DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.22217#0354
542
CONSCIENCE MONEY.
die, and at last he gave in. The keys were only out of his
keeping for one night, and Denham knew where the keys of
the safe were kept, and so got at the silver plate and carried it
all off. It was sent to Glasgow to some one who had agreed
to buy it, and Denham brought the money to, father after
dark. I could not bear to look at it or touch it. I seemed to
see in it the thing that was to part me and my father for ever,
instead of letting us spend eternity in heaven, with neither
poverty nor suffering. I bundled it up and wrote the note
which you would get with it. I felt so happy when it was gone,
and I made Marjory send it in a way that would not give you
a chance to find out the sender. But you did find it out, and I
have done more harm than good. It would have been better
for my poor father if I had had no conscience troubling me."
I soothed and cheered her as well as I could, and then went
after Denham. I found he had gone to Glasgow, and, by
sending off a telegram, had him neatly nipped up at the station
by Johnny Farrel. Denham was thoroughly taken by surprise,
and in his amazement did a rash thing. He had had some
disagreement with the fence about the plunder, and had gone
through to settle that, but only to find himself nipped up at
the station. What could be clearer? He had been betrayed
by the swindling fence. Would it not be a fair retaliation to
betray the fence in turn? He thought it would, and did so;
which greatly rejoiced our hearts, for it enabled us to recover
a deal of the plunder before it went into the melting-pot.
Jeanie Abercorn declined rapidly after her statement to me,
and in a week had passed to her long rest. Her last message was
to her father in prison, telling him that she was only going out
of his sight for a time ; that God would forgive him, whether
men did or no, knowing that it was his great love for her that
tempted him to the crime. The old gardener received the
message in a stupefied state. He had never appeared the
same man since the arrest. He was told that he would be
accepted as a witness against Denham, and agreed in a dull,
listless manner to tell all he knew, which he did, with the
result that Denham was convicted and sentenced to five years'
penal servitude. When the trial was over, the old gardener was
told that he might go.
"What have I to gang to?" was his reply, as he wrung his
hands and tottered out. "What have I to gang to?"
In a month or two the poor old man had drifted away to
join Jeanie in the Great Unknown, beyond earth and sky.
CONSCIENCE MONEY.
die, and at last he gave in. The keys were only out of his
keeping for one night, and Denham knew where the keys of
the safe were kept, and so got at the silver plate and carried it
all off. It was sent to Glasgow to some one who had agreed
to buy it, and Denham brought the money to, father after
dark. I could not bear to look at it or touch it. I seemed to
see in it the thing that was to part me and my father for ever,
instead of letting us spend eternity in heaven, with neither
poverty nor suffering. I bundled it up and wrote the note
which you would get with it. I felt so happy when it was gone,
and I made Marjory send it in a way that would not give you
a chance to find out the sender. But you did find it out, and I
have done more harm than good. It would have been better
for my poor father if I had had no conscience troubling me."
I soothed and cheered her as well as I could, and then went
after Denham. I found he had gone to Glasgow, and, by
sending off a telegram, had him neatly nipped up at the station
by Johnny Farrel. Denham was thoroughly taken by surprise,
and in his amazement did a rash thing. He had had some
disagreement with the fence about the plunder, and had gone
through to settle that, but only to find himself nipped up at
the station. What could be clearer? He had been betrayed
by the swindling fence. Would it not be a fair retaliation to
betray the fence in turn? He thought it would, and did so;
which greatly rejoiced our hearts, for it enabled us to recover
a deal of the plunder before it went into the melting-pot.
Jeanie Abercorn declined rapidly after her statement to me,
and in a week had passed to her long rest. Her last message was
to her father in prison, telling him that she was only going out
of his sight for a time ; that God would forgive him, whether
men did or no, knowing that it was his great love for her that
tempted him to the crime. The old gardener received the
message in a stupefied state. He had never appeared the
same man since the arrest. He was told that he would be
accepted as a witness against Denham, and agreed in a dull,
listless manner to tell all he knew, which he did, with the
result that Denham was convicted and sentenced to five years'
penal servitude. When the trial was over, the old gardener was
told that he might go.
"What have I to gang to?" was his reply, as he wrung his
hands and tottered out. "What have I to gang to?"
In a month or two the poor old man had drifted away to
join Jeanie in the Great Unknown, beyond earth and sky.