The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1868-05-07
PROVING AN AILBI.
PART II.

CONCLUDED FROM LAST wEEK.)
It was at Niagara that Flora first
heard Of Anthony's murder and Of Char
lies arrest. For three weeks she had
been jou.neying through Canada, and
during that time she had received
scarcely any letters, and had seen real.
ly no papers that would contain anv
mention of the affair All this happen
ed before the war, when daily news was
by no means so important as now, 80
that although she might at Quebec or
elsewhere on her trip have obtained the
New York papers, it had never seemed
to her as worth while. When they
reached Niagara, however, her first in-
quiry was for letters, as it seemed to
her very long since she had heard from
her little girl. Several we're handed to
her, but the first one opened Was that
from her mother. Her little one was
we'll; and after giving her this assur-
ance, Mrs. Leroy went on to tell her
daughter the gossip Of the day, fore
most among which was the recent
news that Charlie Wentworth was CON-
mitted for trial.
"You must have been very much
shocked to hear of Mr.. Anthony's mur-
DER" her mother wrote, "who would
have thought that Charlie Wentworth
would have been capable of such an act
But the evidence against him seems to
be overwhelming; and I seeby to-day's
PAPER that the grand jury have found
true bill against him, and he is commit
ted for trial at Scudport, in September"
As Flora read, the words seem to
reel and dazzle before her. All these
weeks she had been thinking of Char
lie. Night and day the remembrance
of his tender words, his chivalrous de-
votion bad haunted her, and long be-
fore this she had learned the secret of
her own heart, and knew why it was
that she had looked forward with such
delight to returning to the city and
seeing him oAce again. And now he
was not there; he was no longer free
to come and go as he chose, to meet
her as an honorable man bearing an hon.
orable name, but crushed down under a
weight Of infamy. a prisoner under this
horrible accusation of murder! From
the few words in her mothers letter
she had no clue to when all this might
have happened, and for one awful mo-
ment her brain reeled as she thought
that it might perhaps be true that he
had committed this crime, but then it
seemed as if she could see those fear
less blue eyes looking into hers, and she
blushed with indignation at herself for
supposing that that open brow could
bear the mark of Cain. If she had low
ed him before, she loved h,m ten thou
sand times more now, with the instinct
of true woman's heart; he was alone,
sad and suffering, while she was far
away. "Oh, my love-" fhe murmured
to herself, Ito think that he is in prison
and have not the right to comfort
him!'
For few moments she was almost
stupi6ed with grief; then on sudden,
>he reused herself with the thought
that perhaps if she knew all the cir
cumstances of the murder she might
suggest some proof Of innocence that no
one had yet thought Of, and without los
ing a moment, she hurried out Of her
rom in search Of Mr.. Jackson, who was
the elderly gentleman Of the party: She
could not find him till she had rang the
bell in the parlor, and sent waiter in
search of him, then it seemed to be an
age before nc appeared. When he did
come in he was inexprcssibly shocked
at Flora's changed appearance and
frishtful pallor.
"Good heavens Mrs. Tcmpleton,"
he exclaimed, "what has happened ?"
Flora had never reflected on what
might be inferred from her interes: in
this matter, but she cared little enough
just now for appearances or convention.
alitics. J.. :"
: II have letter from my MOTHER"
she said, in a voice which was painful
ly hoarso, sand in it she says that-Mr.
Wentworth has been arrested for the
the" she could not utter the next
word. ~ ;. g..
i II know, ( know" said MIR. Jack.
son, "for the murder Of Simon Antho.
ny; horrible affair surely, and I new
.,l l A. .l. ~ ,:. vxy..x