The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-04-14
Circumstantial Evidence.

81 suppose can prefer the gentleman |
like best" said Virginia Wilde, laughing.
"And will not be pereecuted by Adrisn
Harwood's attentions any longer :"
"Poor, dear creature!" said old Miss
Pocklington, taking off her spectacles and
polishing them, as If she meant to wipe
through the glasse, entirely "shc hain't
heard :"
"Heard what? said Virginia, still intent
on her stitching.
''How should she?" interposed Mrs. Ia.
per, "she only came back from Boston last
night, and it's a full fortnight since it hap
pened."
"Since what happened ?" questioned Vir-
ginia. at last looking up, with the crimson
banners of suspense fluttering on her checks
and restless fevered light in her eyes.
"You are talking in riddles: l don't COM
prehend you In the least
"Adrian Harwood Is dead" croaked Miss
Pocklington.
Dead" vaguely repeated Virginia. "Do
you mean-deddF'
Murdered :" said Miss Pocklington, with
smack of her lips, as If, ghoul-like, she
enjoyed the evil idings.
But she did not Miss Pock !ington was
good, christian woman in her way, only
she was carried away sometimes by the in
tense flavor of gossip.
Virginia dropped her work, and turned
as pale as death itself.
'Ah, you may well shiver !" cried Mrs.
Taper, eager to have her finger in the con-
versatioral pie. "And it was Charlie Ark
wright that murdered him-so there, now.
Down in a hollow, by the river bank, just
where they moored their boats, last sum-
mer; and the remains were found hidden
away in the Gypsy's cave, close by, tied up
in bag Folks are dreadful sorry for Char
lie, but-dear heart alive / declare if she
haint tainted !"
"People do say that she thought heap
of Charlie Arkwright," said Miss Pockling-
ton, feeling IN her dress pocket for cam
ginia Wide's the proudest. This'll be a
dreadful humiliation to her, to be sure.
Open the window just little bit. There,
she'll be all right in minute now"
Poor Virginia Floating slowly back into
the region of life, she felt horrible weight
pressing down her heart, as with ton of
ice.
Adrian Harwood lying in bloody grave,
consigned thither by the Cain-like hand of
tho man she had taught herself to love best
in the world. Could it be true? Or was
it portion of the hideous dream-phantas-
magoria that seemed eddYing and circling
around her brain with endless repetition
She had gone away from Rivershield in
the full, bright happiness of eighteen; she
came back TO the consciousness of this hor-
rible tragedy lying like scarlet stain across
the horizon of her life.
"You'il give him up, of course, said Mrs.
Wilde to her daughter.
"Give him up. mamma? Why ~
And Virginia fixed her large, serious eyes
gravely on her mothers face.
81 SHOULD think the reason was sufficient
ly apparent" said Mrs. Wilde, slightly
drawing herself up. General Ponsoby
Wildes daughter is hardly the person to
allow herself to be interested in man
who is likely to be convicted as a-mur-
Gerer."
Mamma" said Virginia, "Charles Ark
wright never did that deed"
".Circumstantial evidence is strongly
against him, my love"
"But he denies it, protested Virginia
"a man may make almost any assertion
to save himself from the Rallows, Virginia.
And those wretched remains-do they bear
no hlood-stsined testimony"
"They are accounted for easily enough,
mamma" said Virginia. speaking hurriedly
and with an effort. .'It--it was subject
for dissection which Adrian and Charley
had brought down in box from the Gates
ley Hospital. They were surprised before
they could land at Arkwright court. They
were obliged TO hide it as well as they could,
from the men who were out spearing sal
mon, at night. They intended to return for
IL in day or two, but"
l. 10 l. fxnla s,.NA NnI
Mrs. Wilde with an impatient movement of
up by everybody and anybody. The ques-
tion on which Arkwright's life hinges !:
Where is ADRIAN Hdrao0OdP"
81 don't know, mamma" the girl answer
ed "I pretend to no second sight. can
know is, that Charles Arkwright never
committed that murder-no never"
And to this Virginia Wilde clung alike
through evil report and good.
OF course Charles Arkwright was not
convicted. The day Is past when mere cir
cumstantial evidence can rivet the hang
mans moose around mans neck.
The mere tact that he and Harwood had
been heard quarreling violently 10 the river
cove, that afternoon, and that Harwood
had never been seen from that time to this,
was not enough to justify verdict of
Guilty"
The additional link of evidence, supplied
by the ghastly remains discovered ten days
afterward In the cleft OF the rocks called
the "Gypsy's Cave, was not enough. They
were past Identification although everybody
believed them to be the remains of the muir
dered man, the law stood inapartially aloof;
and SO, after weary formula of legal min
utl@ and delays past reckoning, Mr.. Ark
wright was acquitted and released once
more from his prison dungeon.
How strange it seemed, TO be free to 60
and come whittier he would-to regulate
his own occupation and escape from the
incubus OF those four broodlng walls? But
how stranger far the altered mien of those
who had once called him their friend
His old medical perceptor turned frigid-
ly down street corner TO avoid meeting
him--a knot of careless young students,
nnnninor tnwa Al GasaaIaxf hoanttaI unddanIx,