The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1876-01-29

punished with all the rigor of the law and
without any consideration of mercy, she
said, bitterly, with a meaning look at Guy
/ Halford.
! cit shall be DONE" the magistrate said.
"You need not be detained here; l shall
hold her for trial under heavy bonds, which
of course she cannot furnish, and she will
/ therefore be locked up"
81 am glad of that-a prison cell is her
! proper sphere" she added, as she and Guy
returned to her carriage. He handed her
in and was turning away, when she cried to
him, in surprise, "Why, Guy, of course
you mean to ride back with me?''
"Thank you, Miss Reynolds.' lie said,
politely but coldly, 81 have business that
will detain me-
! She fell back in the seat with gasp of
! dismay. What could it all mean? Why
this calling her Miss Reynolds, when he
knew how fond she was of "Anna" from
his lips Why this sudden independence,
when she had domineered over him SO long
and in so many ways, always finding her
will his law? Was there reason to fear that
she was losing her power over him; that
her severe treatment of the shop girl was
alternating any of his affection from her?
| The thought brought burst of wild tears
and of terror with it. She, of all persons,
alone knew of the months of anxious plan
ming and maneuvering it had cost her, the
admired and envied heiress, to catch brave,
| 81 Co., cl, bod
spurned a score of other offers that the
world would have called more brilliant, and
now, was she to lose him merely through
her spite at the shop girle Distracted
at the mere mention of it she reached to
| call the driver and instruct him to drive
her back to the police court that she might
withdraw the charge of theft against the
| girl, and in the hope of meeting Guy on
the way. But no; on second thought she
| felt she could not do this; she could not
humliate herself SO, even were it doing an
act of justice to another.
"Guy will call as usual this evening""
she murmured to herself; "he is too greatly
under my control to remain away" and
with this belief she dismissed her fears.
| And while she rode home ward, and for
| long hours after, the accused girl sat cow
ering and shivering on a seat in the police
court, surrounded by filthy, blasphemous
victims of crime, and stared at and cruelty
| ioked about by the curious and vicious. The |
magistrate called up and passed upon one
case after another until the list exhausted;
he lounged and gossiped, drank and smoked,
cracked jokes and uttered tremendous oaths
with every hummer, politician, and crimi |
nal that happened near, and, at last, when
it was impossible to avoid it longer, he took
notice of the shrinking, weeping girl.
| 1t was not necessary, he said, to open
any inquiry into the charge against her
He was sorry that he could not pass SEN
tence on her, instead merely of binding
her over to appear, as he was satisfied she
deserved the severest rigors of the law
| He would hold her over in So, 900 of bonds,
and as, of course, she could not furnish
such bonds, he would order her locked up
at once.
| Mingled with the hopeless cry of the poor
girl on hearing this, came firm voice from
an obscure corner of the room, where, dur
ing all these hours, man sat almost move
| less, with newspaper held before his face.
81 will qualify as bondsman in So 000
or ten times that amount, if required"
The accused girl, the magistrate, and the
other listeners in the court room turned
their gaze in amazement towards the cor
ner. Guy Halford stepped forth.
"Mr. Halford,' the magistrate exclaim-
ed, recognizing him, certainly you do not
wish to interfere in this creatures behalf
She undoubtedly is a hardened thief and
criminal
"Your duties, sir, are not to pass final
Judgment" uttered the other, in a tone
that convinced the magistrate he was not to
be trifled with. "Any man, yourself in
cluded, who dares, from this moment, to
cast an aspersion upon this poor girls hon.
esty and worthiness. until it has been
proven in court of justice, will do it at
his PERIL
The magistrate, realizing that in his ardor
to secure Miss Reynolds appreciation, he
had overstepped the bounds of his duties,
and quite humbled now, hastily prepared
the necessary papers, which Guy Halford
signed. A minute after, Guy and the &C
cused girl, quite overcome with the terrible
ordeal, were being driven to the latters
home. He saw her struggle to express in
words her deep gratitude to him; but they
choked her, and, grasping his hand before
| ho I;,po Nov cho
dozen kisses on it.
He tried to soothe her during the ride, by
assuring her of his own conviction of her
innocence, and by reminding her that the
evidence against her was only circumstan-
tial, not positive. He believed the missing
ring would be found, and promised to pro-
coed to Burt s. Bonds and have careful
search instituted for it. AS she rested back
against the cushions, unable to express her
thanks, except by such CLEANS of worship
out of her eyes as to set his pulse beating
in way it had never done before under
woman's glances, he thought this shop girl,
Allie Linton, very lovely and very innocent.
The carriage stopped before a very hum
BILE tenement, and he supported her totter-
ing steps into it. A kind faced old lady
met them with a cry of alarm upon her
lips, but he explained nothing until he saw
the girl comfortably resting in sparsely-
furnished but remarkably neat and cleany
room. Then, quietly drawing the old lady
into another apartment, he told her all that
had happened to her daughter; but in such
cheerful and hopeful manner, that when
he left her. under promise to return again
that evening, she was almost happy in the
belief that the innocence of her daughter
would soon be established.
On leaving this humble home Guy Hal
ford at once proceeded to Burt & Bonds,
and, by offering handsome reward to any
one who would find the missing ring, had
thorough search made. 1t was unavailing,