Year: 1862

manner had somewhat alarmed her.


"But I'll prevent this matter" murmured
the lady as she got into her carriage. "The
very idea! Men are always tormenting their
wives over their business"


Mrs. Ross did not go out that day, and her
husband and his affairs were constantly upper
most in her mind. ~


But her sisters words had influenced her,
and at last brought her to that state in which
she could say to. herself, "After all, perhaps
I've thought too much of it, and Warren will
get out Of this trouble as other men do. It
would come very strange and hard to live in
the country, and our circumstances may not
require the sacrifice.


"Then Sara would feel the disgrace so
ksenly, and think Warren was nobody, and
people would talk so. I'll dismiss the thought
for the present" And, walking up and down
the room As she made this discrimination, the
skirt of Mrs. RoEs's dress brushed past some-
thing. 1t was the morning paper which had
fallen from the chair where it had hastily been
placed. ..-. ..


She stopped to raise it, and as she did so
her eyes lighted on brief account Of the trial
of young bank clerk who had proved de-
faulter to "a considerable amount, and been
sentenced to FIVE years in the States prison.
He had occupied position of high trust in
the bank, had hitherto borne an unblemished
reputation, had a wife and two children, and
his indulgence in a style of living greatly be-
vond his means was assigned as the cause
which led to the commission of his crime
A chill crept through the heart Of Mrs. Ross
as she read, which fairly amounted to terror
when she laid down the paper.


"What if this were Warren !" she thought
to herself, aud her excited imagination, fol-
lowing on the path of her thoughts pic
tured vividly all the misery and agony which
the commission Of such crime must bring
down on the heads of both. How did sne
know but, s.ung to desperation, her noble
husband might be tempted beyond his strength
and fall


She did not spurn the suggestion, as her
pride would have done at another time. She
only felt the remorse, the fruitless self-re-
proach which mast crush out her own life il
her husband should fall.


10, God" prayed the lips of Augusta Ross
"ssve my husband and will do all my du-
ty." And in that very hour she resolved that
the stern lesson which she had read and the
prayer she had uttered should be taken into
her hear. and bring forth its fruit abundantly.


Warren Ross happened to have in his pos
session the keys which opened the bank
vault that afternoon, for he had been ordered
to extract considerable sum that day, and in
the afternoon he was left alone for an hour
and in that hour Satan entered into the heart
of Warren Ross.


He glanced at the heavy iron doors, he
shook the keys in his hand, he remembered
that there was no mortal eye to see him, and
that handful of gold from that vault would
never be missed, and that it would relieve
him of the great burden which had been crush
ing down his life.


He could look his creditors once more il
the face, he could breathe free again, and hi
should not be compelled to witness the pain
and modification of Augusta when the tru'
state of his affairs was made known to her
The dread that his household furniture nigh
be attached, and which had been haunting
him for two months past, could now be re
moved.


"pm sorry to do this thing" mused Warrel
Ross. "Iwouldn't have believed two days ag
that any thing could have induced me t.
habor the thought q moment; but what's
man to with wife whom he loves better thai
he does his own life, and whom he'd rathe
die than hear reproach him with poverty ant
disgrace that he had brought upon her.


II wouldn't do it for my own sake, bu
there's Augusta, and then don't intend tt
steal this money, on my honor don't, and II
enter into some speculation and repay ever!
dollar of it with interest somehow, and whel
a mans in the tight place that am he's driv
en- to desperation, and the end must justif.
the means. I'm safe enough, for even if the.
should miss SO small an amount they'd neve
think took it." and even then the man fel
a glow of pride as he thought that in all tn
ten years during which he had been in tina
bank his memory did not hold one deed whicl
could kindle blush in his check.


Warren Ross was very pale as he glance'
all around the room, and his limbs shook o
he moved toward the door of the vault. TIL
key was in the lock and then-had the praye
of his wife reached the Ear which is neve
heavy that it can not hear the cry Of the chill
dren Of men ?-the mans heart failed him
The great sin which he was about to commi
stood clear before him. the key did not tur