The Washington times., 1913-12-19
By VARICK VANARDY

stranger, and he took me in. I waf
naked. and he clothed me-. Homeless
fatheriess, motherless, friendless, and
he gave me home became a father
and q mother and friend to me. He
gave me still more than all, that, for he
gave me the greatest thing in the world
love.
II do not know what the real child
love for q parent may be like, for ]
have never known a real parent; but II
1t can be any greater. or higher, OF
deeper, or more profound than the af-
fection I bestowed upon my benefactor,
1t must be marvellous indeed.
He educated me. He sent me to col
lege. He took me into his bank. He
gave me his trust, his confidence. his
respect All the world was bright and
fair and filled with Joy.
Then-then came the snake. Through
crevice made by some hapless person
who took what did not belong to him
there crawled a human snake. He
coiled himself and watched and waited.
and when the moment came he struck
his poisoned fangs into my nesh-mine!
Into my life. Into my hearts blood.
shattered. It fell about me In crum-
bling ruins that buried me % deep that
I could not even gasp for air to breathe.
Do you wander that I went mad?
Il was innocent Of that charge he
made. You do not believe that, and you
need not. But know 1t. Every last
item Of evidence and clues that were
brought to bear against me by that man
were manufactured by him for the pur-
pose.
'T know that because such evidence
could not have been found otherwise.
why did he do it? you might ask. Don't
ask. Was 1t enmity against me? No;
for he did not know me. IT was the
fly and Of that awful form OF egotism
which must win it's own petty affairs at
any cost Rushton needed a victim.
He happened to select me
do you know how ne made the
charge against me? You were not in
side of the house at the time 1t was
made, but you were even then q part OF
the system that made 1t possible, and
you should know.
was 1 given any chance? Not one.
Carefully, before NO brought me face TO
face with the accusation against me,
that human snake poisoned the mind OF
my benefactor, my more than father.
Then he flung the accusation at me He
heaped insults upon me and upon my
unknown mother. She was my mother.
whatever else she may have been Do
you wonder that / went mad? That
seized that man and broke him as
would have broken a dry twig with my
hands?
Even then would have waited and
faced the charge had the man who loved
me aS his son kept his faith in me. All
the insults which Rushton cast at me
were as nothing to that greatest OF all
wrongs: That he had succeeded already
In SO poisoning the mind of Mr.. Chester
that my beloved benefactor belieevd in
ray guilt.
were with him, meant to hurt them.
It is wonder, as lok back upon that
scene, that ! didn't kill them"
Harvard paused, turned about, and
strode twice the length of the room.
Katherine remained as she was, tense,
expectant, for she knew not what. alb
sorbed by the one big hope that at the
Il knew when / went out Of that
house that I had broken the law, in
deed" he said, returning. Il had been
guilty of interfering with an officer in
the discharge Of his duty. Well, what
did II matter? As well be killed for the
old sheep as for the lamb.
Fortunately at least in one par
ticular-I was well provided with cash
against the extremity and the emer-
gency I had to face I had closed a
sale that day after banking hours Of a
considerable property that / had pur-
chased a year previously as a specula-
ton. It had been a cash transaction.
The cash was in one of my pockets. In
a large envelope. 1t does not matter