SI twit
FllAXK MORTIMER, 1
Editor and Proprietor.
AN INDEPENDENT FAMILY NEWSPAPER.
(Terms: IX ADVAXCIi,
I One Dollar iter Year.
Vol. IV.
OIic 3IaomMfo whites
2 Published Weekly,
At New Illoomfield, Penn'.a.
BY
FRANK MORTIMER.
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CORRIE SHERWOOD'S HERO.
An Excellent Story.
CONCLUDED.
LINDSEY slipped to the door and turn
ed the key. lie mould not bo inter
rupted now he must know all.
" Robert Mr. Sherwood," ho said lirmly,
coming and standing before him, "I have
a right to know what this means, and I
must."
" It moans that wo are all beggars "
"Yes," ho interrupted, "I understand
that, only tell mo it is nothing worse. That
cheek of Morrison's "
"I meant to pay it, God knows, Lind
say !" ho exclaimed covering his face with
his hands. " I expected to have the money
to return to the bank long before his re
turn." "Ho did not give you the check, then?"
" Wo had some of his blank checks, and
I O my God!"
"Enough, I understand," Lindsey inter
rupted strongly moved by his companion's
anguish.
After a while, Sherwood controlled him
self enough to tell the story. Some six
months before, a friend bad induced his
father to invest heavily in a now oil com
pany just beginning operations under the
most Uattcring prospects. At tho same
time, ignorant of his father's investment,
ho bad himself bought ono bundl ed shares
in another company whose promises were
even more Uattcring than tho other. This
left them very short of funds, and tho bill
just paid was for goods bought on six
month's credit, contrary to their usual cus
tom, but made necessary by the circum
stances. The first three months things
looked favorable, and under the prospect of
success other debts were incurred. Latter
lysay for tho last month rumors of fail
ure in tho first-named company had been
circulated, and the morning after the party,
they bad seen in a paper tho announcement
of tho failure, and tho flight of the treasu
rer with what little funds remained over
the expenses that had been incurred in
what had proved fruitless labor. Still they
hoped tho story false, as no other had been
received from tho agent in New York. Tho
morning mail, however, brought one, con
firming the newspaper report, and pronoun
cing it a dead loss to stockholders. Tho
effect on Ins father had been such as to
nearly deprivo him of reason ; and his anx
iety about Gorham's bill, so near due, drove
him wild, and lie declared in a frenzy of
passion, that he would never live to be dis
graced by having bis store closed, or an at
tachment put on bis property by Gorham,
who he knew would not hesitato to do it.
In this strait, his father half crazod, his
mother and sistor weeping, and begging
him to do something to save them and qui
et bis father, tho temptation to use Morri
son's name came to him. lie fought against
it until ho himself was balf-distractcd,
yielding at last, by comforting his con
science with tho assurance that Morrison
would gladly accommodate them if hewcio
at home.
"God knows, Lindsey, I had never dream
ed of such a possibility as this I" he gasped
in a hoarse whisper, "I had invested ten
thousand dollars witii the prospect of trip
ling my money in six months. The six
months expired yesterday, and I have
scarcely slept an hour this week, I have
been in such a fervor of expectancy. It is
all over now ! Bentley writes, tho whole
tiling was an enormous swindle, and the
sharp fellows who got it up are already on
their way to Europe with tho money of
their dupes ; an old worn out oil well, being
all that is left for tho stockholders. 1 daro
not tell father and that check O my God,
I shall go wild!" And springing to his
feet ho paced the floor in an agony of re
morse and despair.
" Why not write to Mr. Morrison at once,
telling him the story as you havo told it to
me. I don't think ho would prosecute the
ease you could securo him by a mortgage
on the store and contents : you say you
have accommodated each other.
"I will do so-ut once. Heaven bless you
Lindsey ; I feel new courage already. I
can bear the disgrace of bankruptcy but
crime !" shuddering convulsively.
A rap at tho door interrupted them.
Lindsey turned the key and looked out.
The shop boy stood a littlo in advance of
thrco men, two of them tho same who had
visited the store the morning after Corra
Uine Sherwood's party. Ho closed the door
behind him and walked forward to meet
them.
" Wo would like to seo tho senior part
ner," ono of thorn said, glancing toward
tho office door.
"Mr. Sherwood is ill at his house, sir,"
Lindsey returned quietly.
"Mr. Robert Sherwood, then."
" Ho is busy, just now ; if you would in
form me of your business," Alfred began ;
but the man interrupted him with a short
laugh and an expressive shako of tho head.
