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was ill at the time. He died with
out -knowing tKat his business
was- on the verge of ruin. All that
was left was. the house in which
Sahar now rived, and that mort
gaged. Before the funeral .an express
package came containing five
hundred dollars, no name, no ex
planation. The following: week
Alfred Ritchie reappeared in the
village. Sarah refuse'd to see him
He wrote her a letter, begging for
ah interview. Sarah wrote back
to him, forbidding him to ever
- cross her path again.
What could she think but the
worst ! She learned later that Al
fred had taken charge of a graz
ing farm one hundred miles dis
tant; like herself, leading a lonely,
loveless, life.'
Sarah tidied up the place, as
was' her wont, and the little place
was hospitable and neat looking
when Lawyer Jones arrived.
She had not seen him since her
husband had .so- strangely gone
avyay.
' 'T sent for you, Mr. Jones," she
said, ''because the mortgage on
the house here is due. I cannot
possibly pay it, but I can keep lips
the interest it you win renew tne
loan." ,
"I have a surprise for vou " re
plied the lawyer. "I hardly know
now you win taKe it, dui tne
mortgage has been paid in full!"
"By whom?" exclaimed Sarah,
!n startled wonder".
"By your husband, -Alfred
Ritchie."
"He is not my " flashed out
'Sarah, and then controlled the
rising tide of resentment. "You -tell
me this !" she added, her lips
compressed. "Under no circum-,
stances.will.I receive 'help, pitjor
interest from the man who ,has
wrecked my life's happiness.'1" .
There was. a spell gE, silence.
Sarah .safwith heaving bosom, a i
suspicion of angry tears in her
eyes. The attorney seemed 1;hinkr
ing how he had best say what he
had to disclose.
"Will you iisten to a story I am
at last authorized' to tell?" he
asked! w.
Sarah nodded, 'but with her
emotion checked,, her face not at
all responsive. '
"The girl who lef the town the
day that your husband did, as you
know, was a distant relative of
your father. Your husband had
learned that she' had married a
wretch who-ipt only would not
support her, but influenced her to
steal money fr,om her employer
and send it to him.,3riefly, Air
fred Went with her 'to hunt up the
wretch. He compelled him to
care for his wife. He borrowed .
five hundred dollars from a rela
tive, to replace the stolen money.
He could not publicly explain all
this without getting the girl in
trouble, and you refused to. listen
to his explanations. The girl died -a
month ago, and.now he has just '
written me he' is free to have th'e -truth
known. By patient labor,
always loving you, he saved up
the money to pay off the mdr.- -
gage on.ybur home."
"Oh. how cruel, how wicked I
have been !" cried theoverwhelm
ed wife "How shall I ma.1"
