All in a garden fair; the simple story of three boys ... - University Library

92
ALL L\ A GARDEN FAIR.
forgiven liim, and that God's blessing would rest
upon us, his wife and innocent boy. And then
—Allen—Allen—he destroyed himself
to tdl.
She was silent. She had told all there was
' Xow you know, poor boy. It will not
make you happier to know it. At the office
where you go to-morrow everybody knows.
Sir Charles knows about it. I suppose that all
the village knows.'
' Everybody, except me,' said xVllen bitterly.
' And now you too know. But, Allen,
there was a meetinfx of the creditors, and—and
—the people who had been rol)bed. And they
passed a resolution that they believed Mr.
Erigledew was free from any guilty knowledge
in his j)ai-tner's frauds. And they oflfered a
reward for John Stephens's apprehension.'
' And did they catch him ?
' Xo !
lie was never heard of afterwards.
We may suppose that he is dead. Something
dreadful is sure to have hai)})ened to such a
man. I hope,' she added then, with a little