"Call Mr. Sherwood," Lindsey said,
turning to the boy.
Robert came out at once, deadly pale,
but calm. IIo had evidently overheard the
conversation, and knowing tho speaker,
divined at onco his business. IIo bowed
quietly, and leaning against a pillar, said in
a steady voice :
"You can proceed with your business,
gentlemen ; I think I anticipato its na
ture."
Tho two men exchanged glances, and
then made a sign to tho third, who took out
and read a writ of attachment upon tho
store and contents, in behalf of Doyles &
Hunter, of Hartford, creditors to tho Arm
of Sherwood & Son, for goods to tho valuo
of nino hundred dollars. Tho business
concluded, Messrs. Doylo & Hunter turned
to go out, leaving tho officer in charge of
tho store.
" I know whom I am to thank for this,
Clark Hunter," Robert said, an angry
flush struggling through tho dead pallor of
his face.
"Thank you," Hunter retorted. I am
sorry I couldn't give you timo to draw on
your friend Morrison?" And with a low,
exultant laugh, ho walked away.
Tho flush faded instantly from Robert
Sherwood's face, and a look of despair set
tled down upon it. AVith an unsteady
step ho opened the office door and went in.
"A bad business, Mr. Lindsey" said,
looking sorry.
"Yes," Lindsey answered abruptly,
without looking up, a strange expression
growing every instant in his face, and bis
gray eyes darkening to jetty black.
A moment or two more of struggle, and
ho followed las partner intoxtho office.
"It is too late for what I proposed," he
said, speaking hurriedly, like ono who had
made up his mind to do a thing and is in
IVew Hlooiuiiolcl, Xn.9 piil
haste to havo it over. " I have come to the
conclusion that siirnod Morrison's nnmn.
I shall be arrested for presenting tho' check
1 shall at once admit that I did it on mv
own responsibility "
"And bear the punishment for mv miilt !
No, I am not such a scoundrel as to suffer
that, Lindsey," Sherwood interrupted.
"Hear me, Robert." ho cried. Invintrhis
hand on his arm. " Think of vom- unronta
and Corrie. You can settle all these de
mands and have a homo left for them, at
least. 1 ou are young and capable, vou can
soon get into some business that will keep
you all comfortably and, pardon mo for
alluding to it, permit you to marry Miss
Austin."
" We were to havo been married in a
month," be interrupted, sadly.
" i es, 1 heard so. Rut if sho is a true
woman sho will wait willingly, and sympa
thize with and encourage you, meanwhile.
If I am anything, or ever might have been,
it is your kindness and sympathy that have
done it. I ask it as a privilege, my best
and truest friend, to bear this burden for
you. There is no one dependent on me,
now mother is dead, and no ono will be
pained or unhappy on my account. I am
only a Lindsey, you know, and no ono will
be surprised ; beside, I shall not suffer"
ho was going to add, " because I have the
consciousness of innocence, but checked
himself, and substituted, "because I shall
have the consciousness of repaying in part
the great debt of gratitude I owe you."
Sherwood at first positively refused to
listen to such a plan, but ho was worn down
with caro and loss of rest, and mind and
body were nearly exhausted in the strug
gle. He felt the force of Lindsey's reason
ing, and at last yielded, weakly, perhaps,
but not selfishly, for it was not of himself
he thought, only of his father and mother,
and Corrie and possibly of Floy Austin ;
no man is willingly disgraced in the eyes of
his betrothed wife.
Well, tho blow had fallen, and all Grant
ley was confounded. But tho bankruptcy,
incredible as that seemed, was quite over
shadowed by the dreadful turpitudo of
young Lindsey, though not a few were
heard to declare that it was nothing more
than was to bo expected of a Lindsey, and
they were not surprised in the least in
fact, had been expecting some such thing
to happen ever sinco James Sherwood was
so Quixot ic as to take tho boy into bis store.
It seemed the whole troublo from first to
last, originated in Lindsey's crime, accord
ing to tho odd logic of tho Grantley-ites,
though Robert Sherwood took every occa
sion to declare tho true cause of bankrupt
cy to bo an unwise and wild speculation.
But this was set down as only another proof
of foolish weakness in upholding and coun
tenancing Alfred Lindsey ho had al
ways dono so.
