Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-07-24

O4ohONhoEb1
dence in me. 1t will not require any
dishonesty in you, but it will need a
big sacrifice on your part"
What is 1t, Mr.. Ehrlich"
Enrich arose, went to the door and
locked 1t, then, returning. continued
in low tone:
1.-THE government is going for us in
the matter of these frauds the news
papers are full Of. The attention OF
the people has been concentrated on
them. and public opinion will force the
administration to press the matter to
the bitter end. They've got me in
hole.
81 have been in charge Of this de-
partment in which the frauds have
been committed during the time OF
their preparation. When a man Is
chained he can't fight. Free. he could
do anything"
The speaker paused and gave his lis
tener a searching glance before he pro-
ceeded:
Now, / want you who are perfectly
innocent to stand in the gap till this
| spasm Of virtue blows over. Your
books can be so fixed as to throw all
the blame on you and exonerate me
This will leave me free to fight. Just
| as soon as 1t is all over We'll bring
| forward proof to give you complete
! exoneration. Meanwhile you'll have
| to remain in a false position and may
! have to spend some time behind bars,
J h,,x Unrfn have
| 100000 to your credit"
! The young mans color rose and his
| eve sparkled at the amount of money
| he could make, but his face changed
at remembering that the act proposed
would be virtually a bride and would
involve a stain that he could never eff
| face
The money would enable him to
marry the girl he loved, but would
bring disgrace on her as well as him
self. In one light only could it be con
sidered excusable. Ehrlich had be-
friended the boy in many ways. and
the girl Cummings loved was Ehrlich's
daughter. Through her father she
would be a great sufferer If he were
subjected to a criminal prosecution.
81 understand exactly what you
mean, Mr.. Ehrlich," said the young
man after a short silence. ''but / can
not give you an answer TIL ! have had
ample time to think the matter over.
After l have done so I'll tell you
whether I'll stand in the breach or not
One thing I can tell you now. If
save you II will not be for pay. but
on account Of the favors you have done
me and because love your daughter
That evening Cummings and Marian
Enrich had a long conference. The
girls position was a terrible one. Ell
Their her father or her lover must be
put in a criminal position.
She could not bear the thought OF
either being stigmatized. and II she
were empowered to decide which
should suffer it would be impossible fol
her to do so. She loved them both to-
well.
II think" said Cummings, that WEI
better make the sacrifice. Your fathe
is not a young man and will not b
able to bear the strain. 1 shall hav
the consciousness Of innocence an,
that | am saving you through him"
II wish" she said. that ! coul
stand in this gap instead Of you. Can
you find some way TO implicate me an
exonerate fatherY'
: THAT would not only be impossible
but, II possible, would deceive neithe
the courts nor the public. Indeed, it
fortunate that our engagement is nc
known. It might lead to the belief tina
I was doing just what 1t is proposed
] Ahau do"