Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-08-30

l. l. coming up the stairs two at
a time.
That must be Barry now. No one
else ever ran upstairs like that.
She glanced hurriedly at the time.
Four o'clock All day she had been
waiting to hear from him. He had
promised to call her up and tell her
But this was better, he had come
home early so as to tell her all about
it himself.
The door opened, and with little
cry Harriet started forward Then as
suddenly she stopped, all the blood
gone out of her face and the happi-
ness out of her heart. Something
was wrong!
Barry" she said in frightened
whisper. Barry, what is it,"
He stood against the door, breath
ing heavily. His face was gray and
his eyes seemed starting out of his
head.
In sudden terror Harriet ran to
him catching his arm and shaking
him in an effort to make him speak.
Anything was better than this sus-
pened to make Barry look and act
this way? Her heart told her that
it was the very worst, and she was
afraid, afraid!
"I had to tell you before t1.cy did,"
he began heavily. 81 got away some
how, L don't know how. But there
was an uproar in the office. and I
Pm a thief. They accused me OF
stealing, stealing from the finn I've
worked for!"
They stood facing each Cher, two
glowing young things in rke shabby
kitchen of sordid tenement For
long moment Harriet looked deep into
her husbands eyes. There was no
guilt there, and she drew long
breath.
'"rell me everything" she said in
a low voice. and there was new
quality about it. 1t seemed to give
him courage, and ho went on quickly.
II haven't much time, they'll be
coming here for me, but had to tell
you first Some bonds We're taken
out of Mr.. Harmon's private safe:
They amounted to about $4,000, and
I was the only one who had access
to them. Of course, I don't know
anything about them; they were In
the safe last night when left This
afternoon Mr.. Harmon sent me for
all [ know. OF course, they think
I stole them-no one else could have
done it,
Barry, you Safd they'd be coming
here for you. Do, you mean the po-
lice-are they going to arrest your
He nodded.
Harriet choke6 back a scream.
Barry arrested, put In prison.
branded as a thief! Her Barry, the
man she loved. Oh, it couldn't be
true Then suddenly she was gal
vanized into action.
Quick" she said, dragging him
after her into the dark little bed
thew h come here" Before he could
stop her she had pulled an old straw
suitcase from under the bed and
was packing it feverishly.. She hard
ly knew what she was doing. Her
somewhere, to hide him until she
could think what could be done to
help him. Somehow, she reasoned,
there must be a way out. for Barry
hadn't stolen the money, he was IN
noce1t.
Harriet, stop!' The command
broke in on her consciousness sharp
ly. 'I'm not going" he went on, as
she stood staring at him uncompre-
hendingly. Don't you see, dear, That
I must stay and face this thing, that
it would only mean a confession OF
my guilt if I ran away"
1t was true. and as the significance
of what she had been urging him to
do suddenly dawned on her, she knew
that such a course would be impos--
sible for Barry. And yet how could
she stand it to see him taken away
to prison for the crime of another?
If only there were some way to
prove his innocence! Held fast in
his arms, she tried to realize how
quickly time was passing and what
a short time they had to be to-
gether.
ITO Ra Continued1.