcia from a
stain.
Get into bed. l said. land pretend
to Sleep"
She obeyed me, and, gathering up a
few trinkets on the bureau, a brace
let. two or three rings and some gold
pins. | stuffed them in my pocket, open
ed the bedroom door and went down
stairs Ten minutes later / was caught
with the articles on me and confessed
myself sneak thief
was placed in the wagon that had
just come from the county seat and at
once driven there andalodged In Jail
| was d newcomer in that region, and
none of the Hosmer family except Mar
cia had ever seen me- Even had
been seen it would not have mattered
The local newspaper at the end of
the week published a short ftem'as to
the capture of thief who had boldly
climbed to the window of Miss Hos
mer's room. stolen some articles from
her bureau without awaking her and,
retreat being cut off by Mr.. Hosmer,
who opportunely arrived in time, tried
to escape through the house. He
was caught red handed, confessed and
was lodged in Jail. The item added
warning to farmers against the prac-
tee of employing itinerant farm hands
during the harvest season lest they
harbor crooks Miss Hosmer," the
article said in closing, ION learning Of
the danger she had incurred, became
hysterical and has not yet recovered
from her fright"
For several days Marcia gave me no
news of herself, and when she did she
came to me. Then | knew that she
had neither the physical strength nor
self control TO have come before But
at last, manifesting an interest in the
welfare of the man who was supposed
to have robbed her, she declared that
she would see him, and II he were
penitent she would forgive him and do
all she could to save him from the con
sequences of his theft. She insisted
on coming alone and was permitted to
see me without others being present
She begged me to consent to her con
Tossing the truth, but forbade her. In
the first place, it would wreck her good
name and | would have the sin upon
my conscience. persuaded her to let
the matter proceed as it had begun, en-
couraging her to hope that some guar
dian angel would bring all right in
good time.
was soon tried. and, since / had not
only confessed. but had been caught
with stolen articles on my person, !