epay you some day; if not, I am not too proud to be
under this great obligation to you. Oh, Irene! I can't tell you how much I
thank you; my heart is too full for words." She threw her arm round the
girl's waist and strained her to her bosom, and the hot tears fell fast on
the waves of golden hair. A moment after, Irene threw a tiny envelope into
Electra's lap, and without another word glided out of the room. The orphan
broke the seal, and as she opened a sheet of note-paper a ten-dollar bill
slipped out.

"Electra, come to school Monday. The enclosed will pay your tuition for two
months longer. Please don't hesitate to accept it if you really love

"Your friend IRENE."

Thinking of the group she had just left, Irene approached the gate and saw
that Russell stood holding it open for her to pass. Looking up she stopped,
for the expression of his face frightened and pained her.

"Russell, what is the matter? oh! tell me."

"I have been injured and insulted. Just now I doubt all people and all
things, even the justice and mercy of God."

"Russell, 'shall not the righteous Judge of all the earth do right?'"

"Shall the rich and the unprincipled eternally trample upon the poor and
the unfortunate?"

"Who has injured you?"

"A meek-looking man who passes for a Christian, who turns pale at the sound
of a violin, who exhorts to missionary labours, and talks often about
widows and orphans. Such a man, knowing the circumstances that surround me,
my poverty, my mother's affliction, on bare and most unwarrantable
suspicion turns me out of my situation as clerk, and endeavours to brand my
name with infamy. To-day I stand disgraced in the eyes of the community,
thanks to the vile slanders of that pillar of the church, Jacob Watson. I
could bear it myself, but my mother! my noble, patient, suffering mother! I
must go in, and add a yet heavier burden to those already crushing out her
life. Pleasant tidings, these I bring her; that her son is disgraced,
branded as a rogue!"

There was no moisture in the keen eye, no tremor in the metallic ring of
his voice, no relaxation of the curled lip.

"Can't you prove your innocence? Was it money?"

"No, it was a watch, which I gave up as security for drawing a portion of
my salary in advance. It was locked up in the iron safe; this morning it
was missing, and they accuse me of having stolen it."

He took off his hat as if it oppressed him, and tossed back his hair.

"