The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1877-04-03
A woMAN'S VOW.
ALAwYER's STORY.
CoNcLuDEp.


the murder appeared to me two events
connected only by the accident of occur
renee on the same day. Now there was
but one mystery to solve.
Whatever success l have had in my
practice has been due to my habit of
basing my theories upon the known
character of the parties implicated, and
not upon more palpable accidental cir
cumstances. Left to myself now, 1
speedily resolved this case into few
suppostions, positive to me as facts.
The girl had been present at the murder.
She was net naturally reticent; was in
stead an exceptionally conflding, oredu-
lous woman. Her motive for silence,
therefore, must have been force brought
to bear on her at the time of the murder
stronger than her love for Merrick, and
which was still existing and active. Her
refusal to meet her lover L readily inter-
preted to be fear of her own weakness
dread lest she should betray this secret
to him. Might not her refusal to marry
him be caused by the same fear some
crushing disgrace or misery which
threatened her through the murder, and
which she feared to bring upon her hus-
band 7 The motive / had guessed to be
strong as her love; what if it were her
loveY Having stepped from surmise to
surmise SO far, paused to strengthen
my position by the facts. There were
hut two ways in which this murder
could have prevented her marriage
through Merrick guilt or her own. His
innocence was proven; hers L did not
doubt after had again carefully studied
her face. Concealed guilt leaves its Sc
cret signature upon the mouth and eye
in lines never to be mistaken 10y man
who has once learned to read them.
Were there but these two ways2 There
was third, more probable than either
fear. AT the first presentation of this
key to the riddle the whole case mapped
itself out before me. The murderer had
sealed her lips by some threat. He was
still living, and she was in daily expec-
tation of meeting him. She had never
seen his face, but had reason to believe
him of her own class, this supposition
based on her quick, terrified inspection
of every mans face who approached
her.) Now what threat could have been
strong enough to keep weak girl silent
for years, and to separate her from her
lover on their wedding day. / knew
women well enough to say, none against
herself; the threat l believed hung over
Merrick's head, and would be fulfilled if
she betrayed the secret, or married him,
which, with Il weak, loving woman, was
equivalent, as any man would know, to
betrayal.
l cannot attempt to make the breaks
in this reasoning solid ground for my
readers; it was solid ground for me.
The next morning Bearsley met me
on leaving the breakfast table. He held
an open letter in his hand, and looked
annoyed and anxious.
8 Here's a note from Merrick. He
sailed week sooner than he expected
has left New York, and will be here to-
night, If had only put the case into
your hands earlier had hope that
you could clear the little girl. But it's
too late. She'll take flight as soon as
she hears he is coming. Scheffer saws
it's miserable, bloody muddle, and
that was wreng to stir it up"
81 do not agree with DR.. Scheffer," l
said quietly. 81 am going now to the
library. In half an hour send Miss
Waring to me-
You have not yet been presented to
herY"
'' So much the better. l wish her to
regard me as lawyer simply. State to
her as formally as you choose who am
and that l desire to see her on business. >
seated myself in the library; placed
pen and ink, and some legal-lookine
documents, selected at random, before
me. Red tape and the formal pomp o.
law constitute half its force with women
and men of >Louisa's calibre. / haC
hardly arranged myself and my materi
ais when the door slowly opened, anC
she entered. She wasalarmed, yet wary
TO see a naturally hearty, merry LITTLE
body subjected for years to this neryou.
strain, with tragic idea forced into ;
brain meant to be busted only with dress
cookery or babies, appeared to me pitt
ful thing.
f" Miss Waring?" reducing the ordi
nary courtesies to curt, grave nod. "B
seated, If you please" l turned owe