The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1875-06-09
CHAPTER VIII.
HOW ROBSON CAME BY THE RING.

With the conviction Of Sybil Derwent's
guilt growing upon him more and more,
Charles Malcolm hid her note as Mr.. Cay
son came bustling up TO him, full of i'm.
portont and gossipins details. Two or
three trivial cases had to he disposed Of
before the young man Robson was examined
The solicitor talked on, and the buzz Of
whispering voices, or the sharp queries Of
the sitting magistrates, broke the silence
enforced by the ushers; but Malcolm heed
ed nothing that passed around him. He
was absorbed in q mental review of the in
creasing perplexities that harassed him.
Walters request which he had-perhaps too
hastily-acceptcd as sacred trust, forced
him to use his best endeavors to discover in
what way the young man was deprived Of
his brief existence; and his own stern sense
Of justice likewise impelled him to trace and
punish the murderer.
But now that he lad every reason to be-
lieve that woman had committed the
crimc-a woman, too, whom he had once re-
garded as the incarnation of his faircst
dreams, he was sickencl and affrighted at
the magnitude OF his task.
Before he could bring himself to denounce
Sybil, or even hint to another that he be-
lievcd her guilty, he had to overcome the
dormant tenderness he still cherished for
her. He had to sub,ue the compassion
which continually Whispered, "Lct her go.
If punishment must bc hers, Let not your
hand-the hand that once caresscd her-bc
the one to DEALT. If she mast lie dcnouncc |,
10 not let it be thy lips that once kissed
hers so foudly." Oh, it was Il matdcning
struggle between his sense of the duty that
had dcvo!vcd upon him aud his anguish as
he pictured Sybil pri&onc~-Sybl brought
before q judge, with hundreds OF pitilcss
eyes gI,rin5 ut hor beautiful faca-Sybn
universally condemned as Inurdcress.
His strength began to fail, his checks to
grow aunlicn and hlGGlrd, IS the hours that
went BY were continually tilIcd with these
tormcnting visions. The very sympathy
men bestowed upon him, as they saw him
apparently absorbed in the deepest grief for
Walters death, tortured him.
"Instrad Of compassionating, they would
despise me-" he told himself, "if they knew
how weak, how wavering | am; and all be-
cause q bad woman is beautiful, and cam
not forget that her glorious orbs have once
locked tenGerly upon me.''
IL started, rs if from @ dream, when
Richard Robson was brought in and placed
in the dock. Involilniarily his fingers
sought for Sybl's note, and he recalled its
cont 'nts: "This young man is innocent, and
n,vst &c sdrcd." Why had she made this
appeal to him? Did she not know that he
vas powerlcss to affect the rescue Of the
prisoner, excepting By producing her mis-
sirc, acknowledging from whom it came, and
his own conviction that she had done the
deed Of which another WAS suspected.
Then lis Scottish characteristics. patience
md caution, camc to his aid. He would
wait and see how things went. Tie young.
man was undoubtedly in possession Of a.
ring that had been Walters. Let him ac-
count for this, and save himself.
Richard Robson was an understood,
rather sullem-looking young man; and audi
bic whispers went round among the by
ISLANDERS that be had 4 guilty look. He re-
paid these comments with defiant frowns,
and then pushing the hair back that had
fallen over his forehead, rcsolutely bent his
attention upon the magistrate. But it was
plain that he heard the low sob that broke
from young girl, who, by dint of great
perseverance, had contrive to get near the
dock, and was watching Robson with affec-
tionate solicitude. Here was one, at all
events, who either believed him innocent, or
was too folldly interested in him to forsake
him in his mistortunes.
When A1illiccnt Vyner's name was called,
graceful figure, in simple but tasteful
mourning, stepped into the witness-bo1.
Charles Malcolm, who had only seen the
young girl once, and that, when her coun-
tenance was pale and distorted with the
fright and pain of an accident, was astonish-
ed at the sweetness AMI intelligence Of her
features, She had been we'll educated, and
had moved in a respectable circle, until the
failure Of a bank broke her fathers heart,
and reduced her surviving parent to ex-
trcme poverty. But not all the privations
and tolls she had encountered since, had
destroyed her natural refinement. There
was spirit as well rs sense in her bright
hazel eyes, and in the corners Of her we'll
curved mouth; and Malcolm, as he sazed at
her, could 10 longer wonder that Walters
had found attractions i'll her which to his
volatile nature had been irrestible.
She went through the trying ordeal of
her examination with laly-like composure.
Several times she glanced pityingly at the
prisoner, whom, it ap peared from her rcluc-
tant admissions, had been for some time an
unsuccessful suitor for her hand. Her lip
quivercd when she had to speak of Walters,
whose ring she acknowledged this to have
been, but she denied ever having had it in
her possession, nor could she account in any
way Tor its being i'll Richard Eobson's.
The young man himself-in spite Of an
implomns look and urgent whisper from the
girl, who had staggered up to the dock.
dog ,cdly refused 10 say how lie came by it.
" hen first arrested, he mad declared that
it WIS yivcn to ii!n, bu. by whom he would
not confess. As no evidence was forthcom-
ing to prove at what time he left Dcrwcnt
Lodge, or where he went afterwards, he was
ultimately remanded But it had been
elected in the course Of the examination,
that his threats against Robert Walters had
been many and bitter; and that he had
obtained the job OF waiting ut the fancy
ball, for the ayowed purpose of finding an
opportunity Of annoying or insulting that
gentleman.
The magistrate Was going to cross-ex-
anime one of MI. Dtrwu,it's servants, who
swore to this, but he Was Interrupted by the
prisoner, who cried, recklessly, It's quite
true-I don't attempt to deny it. Mr.
Walters" he added, with 4 rcscItGul glance
at Millicent, "was one OF your fine gentle
men that make nothing Of filling girls ears
with lattcry, and making her turn up her
nose at the honest man that would have
made her decent home. hated him, and
don't care who knows it; but [ am no
murderer, f6fzta that"
1t was evident that the public feeling was
against Robson; and is Charles Malcolm
slowly wcndcl his way from the court, he
hcard many predictions uttered OF the issue
of tue aii;s.r "Ilc'll Lc committed for trial
depend upon it! cried one bnstIinS little
j.. Ii, who did uot perceive that both Aiilli-