Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1866-11-02
Miscellamtu
The Dead Letter.
CHAPTER IN.
JOINING the MISSING LINKS.


For Il moment YOU might have heard !,
leaf drop on the carpet; no one spoke or
stirred. Then Eleanor arose from her chair
and lifting up her hand, looked with awful
eyes at the covering murderer. Her look
blasted him. He had been wrtlng under
Mr. Burtou's grasp; but now, as if in an.
swer to her gaze, he said.
'les-l did it. Eleanor and dropped to
the floor i'll a swoon.
The scene which transpired in the next
few minutes was narrowing. The r-Nul-
sions of feeling the shock, the surprise and
horror We're almost too much for human
nature to bear. Groan after groan burst
from Mr.. Argyll, as if his breast were be-
ing rent in twain. Mary totercd to her
sister and threw herself at her feet, with
her head buried in her lap if she mad not
been 80 healthily organized, and of such
an even temperament. know not how she
would have survived this ffi.htful check to
her hopes and affections. 1t seemed as il
Eleanor, who had lived only to suffer for 50
many weary months. had now more sell
possession than any of the others her thin
white hand ie! softly on her sisters curle
with a pitying touch; and. after a time.
she whispered to her some words. My
own surprise was nearly as much as any
ones; for, although many times had teh
that James was the guilty one, had always
tried to drive away the Impression, and had
finally almost succeeded.
In the mean tinic no one went to the un-
happy man, who had found temporary
rcl,et from shame and despair in insensibl-
ity. All recalled from him. as he lay upon
the floor. Finally, Mr.. Burton forced HIM
self to raise him consciousness was return
ed. and he placed him on the sofa. and
gave him Il handkerchief wet with cologne.
Presently Mary arose from her kneclinc
position, a::d looked around the room until
her glance fell ON me. when she came to-
ward me, and graspcd both my hands, say
ing:
Richard, never accused you--I always
felt that YOU were innocent and always SAID
50. You must forgive the others for my
sake. Ny father aud sister will bear NE
witness that always defended ycu from
the accusations of one WHO. it is now prove
ed, sou hit with double, with inconccivable
baseness. to divert suspicion from himself
to another -hervoice trembled with sco,n.
|. Il never wanted to marry him, she added.
bursting into tears, but they overpersuad
ed me-
Quiet yourself. sister, said Eleanor,
gently. arising and approaching us. we
have all wrongcd you, Rchard-l fear be-
yond torgivncss. Alas! we can now see
what noble enemy YOU have h"en.'
In that moment felt repaid for all
had suffered and said with joy:
Never an enemy, Miss Argyll and for
give you. wholly
Then there was another stir James had
risen to slip away from the company, now
so distas,eful to him but Mr.. Burton again
stood between him and egrcss; AS he did
so, he said:
Mr.. Argyll. it is for you to decide the
fate of this miserable man | have kept
all my proceedings secret from the pub
lie even allowed George Thorlry to re
main in Mexico, for thought your family
had already suffered enough, without load
ing it down with the infamy of your neph-
ew. II You say that he ohall 80 unpuni,h
ed hy the law, | shall abide by your wish ;
this matter shall be kept by the few who
now know it. For your sakes. not for his,
would spare him the death which he de
serves, but he must leave the country, at
once anu lUIchci.
Let him go said his uncle. his back
turned upon the murderer, toward whom
he would not look. TO. instantly and
forever And remember james Argyll,
| if ever see your face again, if ! ever hear
Of your being anywhere III the United States
| shall at once cause You 10 he arrested
.And /, the same added Mr.. Burton.
God knows, if it were not for these Young
ladies. whnse feelings are sacred to me,
would not let you off so easily
He opened the door, and James Argyll
skunk ont into the night. and away, none
knew whittier, branded, and eNpatiatcd.
and alone-away, without one look at the
fair, beautiful girl who was so soon to have
been his bride-uway, from the home he
had peri!ed his soul to secure.
When he had gone we all brcathed more
freely. Mr. i. had yet much TO say. for he
wished to close this horrible business for
ever. He took the surgical instrument
which he had found in the tree, and fitted
it to the piece which had been eNtricatcd
from the body of the murdered man. and
showed the family the initials of George
Thorey upon it. He then produced the
written confession of Thorley, which we all
read for ourselves but us it contained only.
in plain statement, the facts already Civ
en-, | will not repeat them here lie then
proceeded with the history of the DEAi,
LETTER which, also, he had with him. and
which proved to be in the same handwrlt-
,n- AS the confession. In speaking of the
curious manner in which this document