Americus times-recorder., 1919-06-03
NEIL TELLS BARBARA HIS STORY
CHAPTER CX

CHAPTER CX
n At NeiPs reply faintness swep
l~bYer me. Take his medicine he had
said. What did it mean? Not that he
was guilty of all the charges against
him? 1t could not be that! 1t could not
But even if it were l was his wife anc
would stand by him. Then incongru.
Ously there came to my mind the in
ventory had prepared and the
thought that we could give up the
house quickly. That it might take time
to settle such affairs never occurred to
me- That we would make restitution
at once and end it was my thought.
Poor boy" repeated, smoothing
his hair. Don't feel so badly dear
You have me and Robert no one can
take us from you"
"I-really Bab-will you stand by
me through this?'' he clung to me
now sobbing outright.
why of course | will. Didn't I
marry you for better or worse? Why
should l run when the worse comes.
No, dear heart, l love you If you
have made mistakes l still love you.
Even if you have done-wrong | love
you and always shall Now try to get
some sleep. But first let me telephone
Mr.. Frederick and ask him to come up
here the first thing in the morning.
If any one in the world can help us it
is he. Then before he comes you must
tell me everything about your affairs
your trouble. l can't try to do any
thing in the dark. Now go to bed,
dear"
Without word he did as I had
asked. And soon fell into a restless
sleep. But l lay awake all the long
night through trying to pierce the
future, planning to make him happy
and to help him rehabilitate himself,
socially and financially. 1 was not
foolish enough to want him to lay
down and accept what seemed to be
the inevitable. Even had l been l knew
his ambitious spirit too well to think
for ,amoment he would be satisfied to
give up the struggle. If only l might
help direct him into other and more
elevating channels. He was still so
young. Surely his life need not be a
failure because of this mistake.
When he awoke he looked unrested,
unrefreshed. H. - had done him
little good, AkE3o oMe sst we went
10 the libraypnh Cypress
tribune with us. There on the first
page was our story-part of it soft
ened perhaps by the kind reporter but
starkly hideous just the same. 1t even
spoke of arrest-as possibility.
Now tell me- l took the paper
from him and laid it on the table.
A"Please tell me all, Neil. 1t will make
no difference in my feeling for you and
! perhaps l can help if know"
1t was long and pitiful story to
which l listened that morning. A
story of ambition so inordinate that it
caused the loss of all perspective
even as regarded right and wrong.
#There was one ray of hope in the story
Aand that was the faith Neil had pin
ned upon the men who had made him
Ntheir agent-Eastern Agent in dispos-
hing of. mines when no mines existed,
&of shares in oil companies that had no
y oil wells. That he had accepted their
#word without investigation and had ta-
d ken over their claims without looking
Nthem up in any wayn seemed to me
n would show faith in his own projects
NLittle did [ realize how very little sym
pathy men had for anyone who caused
#them financial loss
| tried to cheer him up as best
could, not letting him see how shock
led I had been at his story. How hurl
Min my belief in him. He was very de-
%spondent and all I said seemed tc
Hhave no effect He talked of disgracing
me and Robert, of taking us oacB
6nto poverty worse than we had ever
known. Of the loss of all he had work,
led so hard to obtain. In all his regret
Nit was for us, not for himself
"You are so young, Neil, you will
show them you can make good even
latter all this You can make money
Hagain. Reinstate yourself in the world
Ia way out will be found" Even as
I know it Neil, and you must know Il
Mtoo. Y ou must not allow this to crush
y you. I said it as my eyes rested upor
the word arrest in the paper. sup
8pose they sent him to jail
"Mr. Frederick, ma'am," the mait
Nannounced at that moment.
Il Tomorrow-A Friend In Need is Ap
&preciated.