The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1870-05-04
TFron the New York Ledger
NIGHT AND MORNING.
A SIcfy Of CircumStantial Evidence.
BY sYLvANUs CoBB, JR.

"No, no, Old Boy-you must wait
over tomorrow, at least"
"But, my dear Tom, this, you
know, is the day l. had set for my re.
turn home. My visit has already been
long ouc.'
He called me "Old Boy" and I
called him "Ton," just as We had
dono in tho other years when we were
classmates and chums 1T college ana
when together we were boys still,
despite the telltalc strcaks of silver
which busy Time had drawn upon our
heads.
"But Tomorrow" pursued Tom,
"thc trial Of Fred Elston comes on
You remember his father 7"
Yes; I remembered Malcolm Eas-
ton very we'll lie had been in the
college with us--two years our senior
l bad heard Of his death few years
ago, and knew that he had left for
tune to his son an only child-Fred-
eric. And during this visi. I had
learned that the fortune had been
sGuandpred, and that Fred. was no y
in jail, awaiting his trial upon the
charge Of murder.
81 am his counsel" said Tom, "and
though believe him to be entirely
innocent, yet have not the sligh est
tenable ground for his defence. Eve
ry circumstance is against him and
the only testimony in his favor is his
own story. It may be only a painful
scene to you but yet the presence of
sympa,hizing frieuds will afford him
some slight qualification"
| concluded to wait, and attend the
trial and on tho following morning
l rode over to Perryvillc, where the
court was in session, with Tom Har-
low.
AT the hour for commencing the
trial tho courthouse was filled. BY
invitation Of my friend had scat
within the bar, where my opportuni-
ties Of observation we're of the best.
Among those who sat near to the pri-
soner were his widowed mother, and
one who had thought to become his
wife.
never saw q faircr, swccter face
than was that Of Edith Stewart; and
the almost deathly palor that had
blanched her lovely features, and the
prayerful, besceching light of her
violet eyes served to lend q supernal
touch to the picture. She had been
Frederic Easton's companion from
early youth, and had learned to lovo
him with the whole strength Of her
devoted heart and through all his
wildness and excess sho had clung to
him, seeming to love him more and
moro as others forsook him-only
dwelling upon the inborn noblenes5 Of
his nature, and trusting that beneath
the gentle influence Of love nc might
be finally won back to the true life.
Fred. Easton himself was O splen-
did looking fellow, of medium height;
in form as perfect as the Apollo Bel
videro with face of intellectual
beauty and grace eyes Of the deepest
blue; forehead broad and ample; with
glossy, clustering mass of nut-brown
hair. A long confinement in Jail had
suffered the marks Of dissipation to
be entirely oblitorated, and he stood
now o rarf""i typo Of manly beauty.
And a change had come over his life,
too, during those long and weary
weeks in prison.
81 tell you, my boy" said Tom to
me, elf Fred. gets clear of this,
will stake all | am worth upon the
manhood Of his future life. He will
60 forth into the world again better
and truer man than he ever was"
l looked upon tho prisoner and
then looked upon tho weeping moth
er; and then looked upon the pale,
beautiful face of her who could not
weep, and | prayed God that Joy and
peace might be theirs. 1
This was tho story Of the case, as
it'appcared in evidence
For several years Frederic ,Easton
now four-aud.twenty-had been
very dissipated, and during that time
he had squandered fortune of many
thousand dollars. The wine.oup had
been his first pitfall. Then came the
tavern, the olub-room, and stronger
drink; and ere long the demon Of the
gambling.tablc possessed him. After
this his fall had bocE rapid. Among