The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-09-22

J it? and could l ever have DelleVeu
should sit here and calmly tell OF 1t
those who were not born? They ha
grsppled; Ralph was killed. his eide
brother was found red-handed Vine
Mark came home from his ramhIe, III
officers were carrying that brother
prison. He never opened his lips cor
corning it from that day" said DIR
Dslrymple, with q sob in her voice. "H
employed no lawyer, although the cou!
appointed one; he refused to plead guilt
or not guilty. l will hurry. de wa
sentenced to death; his sentence was cen
muted to lmprison ment tor life. As to
me, | would not believe 1t, never bt
lieved it"
"Never2" said Mr.. Stephen, hoarsely
NEVER. sent Mark to procure III
adm ission to the prison. he came bsc
saving 1t WAS refused. | wrote; Mar
brought me back the letter unopened
His brother, he said, would have n
further communication with US. A
length, as il worn out with lmportuni
ty, Mark exscted OF me pledge o
secrecy. There was no need! There wa
/ no need! He told me that with his owl
eyes he had seen the blow struck, ant
had gotten away that he might not b.
used rs evidence. But did not beiev,
| it then. | gathered sl my ready money
l went to the prison and gave it TO th'
keeper, in my ignorance thinking i
necessary. 1t was the day of the sentence
| was taken TO the Gel! and left HI
stood up hurriedly to meet me. 81
changed! so changed White as death
but his great eyes burniug-ahd ne hec
out his arms to me. L waited on,
moment, one fatal moment, one fatal me-
ment. Tell me first cried-'ob, JUS
say yourself that you are lnRocentv his
arms fell. You, tooP ne said, and ne
folded his arms upon his breast, III stood
there, his head fallen, surveying me from
under his eyebrows 'Yoa tool Oh,
don't know what there was IN the words
but fell upon the flooring, tsinting dead
away, and l never saw HIM again. No
thing made any difference TO me then.
Mark was very tender to me In those
DAYS. | telt IA if he ought to hate the
sight of me. 1t was five years before
married him | never loved him; bul
he WAS nearer than any one else. L should
never have married him but tor messages
of something little short of hatred that
he brought me from the prison. "Why
do tell you al this, my dearY she SAID,
suddenly stopping. "And Mr.. Stephen
to,2 Only, perhaps, because you are ii
part OF my life now-you ana he-snG
TINS lie is as real TO me now rs that.
That2 No, that is n dream: as the dying
do not weep, so the old do not suffer in
relieving the past. 1t is no longer my
story; there Is no sacred secrecy about
it; it is the story OF that young girl OF
whom l spoke to you. Well-to 90 on.
Perhaps 1t was because he knew l did
love him; perhaps he wesried of me-
perhaps to see me only recalled to HIM
his crime. We've were not happy TO
gether. We lived long life of wretch
edness. Yet being his wife, l tried
YES, l .ried-never to fail in my duty
| bore with him. | nursed him faith,
fully in those final years OF nervous i'll.
ness that wore HIM to his death and
nearly ruined me. 1t was the last day
that, pillowed in his bed, his ghastly face
like death terminated, he told me his
secret. All his life he had lived in
luxury; his table had been sumptuous
with meats and wines; his horses had
been feet; his bed had been Of down; he
had married the woman ne loved; he had
wealth. freedom, all mems honor. "Hls
brother" she said, again with that dry
sob, "hsd sprison cot, prison fare, solitude,
labor, chains, all mems contumely and
contempt; yet, OF the two, his brother
lot had been the best; he had lain on
roses where Mark had lain on red hot
Goals. Let griet and loss and want have
been his-he had the proud inward
consciousness OK Innocence. For 1t WAS
Mark who WAS the felon, who was the
murderer II WAS my husband who had
killed Ralph His elder brother, in that
great love of his, had taken allth burden,
and Mark had let him do it" Mrs
Dalrymple was silent again, and we did
not disturb her. "Oh, 1t WAS hard 10
forgive himp she cried. "Have | for
given hlm2 l do not know. But with
what mad haste | wrote out the state
ment, called tor witnesses, read 1t TO him
before them, made him sign 1t with his
diving handl Was it cruel? On, he had
been douoly cruel! The pen dropped
from his fingers with the last faint stroke.
bent and kissed him then, and took his
head on my breast. He looked up in
nv face with such relief in his tortured
eyes-and then he Was dead. l published
that statement up and down. | went 10
the prison TO tell his brother, and TO
make preparation for his freedom; tor
although we were both SO old-sixtY sad
wears had we seen ut least-there was
time vet for u little happiness in the
bitter world. He had been psrdoned
two wears before. and had been gone no
one knew whittier. When hope is dead,
YOU live a dull, colorless lite; but when
hope has been up-itted or ly to be de.
stroved- that is ruin. But one is
old, one outlives everything. SO | came
over here among my mothers people, a
thousand miles from the place l had
known all my days. left all his fortune
untouched; brought o. " my own. The
house goes to pieces, the gardens are
overgrown, the place is haunted by ITS
sorrows. But here 1 found happiness;
here found you, my children; here
found pleasant neighbors, and you, Mr..
Stephen. My heart is satisfied. | have
no wants. These last years are full OF
peace"
Are full of peace" said Mr.. Stephen,
The wind blew q shutter open; broad
lull moon. beam came IN and OverIald
HIM as he sat bolt-upright IN his chair
his face as white as cerecloth.
"Ycu look ike ghost, Mr.. stephen,
said l.
Il am q ghost" he cried -"the ghost
of dead happiness Margaret he
cried, half rising, "hss it never crossed
your mind that l am here?'
AFFAIRS OFTHE STATE.
THE Keyser Echo tells this good one;