The central record. (Lancaster, Ky.) 18??-current, 1920-09-02
The Hour
Of Atonement
BY PERCivAL DEANE
"a Isg1. western s.~.ssp.f Uaioa }

friendly blow aud the effects OF the
same fingered To harrow aud dlscour.
age. Just past his majority. he had
left his native village for busy. bus
Ting county seat with thousand dol.
lars he had carefully saved. Ills
thought had been to start Ia business
In limited way. but lac soon found
that amount Of capital insufficient,
By mlschance he got acquainted
with a genial. frlcndly-actlng young
man who called himself Martin Bearce,
aud who was 9 stock salesman for
concern promoting pn 2il company.
Benrce soon succeeded 10 persuadlng
Dale that he could get him some Of the
stock at a bargain price. guaranteed
its resale within sixty days at a profit
OF fully 100 per cent. and Dale handed
out the money and took Temporary
job la fruit store. awaiting the prom.
ised riches.
One morning the newspaper con
tained AN account OF the failure OF the
oil company and the disappearance Of
Its exploiters. The suavc. fascinating
stock salesman was n hoOdOo long re-
mcmbered 10y Dale with emotions OF
bitterness and resentment. but rs time
went on he tried 10 take his los. less
severely. although his BRIGHT. ambitious
dreams were dissipatcd. lie plodded
on indinercntly for n year aud then
returned To Arden. got his old position
A n1 f..I
ence, persuaded that the gifts OF for.
tune were not for him.
Then came compensation. During
his absence n young lady named Nor.
ina Layton had come To Arden and had
become an employee In Its one MILL.
merry establishment. What attracted
Dale 10 her was her subdued. almost
sorrowful nature. somewhat In accord.
ance with his own. II was apparen,
that she had known trouble. At the
home she found with an old widow
lady she acted reserved and serious. us
though seeking its loneliness TO hide
from the world az large.
Dale got acquainted with Miss Lay.
ton aud their relations were friendly
and pleasant. She never alluded 20
her past and Dale suppressed his one
business experiment. lie had saved
quite n sum OF money and was assured
OF permancncy Of employment.
II shall never find woman more
suited to me temperamentally." he So
liloqulzed. and she seems 10 he glad
when ! come 10 see her. Dare tell
her that ] love herg'
Once under the influence Of love and
It's promptings every impulse was
toward learning his fate. Il was a
lovely summer evening when he
reached the cottage home OF Mrs. VIII
W. 60 be Informed that Miss Layton
was somewhere In the garden. and
Dale went thi,her In quest Of her.
He heard voices among some dense
shrubbery. The tones OF Norma were
clearly recognizable and Dale started
rs he caught the echoes OF the voice
Of man. II. too. caused him TO thrill.
conjecture and utter a subdued excia.
nation.
Martin Bearce,'' he breathed, ana
then he uttered groan. The man had
gathered Norma In his arms and kissed
her. lie handed her some papers. She
chung 10 him for a moment In a fren-
zled way. Then as he leaped the fence
and disappeared. Norma went toward
the house and Dale could see tears
In her eyes and hear her low sobbngS
His heart was crushed, a cruel des-
tiny seemed 10 pursue him relentiessly.
The same person who had robbed him
OF his little means had now purloIned
his sweetheart. for what could be thu
meaning of those kisses and caresses
except that they were loversf For q
few moments hatred and Jealousy
ranked In the soul Of Dale and spurred
him on to pursue and apprehend the
swindllng Bearce. Then comprehend
Ing that To injure him. unworthy as he
was. might crush Norma. he bowed
his head and tried TO subdue the sor-
row and despair that had overwhelmed
him.
The next morning Dale learned that
Miss Layton had resigned her position
at the millinery shop aud was about
TO leave Arden. lie himself could not
confne himself 10 his working duty
that day. distracted with the events
of the evening previous. lie wandered
about the village aimlessly until after
noon. and was seated In its little park
gloomily meditating. when the seat
beside him was suddenly filed and
Norma. pale and trembling. extended
an envelope.
This Is yours. Mr.. Dale" she said
simply. 1T contains with interest the
money Martin Bearce got from you two
years ago. Spare me the humiliation
and grief OF going into his rcmissness
In detail. He has repented his acts
while a tool for clever swindlers. and
last evening brought me the money he
has made by hard work TO repay all
those he induced TO invest Ia the oil
but why do you appear as his inter
questioned the amazed Dale.
Because he IL my brother" came
the low-toaed response. Il am going
away"
Then ! will follow you. II the path
leads 20 the ends Of the EARTH" en-.
clnlmet Dale sponfa neotlslv sI cana