The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1868-05-07

tor the last passage on file she found
the date---"The seventh :; the month
then came in q: on Wednesday. Great
heavens! the trial is tomorrow ~ sba
started to her feet with an actual crv Of
anguish as she made this discovery.
Tomorrow and I am Eve hundred
miles away y"
For one moment she was actually
stupe6cd With horror. "To-morrow !!
oh, my love! my love! if l should be
too late to save youv'' And then with
sudden resolution Flora reused herself
to the necessity Of Immediate action,
and faced the duties Of the hour with
that courage and resolution which were
two Of her noblest qualities.
In few moments she vas III the par
lor again, and had sent for Mr.. Jackson
once more. They had reached Niagara
just at dusk, and now, US Flora stood
waiting impatieutly for the appearance
OF the kind old gentleman who was, as
it were, the head Of the gay party Of
friends, she noted that it was quite dark
outside, and just before he came in the
walters began to light the gas. This
time Flora was little more composed
than before. She knew the worst, and
saw plainly what must be her line of
conduct, and she felt courage and
hope in the very fact action was posi-
ble.;. -
"Ah! Mrs. Templeton, ready for tea
alreadyr'' MI. Jackson said as he came
forward. .+ = 20 :
| >"No-that is, I had not thought Of
tea" replied Flora. "Mr. jackson, 1
sent for you to soy that I must leave
here at once" T.
"Leave here!-what, to night ?" ex-
claimed Mr.. Jackson in blank astonish-
ment. =" -, = -: +:
eyes, in the first train that will take
me east, whenever that goes"
"There is one at nine O'Clock, but
dear me, you can't 60 at night and
alone" g!
"Yes I can and must" replied Flora.
-'1t is matter Of life and death"
"Bless my soul, Mrs. Templeton -
this is very sudden" said,Mr. Jackson,
dropping into chair. 81 hope it is no
bad news about your mother or child"
"No; they are very we'll indeed,
Mr. Jackson. I owe it to you for your
constant kindness to me, to give you
my reason. must go to Southport with
all the speed that is possible, for I can
prove that Mr.. Wentworth is innocent"
"You, Mrs. Templetonv'
eyes. If you have read the details of
the examination before the grand jury,
you have seen that Mr.. Anthony must
have been murdered before one o'clock
at night. Now, Mr.. Wentworth was
with me until that time" And Flora
could not rcpress blush as sho uttorod
the words. . -,
"There, there! Well, I'm delighted
to think he is innocent. But, Mrs.
Templeton, why should you trouble
yourself to make this journey? Of
course there were other people who
knew where he was that night"
"No, Mr.. jackson; We were alone
together" And the good old gentle
man avertcd his eyes with a look of
pain, as he noted the deep crimson that
dyed Flora's cheeks as she made this
confession.
Flora caught the expression and hur-
ried to an explanation.
1--WE were out sailing, and the wind
died down. Mr.. Jackson, you know
me we'll enough to have confidence in
me, am sure. We were uuavoidably
detained out until that hour, and since
the time that he was arrested he has re-
fused to tell where ho spent that fatal
evening, for fear Of compromising me.
He has been willing to die horrible
death, under false accusation, rather
than to cause. me moments embarrass-
ment."
T.: "He's a. brave fellow!" cried Mr..
jackson, springiug up, 'aud you're a
noble woman, Mrs. Templeton."
=. "You2 know itsall now, NJ Jackson.
The trial is fixed for tomorrow, and,
with the utmost speed of travelling, I
may come too late. Oh what must he
have thought Of me, that have never
come before! To think that L have
been away enjoying myself, while he
has been suffering all this shame, when
a word from me would have saved him!'
"But you will save him yet,' said
Mrs. Tompletou-sou will save him
yet" said Mr.. Jackson kindly. Il see
now the necessity for your immediate
departure, aud will not oppose it; 81
more than that, I will 60 with you
as far az New York"
This kind offer Flora would have op-
posed. She knew that Mrs. Jackson
was very much Of an invalid, aud ex-
ceedingly dependent on her husband,
but the kind old gentleman would not
hear to any other arrangement, more
than that he undertook to shield Flora
from all remark. The party Of friends
were to be informed simply that she
had received bad news, which obliged
her to leave at once, and her departure