Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1869-01-15

CutlOu III not producing IL ndu, III MS
opinion, failed to make out a sufficient case
to go to the jury, and that he must there.
fore direct verdict for the acquittal OF
the prisoners. They were as much aston
ished and 'oyerpowered as myself by the
unexpected turn things had taken, and
with admirable celebrity disappeared from
the dock
Some four years afterward received a
very pressing invitation from my old e on
friend, Charlie Forester, asking me to
run down to his place in Devonshire, and
| spend few days there. Master Charlie,
| whose lines had fallen in exceedingly
pleasant places, and who at twenty-one
had come into very nice estate and some
| five thousand pounds annually, after tan
talizing all the marriageable girls in the
county by refusing to 60 to the balls and
croquet parties, with invitations for which
| he was pertinaciously pestered from morn
ing till, night, had finally taken himself
| abroad, no one knew whittier, and there
remained between four and five years.
When he returned home again he brought
a wife with him, proceeding on his part
which excited general discomfort and dis
appreciation But Charlie cared very
little what the county folks thought
| about him. He was passionately fond of
his wife, and consequently devoted to
home, while he occupied his time in
regulating the affairs of his estate, and
improving the breed of pigs. In short,
| he found within the limits of his park
| fence all the amusement and society he re-
quired . His attachment for his wife was
not surprising, for she was indeed a most
| lovely and charming woman, full of intel
ligence and good sense, and in every way
| fitted to preside over a household. When
she and Charlie first met at Pau, she was
the governess in an English family that
was staying there; the courtship lasted
| but few days; and one fine morning
they met by appointment, and walking to-
| gether to the church, were married be-
| fore breakfast. Violet Danvers had no
| idea of the position, pecuniary or other
WISE that attached to Charlie, but her life
had been full of troubles, and all she
knew was that he had been very kind and
good to her.
Friends and relations, she had nons,"
| she said and then, as she rested her head
against his breast and looked up into his
eyes, Charlie felt that Heaven had sent
her for him to love and cherish. He told
her of his past life, and his wanderings in
distant countries, and sought to engage her
confidence in return; but she always
seemed to avoid all reference to her own
past, and would hurriedly turn the CONVEX
sation into quite another channel. Charlie
was not of a suspicious nature and had
far too much love and confidence in his
wife to fancy that she was concealing any
thing from him.
And so Violet came to her new home
to the old home in which generations of
Forresters had lived and died.
1t was not so very long after they had
taken up their abode at "The Lions "that
Il received the invitation before alluded
to- and as the long vacation had already
commenced, and my pecuniary resources
were not in condition to stand trip
even to the seaside, thought the best
thing could do was to accept the hospi-
tality that my old frieni offered to me.
A few days more saw me comfortably in
stalled at "The Lions" thoroughly enjoy
ing the fresh air and strong exercise that
followed, in pleasing contrast to the heat
ed atmosphere of close courts and con-
tinuous sitting in dingy chambers I
foundtMr Forester most charming and
amusing companion, though I could not
help being struck by an air of constraint
and reserve that at times settled upon her.
A very brief acquaintance satisfied me
that there was some mystery attaching to
her which she dared not reveal.
One morning at breakfast, Charlie, after
reading letter he had just received by
the post, informed us that it was from an
old Paris friend of his whom he had met
| in his traveller days, and who, in pursu-
ance of a long-standing invitation, had
written to say that he proposed coming
on visit to "The Lions" and would,
without waiting for reply, put in an ap-
pearance that very evening, Charlie was
delighted at the prospect of seeing his old
acquaintance, and in the course of a walk
over the farm he informed me that the
name of the coming guest was Murray,
and that he was blessed with great deal
more ready wit than ready cash.
Though he is bit of an adventurer
in his way" said Charlie, he is a capital
fellow, and the best company in9the
world" Z = @.' ~
1t was very late when the expected
| guest arrived. Mrs. Forester had retired
to bed some time before. AS for Charlie
and myself, we kept the new conner COM
pany while he supped, and when he had
| fore him, it being already in the small
l
mously.e / was very sleepy, and beyond
uttering mere commonplace or two had
| taken little or no notice of the stranger; !;
| but when he came across the room and
held out his hand, which oddly enough
was encased in a hght-colored glove of
some sort to bid me goodnight, asI look
ed him full in the face, he seemed to start
for moment. Although his features
were hidden by heavy mustache and
huge beard, there was something about
them that appeared familiar to me- Where
on earth could have seen him before !?
| When got up stairs into my bedroom /
puzzled my brain with inquiries, but all
! in vain / CO lld connect the face with
| nothing, and nothing with the face, and
| with that / got angry with myself ana
| with. that went to sleep.
The next morning / awoke early, and
| feeling strong inclination for a walk be-
| fore breakfast, tumbled headlong into my
cold tub, and in very short time after
had completed my toilette" and was out
in glorious fresh air. An hours stroll
brought me back to the window of the
| breakfast-room, which opened into the
garden, and with the appetite of a tiger
was on the point of entering, when my
! step was arrested by the sound of Mrs.
Forrester's voice, tremulous with emotion,
exclaiming, "Say it is not truei for PHYS
sake, say it is not truer'
What could this mean? Being of a
curious turn-my conduct may have been
l,disgraceful, but hereafter l hope to stand
excused for it, moved into position