The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-09-19
"a Double Life
GA%D
BY ALvAH JORDAN GARTH

gratulatlonS.
Anice Burdell, sweet and radiant
as the lovely flowers that spangled the
garden plat just beyond the gateway,
with shining eyes and fiuttering smile
emphasized the sincerity of her words.
You mean regarding my appoint
ment as president Of the village?"
asked Cressey Randall.
YES" she answered, but unevenly
now. 81 just learned of the honor so
unanimously bestowed, SO greatly de-
served"
"May / come in for few mo-
ments?" asked Randall, and Anice led
the way to a shaded garden seat.
u shall not accept the position ten
dered," he said. 81 have come to
speak to you three words. Then / am
going away and we shall never meet
again. That is best-it is the only
way-I love YOU"
Into the bonny face of the beauti-
full girl there flashed an expression of
oyerpowering agitation. Then she
bowed head she listened to the
strange addendum, to the words that
swept away the Joy the preface had
brought.
"When I came here stranger, two
years ago." recited Randall, Il found
welcome, encouragement-friends.
Oh, most blessed of ALL | found you !!
No one asked as to my past. l was
given honorable employment by the
klnd-hearted people. / was treated as
trusted and cherished friend. 1t
reused all my manlineSs and graft
tude. Step by step I have been ad-
vanced. honored until every link of
my old life broken and forgotten,
was a new being in new world
''Your old life?" involuntarily muir
INJURED Anice, fearing she knew not
what.
"Yes. To you only can I speak of
1t, because l love you, because you
have been the guiding impulse of my
life. / came here from a five-yearS
sentence in an eastern penitentiary
and the charge against me was
proven"
The girl did not shrink from him.
Her frame quivered. her hands
clasped more rigidy, but into that
angel-like face there came an express
sion Of plying sorrow and sympathy.
81 was the adopted son of man
of wealth, Robert Leeds" continued
Randall. Il repaid his generosity by
becoming o member of a wild, reck-
less set, and one morning after a wine
party, where gambling was intro
duced, | awoke in a strange hotel
with everything a blank from the mid
night previous. Before the day was
over was arrested, accused of hav-
ing given a check bearing the forged
signature of my benefactor. l had no
of~having signed It, My
own uncertain statement conSemned
me. My patron disowned me, and
was sent to prison. When. my SEN
tence expired I tried to get as far
away from my old life as possible. l
fancied that two years of repentant
manly effort to redeem myself had
blotted out all that past. Yesterday
upon the street l passed man | rec
ognized. He was the lawyer who
me. Is my benefactor
pursuing me because of resentment.
or from a mistaken sense of justice?
r I a
sinned and 1 must suffer and atone
for it, / am going away, and I have
to tell you that l do so, loving you,
and that the mere memory of your
helpful regard for me will never fail
to keep me safe in the straight path"
Her eyes were full of tears, both
hands were clasped within his own.
Suffer? but not alone. Atone? you
have done so nobly already. You
must go away? Them will go with
you"
"You mean"
"That no true woman who reads
your soul as | do could fail to love
you all the more after your brave,
open confidence, I would glory in
sharing with you a burden long since
made light as air in the sight Of God
and his holy angels. True heart and
soul, I would go to the ends
of the world for you, with you"
One hour later when Cressey Ran
dali entered his office, the life cur
rents were momentarily chilled as he
found seated and awaiting him the
man whose unexpected appearance
had warned him that his double life
was about to be exposed
"This is Mr.. Randall" spoke the
lawyer rising. 81 come on a mission
from Mr. Leeds"
'"The purport Of which l can fully
interrupted Randall. LET
us waste no words. / have satisfied
the law"
"You mean the law has martyred
you," responded the attorney strange
~. "Sx months since the man who
really forged the Leeds check, dying,
confessed his guilt Mr.. Leeds, old,
lonely, has been seeking you every
where. Il bear the message from him
that he has made you his heir, and
he begs, ifEou can forgive his injus
tice towards you, that you solace his
fading hours by returning to the |