The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1874-02-03

You do wrong to trihe with me thus"
I" / am not trihing with you, my child.
Young Chester is really in jail for having
murdered Lolowah, an Indian interpreter
and messenger"
"And surely you do not believe him
guilty of such crime," uttered the young
| girl, without moments hesitation. "'You
cannot believe that he murdered the mes
senger."
Sir Oliver gazed a moment into his
child's face, and it was not without feel
ing of pride that he saw the proud flashing
of her eyes and as he dwelt upon their con-
scious beams he found his prejudice against
the young accused gradually dwindling
away but with fathers solicitude for the
welfare of his children, he wished the con-
nection between young Chester and Ada
sundered, and said
"The evidence is very strong against the
young man, and fear that he will be con-
vcted of the crime, and consequently you
cannot wonder that should wish you to
forget him."
"But this evidence-what is it, father,
and what arc the circumstances attending
the case ?" asked Ada, in an earnest tone,
but yet with such a confidence in Orlando's
innocence that she was almost calm.
"Mr. Berkeley related to me the circum-
stances. Lolowah was missed, and two
men were sent in quest of him, and these
men found young Chester in the very act
of burying the body Of the Indian, and he
was accordingly arrested and brought
down, and has been committed to answer
to the charge of murder"
"And does Orlando deny that lie killed
the Indian"
"No, he owns that he killed him, but he
says he done it in self-defence."
"Then said Ada, while a new light shone
from her eyes, 81 believe that he did.
Tell me, father, would you say that Orlan-
do murdered those three Indians whom he
shot to save my life p"
"of course not, my child but this case
is vastly different"
at is only different in that he saved his
own life, instead of saving mine. No, no,
father; though every tongue but his own
should tell me that he committed murder
I'd not believe them. When first you
spoke, the words struck upon my heart
with fearful sound, but now scarcely
heed the imputation. They cannot convict
him of the crime, for their own conscience
must tell them that he is innocent. Let
me know, let me feel that he is capable of
crime, and I'll cast his image from my
heart.
Sir Oliver Wimple gazed in surprise upon
his daughter, as she spoke; but he made
no reply, seeming rather to be pondering
upon the circumstance. Ada, too assum-
ed thoughtful mood, and after rejecting
several moments, she continued
"Tell me- father, do you not think there
is something strange in this affairP For
the last month there have been numerous
small parties of Indians committing dep
relations about us, and many of them have
been caught and punished and now a
young white man, who has always borne
an iTeproachable character, has slain one
of the red men, and, Notwithstanding his
explanation, he is charged with murder.
Is there not something strange in itP"
Ada" said her father, in his moderate,
calculating tone, ~ don't know but that
you are right. There is something curious
in this case-and now / think of it, Mr..
Berkeley seemed rather ill-tuned with re-
gard to the matter, and some Of his ans
wers were anything but satisfactory, though
the excitement of the circumstance pre-
vented me from noticing 1t then, as do
now"
During this time Lady Wimplc had ut
tered not word, seeming, as was usually
her way to wait until her husband had
fully explained his own views ere she ven-
tnred an opinion, and then she invariably
coincided with him. Now, however, the
case had arrived at point where she
thought she must speak, and she had al
ready formed her. words for utteranoo, when
she was suddenly cut short by the report
of rifle near the house, and utterine an
exclamation OF fear she sank back trem-
bling in her chair.
Ada was somewhat startled, too, by this
sudden report and she caught her fathers
arm while she bent her ear to hear what
sound might follow next Sir Oliver gently
laid his daughters hand from Off his arm,
and having seized bis hat, he started forth
to learn the cause Of the strange Interrupt
tion. The moon was shining brightly, and
and as the baronet stepped out Hpon the