A large sum of
money was missing, and every evidence pointed to young Bellmann as
the thief. He denied strenuously that he was guilty, but the
District Judge (it was the present Prosecuting Attorney Schmidt in
G--) sentenced him. He spent eight months in prison, during which
time his mother died of grief at the disgrace. There must have been
something good in the boy, for he had never forgotten that it was
his guilt that struck down his only relative, the mother who had
worked so hard for him. He had atoned for this crime of his youth,
and during the years that have passed since then, he had been an
honest, upright man."
Graumann paused a moment and pressed his hand to his heart again.
His voice had grown weaker, and he breathed hard. Finally he
continued: "I commanded my ward to break off her engagement, as I
could not allow her to marry a man who was a freed convict. Siders
sold his property some few weeks after that and moved to G--.
Eleonora acquiesced in my commands, but she was very unhappy and
allowed me to see very little of her. Then came the events of the
evening of September 23rd, the events which have turned out so
terribly. I will try to tell you the story just as it happened,
so far as I am concerned. I had seen nothing of John since he left
this town. He had made several attempts before his departure for
G-- to change my opinion, and my decision as to his marriage to my
ward.
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