Only ono person in Grantley (save, of
course, Robert Sherwood) believed in tho
possibility of Lindsey's innocence. Why
should they, indeed, sinco he himself had
admitted his guilt at tho first ? But Annie
Morrison was a stubborn littln thing when
once she made up hor mind to anything,
and as determined as sho was stubborn. It
made her angry to seo every one so willing
indeed, rather pleased to believe evil of
ono who had fought his way up so bravely
against tho prejudices of bis fellow-citizens.
She had a natural love of opposition, and
so she espoused his cause, and was in her
element. If thero was any other reason
that influenced her in the matter sho did
not admit it, even to herself. Sho managed
to seo him after his arrest just long enough
to say, in a low voice :
" You don't suppose beliovethis absurd
story Alfred ? No, I know bettor and I am
going to prove it !"
"Miss Morrison, I beg,'' he began, but
she nodded gayly, in a very positive way,
and tripped away.
A sharp pang of regret, tho first he had
felt, shot heavily through his heart. IIo
conquered the feeling after a littlo struggle.
5. 187().
He knew he could never bo anything to
Annie Morrison ho had always tried to
remember it, but a heart is a wayward
thing to manage.
" She will never know that I am inno
cent," be said, a littlo sadlv. "and bv-nnd-
by sho will como to think like tho rent."
Aim yet Ins heart beat lighter all day for
that whispered word.
Before tho day of trial came, Annie had
nearly succeeded in converting her father
to her belief in young Lindsey's innocence.
She had a happy faculty of winding that
personngo round her finger. Ho had a
great deal of faith in Annie's judgment,
and altogether believed her to bo a most
wonderful littlo woman.
" You see," said Annie, argumcntativcly,
" it's not at all probable that he would do
this when it wasn't going to benefit himself
any, only to pay an old debt contracted by
the firm six months before he was admitted
into it. And, by the way, I think it a
shabby trick in the Sherwoods taking any
one into such a shaky concern as theirs
very evidently Was.
"I think they meant well, my dear,"
tier lather interposed, mildly.
" Perhaps," was the doubtful answer.
"But now, father does it look reasonable
that any ono would bo so anxious to con
viet himself, if ho were really guilty,
as you say Mr. Lindsey was ? You say ho
seemed ' feverishly eager to criminate him
self.' Now is that natural, father ?"
"Well, not generally, I think."
"Ofcourso not. I tell you bo is not
guilty of this forgery, and if you send him
to prison, you will do a very wicked thing,"
she said, vehemently.
"But, my child, ho is in tho hands of
the law; it will not bo as I say," he re
plied. " But you can establish some test see if
ho can writo your hand it is said that the
imitation was perfect or require him to
declare under oath that it was his work
something to get at the truth for it is my
firm belief that he is sacrificing himself to
save the Sherwoods."
Mr. Morrison promised to mention these
things to a legal friend and get his opinion ;
he did not know that could do much more.
The day of trial came round ; it was only
a formal one, tho accused having confessed
his guilt, and requested that no defence be
made for him. A counsel had, however,
been assigned to him, to sum up tho exten
uating circumstances, and beg that the
court might bo as lenient as possible in its
sentence considering tho nature of tho
crime in view of his youth and previous
good character.
But a new complexion was at onco put
upon affairs, by Clark Hunter's coming for
ward at tho opening of the court and boldly
charging the forgery upon Robert Sher
wood. Ho stated that, knowing the finan
cial affairs of tho firm to be in a very tick
lish condition, ho had, in company with a
detective from the city, kept an eyo on the
Sherwoods for several days previous to the
time of tho forgery. He knew of their
dabbling in speculations, and learned ofthe
failure of tho concern perhaps before they
did. IIo was a littlo surprised to find a new
partner in tho firm, and did not know but
possibly he might havo money. Ho waited
to find out. Ho soon learned that it was
only a poor clerk who had long been in their
employ. Ho knew Gorham's note fell due
the next day, and he had a natural curiosi
ty to seo how they managed to pay it. Ho
was interested, from tho fact that tho Sher
woods owed their firm quite a sum. IIo
saw Robert Sherwood como down to the
store, and almost immediately young Lind
sey go away. IIo looked into tho store
twice, but saw nothing of Sherwood, lie
afterward saw Lindsey como down to the
store, and a moment after, looking in
through tho glass door, saw him behind tho
counter waiting on some ladies. Afterward,
from the same position, saw Shorwooti ppen
tho office door and beckon to Lindsey, who
came out from behind the counter and fol
lowed him into the office. He then walked
ISo. 1-4.
away down street, not earing to let Sher
wood seo him just then.
