He was a man of
gentlemanly instincts, and was a skilful engraver, who had worked in
the Government Printing-office at Washington for several years. There
he was extravagant, got into debt, yielded to the temptation to make a
fortune easily, and became a counterfeiter. The present undertaking
was his first experience in that line of wickedness, and he was already
heartily sick of it. While on the island, where his part of the work
was engraving and printing, he had not realized the contemptible nature
of his unlawful business. He had merely been filled with pride in his
own skill, which feeling his associates took good care to encourage by
artful praise.
When he met Sabella, it flashed across him for the first time that his
own little girl, far away in an eastern city, was the daughter of a
criminal, and from that moment he was a changed man. Through the long
days and longer nights, as the raft drifted down the great river, these
thoughts were ever with him: "What will she say when she finds it out?
How will she act? Will she ever kiss me, or even speak to me again? I
have made her very name a disgrace. What shall I do to wipe it out?
What shall I do?"
His companions noticed his strange mood, and jeered at him, but failed
to change it. Finally they became suspicious, and held secret
consultations as to how they should rid themselves of him.
Pages:
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190