The daily Alaskan., 1912-11-18
4 GUILTLESS
 CONSCIENCE Sometimes Needs No AC
 CuSer.
By 6. B. TARlETON

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 I was brought up on adages An aunt of mine was continually dnglng them at me, and as luck would have lt they always worked the wrong way with me. One day when was hesi- tating as to the date of going to a neighborIng town for a certain pur- pose she said to me, Never put oh un tomorrow what you can do to- day" started immediately and while was gone a man came to buy of me a piece Of property | was very anxious to sell l missed him and lost the sale.
 A favorlte saying of my aunts was, CA guilty conscience needs no ac- cuser" l have always been a very sensitive persoQ with too tender conscience already; consequently I had no occasion for this special adagc. Indeed, it was the source of a great deal of trouble to me. Not that I sut- fered in any way under a guilty con science, but I had heard SO often that a criminal Is bound Co bctray himself that
 But I'll not begin with the denouc- ment of my story. Tn save that for the end. was engaged to be married to Martha Ellison, a girl of very high principle. Indeed, so noble were her concepuons-and so far as l knew she lived up to thcm-that from the moment | became engaged Co her ] was in constant dread of doing something that would appear ignohle In her sight
 One day while walking on the street I saw a gold watch with a chain lying at my feet. | stopped and picked it up. It had fallen on grass beside the flags and was apparently uninjured At any rate, it was ticking mcrrily. l looked about me to see 1T any one was near who might have dropped it saw a policeman coming with quick tread toward me. When he came up he eyed me sharply.
 There was robbery committed near here few minutes ago. he said. Have you seen any one sus- piciouS loolliug-any one runnings'
 It at once occurred to me that it ! told him l had found the plundered property-or part oC it-I would be ar rested for the thief. | could not put or tIu tomorrow what must be done today. In other words, had no time to think over what | had best do, so I simply replied fin the negative.
 Now. I hadn't seen any one who ap- peared to have been connected with the robbery. and I possessed a perfect ly clear conscience. I had in my pos session what was doubtless property that had been taken by the rohber In question and either dropped or thrown away to avoid being caught with it on his person. Moreover, I was ready and willing to turn it over to either the owner or the authorities. But why should I stand in the position of the person who had likely considered that it was necessary to get rid of its
 Unuuestionably | should have hand ed out the watch and chain Co the po- Hceman and told him that I had found them. If could have put of my de cision in the matter for even a few minutes probably I would have done this. But ] couldn't put it on. And here is where that ad0ge is lame. lt takes no more account Of cases where we can't put or doing things than of those in which We should put of do- ing them.
 I told the policeman that | had seen no one who looked like a robber, but said nothing about the watch and chain. As I have already said, my conscience was clear, but l have no doubt looked like a thief It didn't matter that intended to give up the property when | could do SO without discriminating myself had stolen goods in my possession, and a police man was looking at me suspiCiously.
 He seemed in doubt whether he should hold on to me or let me go. Possibly it was my respectable ap- pearance that decided him to do the latter. But he had gone on only a few steps before he called tO me and asked me my name and where l lived I gave him both correctly, and he did not delay me further.
 My not having produced the stolen property at once complicated the case for me very much. It occurred Co me that I should handle the matter de Hberately before coming to a decis- ion as to what to do next If I should go home I might not have an oppor- tunity to think the matter out ! might be sent for by the police either for a witness or on suspicion. l dread cd being questioned further before having laid down the course l should pursue. concluded to go to my fancee. tell her of the situation and talk the matter over with her.
 On the way I fell to thinking that my course thus far had not been such as to challenge admiration. Indeed, | realized that | should have had the courage to tell the policeman l had found a watch and chain, knew that Martha was just the kind of a girl to blame me for not having done flFs Tho cousaoupucp was that whan