Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1833-05-01

ly-some ofthe prisoners friends. "We
have a witness here come more than
three hundred miles for the purposes"
and Mary, shaking like a leaf, and
deadly pale, was placed in the box. The
counsel had nothing for it but to exam
inc her. should be sorry to say, sir,
he wished to find her testimony false
but lawyers have frightful pride in
shelving their ingenuity; and he did not
quite like his "holow case" to be over
turned. AT all events his manner was
any thing but encouraging to a poor
frightened girl but he little knew that
Mary could be firm as rock where du-
,ty was concerned.
Con being desired to say what she
knew of this business, Mary simply aver
red, in as few words as possible, that
Richard Manscl could not have been in
Overton wood at the hour assigned for
the murder of Jack Osborne as he was
at that very time with her, on the road to
s. farm, exactly on the other side
Of the town.
Very pleasantly engaged, dare
say my dourp' said thc counsel. nippant-
ly; "but j am afraid The court will not be
the more disposed to admit your evidence
on that account" "I am sure they
ought" said Mary, in tone Of deep
and solemn sincerity, which dashed the
lawyer good deal.
/" But, said he, recovering himself,
Orchard Mansel met you, you say, on
the road to s., at little after the
hour of nine, on a certain evening
Pray what reason may you have for re-
membering the hour?"
| "Because | had stayed to give his
mother her nine o'clock draught before
l left town; and because, just as | got
to my fathers gate, the church clock
struck ten."
! every accurate And pray what
leads you to be so positive as to the day?"
Because, that very next evening ! sailed
for London, in smack, whose sailing
day is always on a Friday, and Thurs
day must have been the 23d"
| every logical indeed And now, my
dear, to come more to the point, how
come you to remember this meeting it.
self so very particularly ? twas not the
first, / dare say" "No, sir" said Ma
! ry, her paleness giving way to a flush Of
insulted dignity; "but it was the lastH-
remember it, because we were enga-
ged to be married ; and on that very
night (and bless God it was no other)
| Richard Mansel told me, and not very
kindly, was not fit wife for him and
all that had been going on between US
so long was forever at an end! have a
right to remember this, sir, think.
| "Mary had made, to muster strength
and utterance for this testimony, all the
exertion nature would permit. She fell
back, fanting, into her fathers arms,
and murmur Of admiration ran through
! the court.
"This is an ALIBr, with witnessp'-
said an old shrewd barrister. "Ts not
likely a discarded sweet heart would
come six hundred miles to perjure her.
self for scoundrel like this" In cor
roboration Of Mary's simple testimony,
should any be required, there was hand
ed to the jury a housewife, or pocket
book, whose leaves of simple memoran-
uu'uS SohtaihSu, \c'iuCHtiy WIitteH uoWII
at the moment, and blotted with still
discernable tear "Oct. 23d-This day,
parted forever in this world with poor
Richard Mansel. God grant we may
meet in the next
"And did they meet again in this
world, SIR" said /, when my homes,
friend had got rid of something trouble,
some in his eyes. "No, sir Mary fell
it was better otherwise, and no one durs
press it upon her. She wrote him a let.
ter though, which no one else saw; ant
| hear he says his life was hardly worth
saving, since he has lost Mary.
Little more passed between me ant
my friends, as the lights Of Dunbar were
now in view. ] have since been in Ber.
wick, and find Richard lives with his pa
rents, sadder and wiser man thar
they ever expected him to be and Ma
ry is married in India, to a young chap
lain, up the country, to whom Lore
s., has promised living in he
own native north, on his return to Brit
ain.