Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1870-06-17

struck with surprise and wonder, for his
features writhed as If in torture-torture
that his rain of tears could not assua age.
But what could be the cause of this sudden
emotion? Could any connection exist be-
tween hipi, the apparently rude hunter,
and that fairy girl, more beautiful than a
blossom of summer, and in countenance
celestial as a star?
The judge turned to the prisoner-"Em-
ma Grceneaf, the court has been informed
that your counsel, Col. Linton, is sick and
cannot attend. Have you employed any
othcr2
She answered in Il voice sweet rs the
voice of nightingale, and clear as the
song of the skylark-"My enemies have
brbed all the lawyers, even my own to be
sick but God will defend the innocentv'
At this response, so touching in its sim
pie pathos, portion of the audience buz-
zcd applause and the rest wept. on the in
stant, however, the leather-robed stranger,
whose aspect had previously excited so
much merriment, approached the prisoner,
and whispered something in her ear. She
bounded several inches from the floor, ut
tered a wild shrek, and then stood pale
and trembling as if in the presence of a
| ghost from the grave. All, now, could
| perceive that there must be some mysteri-
Gus connection between the two AMI the
scene assumed the profound interest of n
genuine romance. The stranger addressed
the court in accents as sonorous as the tone
of an organ-"May it please your honor,
will defend the legal rights of the lady"
"What r. exclaimed the astonishcd judge,
"are you licensed attorney?"
"The question is immaterial and irreve-
lant," replied the stranger with sncer, "as
your statute entities any person TO act as
counsel at the request of party
"But docs the prisoner request t?' asked
the judge.
"Let her speak fol herself said the
stranger.
II do" was her answer as long drawn
sigh escaped that seemed to rend her very
heart-strngs.
"What is your name, as it must be placed
on record ?" interrogated the judge.
civilian Denton" said the stranger.
Tho case Immediately progressed. We
| will briefly epitomise the substance of the
evidence. About twelve months previous
| ly the defendant had arrived in the town
| and opened an establishment Of millinery.
Residing in n small room back of her shop,
and all alone, she prepared the various ar
ticles of her trade with unwearied toll and
consummate taste. Her habits were Sc
cluded, modest and retiring; and hence
she might have hoped to escape notoriety,
but for the perilous gift of that extraor-
dinary beauty, which too often, and to the
poor and friendless, proves curse. She
was soon sought after by those gay fire.
flies of fashion, the business of whose life
is everywhere seduction and ruin. But
the beautiful stranger rejected them all
alike with unutterable scorn and loathing.
Among these disappointed admirers was
one of a character from which the fair mil
liner had everything to fear. Hiram Shore
belonged to a family at once opulent, influ-
/ cntial, and dissipatod. He was himself Ii
centious, brave, and revengeful, and du-
cllist of established and terrible fame. 1t
was generally known that he had made adj
vances to win the favor of the lovely En-
ma, and had shared the fate of all her other
wooers-a disdainiul repulse.
At nine o'clock on Christmas night. 1888,
the people Of Little Rock were startled by
loud scream, as of some one in mortal
terror; while following that, with hardly
an interval, came successive reports of fire
arms-one, two, three-a dozen deafenng
explosions. They flew to the shop of the
/ milliner, whence the sounds emanated, and
! pushed back the unfastened door. A
dreadful scene was presented. There she
stood in the centre of the room, with a re-
vOlver in each hand, every barrel discharg-
| ed, her features pale, her eyes flashing wild
| ly, and her lips parted with an awful smile!
And there at her feet, we ltering in his
blood, his bosom literally riddled with shot
lay the all-dreaded duellist, Hiram Shore,
gasping in the last agony. He articulated
but single sentence-"Tell my mother
that am dead and gone TO h-ll r. and in
stantly expired.
"In Gods name, who did this ?" eXclaim-
ed the appalled, spectators.
81 did ii - said the millner in her sweet
silvery accents 81 did it to save my hon
or"
Such is a brief abstract of the essential
circumstances, developed in the examina-
ton of witnesses. The testimony closed
and the pleadings began.
First of all, Fowler, Pike and Ashley
(all famous lawyers at that time in the
sOutbwesD spoke in succession for the pros
ecution. They about equally partitioned
their eloouence between the prisoner and
her odvocote covering the latter with sucb
sar castle wit, railIery, and ridicule as made
it matter of doubt whether he or his eli
ent was the party then on trial. Asto Den
ton. however. he seemed TO nav not the
slightest attention TO his opponents. but re-
NAMED motionless. with his forehead bow
ed on his hands. like one buried in deem
thougbt or in slumber
When his timo came bowevor he sud-
denly spranp to his feet. crossed the bar.
and took position almost touching the
| fnron,on of tl,o iurv uo Than oor,r,orood