In a little less than ten minutes Sherwood
camo out of tho store and walked hastily
toward home, lie then entered tho store,
several others also coming in ; bought a
pair of gloves, and waited further develop
ments. Ho had a theory that some means'
wcro to be put in operation to procure tho
money to meet Gorham's bill next day, and
thought possibly tho store and contents
were to be mortgaged.
" Presently tho sound of wheels mado mo
lift my eyes," be continued, " ami I saw
Robert Sherwood, and a fellow whom I
judged to be ono of tleir servants, drive
up in a carriage. Lindsey went hastily out.
There was no one in tho store, ami a strong
impulse to open the oflico dxr and look in,
took possession of me. I did so, and the
first tiling that caught my eyo was a piece
of crumpled paper lying in front of the
desk. 1 took it, and without looking at it,
put it in my pocket and hurried out. Sher
wood was still talking with Lindsey, who
was seated in the carriago with the Irish
man. I walked immediately out, and when
at a sufficient distance, smoothed out tho
paper and read, ' T. D. Morrison' written in
half a dozen places, together with tho time
and place of date. But the date was 'Sept.
11th,' instead of thirteenth as it really was.
I was shocked at the suspicion that forced
itself upon me. I had letters in Sherwood's
hand, and I compared them with tho writ
ing on the paper, and saw at once, that it
was the same, only a littlo disguised. I had
also a letter of Morrison's, and I remem
bered all at once that I had previously ob
served that there was a striking similarity
between the handwriting of tho two men.''
"I knew Morrison had gone West. I
wrote him immediately, asking if he had
loaned Sherwood a sum of money to be
drawn from the bank during his absence.
lie telegraphed back that ho had not, and
Mr. Dolo and myself visited tho bank, and
found a check for SoOOO had been presented
by Lindsey the afternoon of tho liitli. Wo
went down at onco and put an attachment,
on the store. Subsequent developments yon
are familiar with. I demand now that Lind
sey give us a proof of his handwriting being
tho same signed to tho check, or that on
this piece of paper," producing it and lay
ing it on tho table.
Lindsey firmly refused. There was a littlo
excitement, and before it had subsided.
Robert Sherwood, his face palo, yet firm,
walked into court.
"Stop !" he interrupted. "It is I, who
am the culprit "
" No ! no, it is not, gentlemen O, do not
mind what ho says !" Lindsey cried, inter
rupting him. " O Robert ! you promised
mo you would not interfere," a pleading
pathos in his voice.
" Damon and Pythias," sneered Hunter.
Well, of course the entire complexion of
tho matter was changed, and Robert Sher
wood, the handsome, generous, talented
sou of ono of the oldest and most respecta
ble families of Grantley, was condemned t
imprisonment for forgery, and Alfred Lind
sey's noble conduct was on every tongue.
Public opinion, that licklo creature, fell a;
once to abusing Robert Sherwood, and if it
could have had the fixing of the seiitonci .
I am afraid the gallows would have had
another victim. By-and-by, however, tin
excited s.tato of opinion subsided. Limlsc
used every effort to soften the feeling
against him, and at the end of a year suc
ceeded in getting up a petition headed b
Mr. Morrison, for his pardon. .After sonic
delay it was granted, and Robert Sherwood,
grown sadly old and altered in a year,cani
back to Grantley. During his incarcera
tion, Lindsey had acted tho part of a sou
to tho poor, broken-down old man, win.
seemod littl enough like tho proud mer
chant of former years. All Grantley propl,.
esied that Lindsey's lovo for Corrie Sher
wood prompted him to this course of labo.
and sacrifice, as well as being at tho bottom
of his devotion to Robert.
Well, as I said, Robert ,Sherwood cam.
back to Grantley, broken in health ami
spirits, his good name tarnished, povertv
and toil before him, a weak, almost imbe
cile fathor, and a helpless mother and sis
ter dependent on him for support. Did hi
old friends, remembering all his long, up
right life, his pure morality, his gcnoroin.
noblo nature, iorgive him thisono sin, com
mitted under such groat excitement and
provocation, and not a deliberate wrong?
Mr. Morrison showed not only his true
nobility as a gentleman, but his'Cliristian
spirit, in using every effort tomake him foci
how fully and thoroughly ho forgave bin .
and wished to have it quite forgotten. lie
also tried bravely to combat the prejudices
ot Ins fellow-citizens, but with very indif
ferent success.
CONTINUED ON SECOND PAGE.