Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1877-09-21

horses that slipped and stumbled through
the mire. Overhead the weather was
glorious; underfoot nothing could bemore
inglorious than the effect of the unsea-
sonable warmth. The contrasts that the
day assumed were mental as well as phys
ical. 1t was the sort of day that makes
labor irksome, that tempts vagrancy and
repudiates routine. M u
Frank Thurston, studious young law
yer, became unaccountably restless about
noon that day He left his companions
bending over their desks, and opening
the window of an outer office, one of two
or three usede specially for consultation,
he drew chair to the window and gazed
out. The opening was only upon court,
but break in height between opposite
buildings gave a generous space of sky.
Across this sky, tenderly blue as April's
own, floated few light clouds. Frank
Thurston's eye followed them; they were
in accord with the gentle balm of the
spring air that midwinter surreptitiously
breathed.
A faint knock at the door aroused
him. "Come in," he shouted, in no par
ticularly well. attuned voice.
A lady entered-a young lady richly
costumed velvet, dark fur, silk, dia-
moDds perhaps: such was the soft, dark
tinted, yet brilliant effect. A beautiful
girl with a face like April that is, II
April has laughing blue eyes and baby
roses" on the cheeks, pearly brow, and
tangle of gold brown hair and "a way
with her at once delicate and insinuating,
spirited yet shy, altogether fresh and
new and yet familiar as an old, old song.
Frank Thurston did not wait to make
this comparative analysis. He applied
himself instantly to courtesy and re.
spectful attention, and the young lady
told her errand.
"Is this Mr.. Thurston i? My father,
MIR. Rommelaine, is at home to-dAy; he
has taken a severe cold, and the doctor
says he must not go out of the house for
week. He has sent me in his place to
give you little note he would not
trust it to messenger or telegraph, 1t is
very important. You are to read it,
please, and send a verbal answer"
She gave him a letter inclosing another
letter. He read them carefully. She
watched him while he read.
"Do you know the particulars of this
case, Miss Rommelaine ?" he asked.
Yes; am the only one at home that
enters completely into my fathers feel
ings concerning it. have heard from
him all of its perplexities, | was with
him when the news came of the verdict
of guilty He has told me that twas
by your ingenuity and exertion that the
new trial has been ordered and delay
gained know, too, the contents of the
letter that you have now read, Dc
you think it encourages any reliable
hope ?" WH Et
IL do think So" Mr.. Thurston an
swered.
"I am so glad, so very glad. an
now on my way to see Mrs. Rommelaine
and my father said that, with your per-
mission, might tell her that a CLEAN OF
favorable evidence has at last reached
u.s."
Mr.. Thurston objected to this as pre-
mature, but promised a speedy investi
CATION of the new source of information
opened by letter sent in answer to for
eign advertisements made by Mr.. Rom
melaine, who had been indefatigable il
seeking the assurance of an innocence il
which, with stubborn unreasonableness
and in contradiction to much circumstan
tial evidence, he kept faith.
Are you walking this morning, Mis-
Rommelaine? asked Mr.. Thurston, al
his visitor was about to depart, t.A
yes, I am prepared for walk; bu
/ hardly realized when | started how we
the streets would be downtown" srs -s
Mr.. Thurston, with a strange flutter o.
anxiety lest he should be erefused, beggeC
to be allowed to accompany Miss Rom
melaine on her way, so far, at least, a.
the crossing of thoroughfares made tina
way difficult. She accepted readily.
And so it happened that Frank Thurs
ton, on that spring-like day of January
suddenly thrown into protective rela
ton toward a very lovely girl, founC
himself presently in something of tn,
condition of Marius when "the waite
went through his boots, and the star
went through his soul" i'9'- 81.
Conversation was simple enough. l
related exclusively to the case in whicl
Mr.. Thurston's senior partner had beeI
engaged as counsel and in preparin,
whose evidence he had himself takel
most active part. ta 70f.-
THE wife is so young and so amia
ble," said Miss Rommelaine. She wa
a governess brought from England by
family in b. And there she fell II
love with her husband. They are botl
orphans, and they were both poor,
think, from the first, but not so poor a
after his long illness they became. sup
pose that poverty was against him in tn
case as proving motive for the deed wa
it not, Mr.. Thurston?" 40#2W7.
" 1t had it's weight, no doubt" the law
yer answered.
And here they reached a crossin,
where, in the throng and upon unsaf
pavement, certain little attentions be
came imperative; at one juncture Mr.
Thurston even seized the hand of HI
beautiful companion, and did so quit
consciously. 1t was, indeed, a littl
gloved "angel" of hand, not often en-
tertained by men-folks unaware" '-
On they went, still talking over tn
case. "'Tis really wonderful" Mis-
Rommelaine said, "how the poor man
theory is sustained by the letter tina
father received this morning. That cor
roboration, imagine, causes you Il
hope" --t 80 II
81 have felt from the first,n MI
Thurston answered, " that the death wa
by suicide, not by murder. But tn
prisoners earnest assertion on this poin
could not be brought before the jury il
Offset of the proved facts. The watcI
and money were found beside the pisto
several PAGES beyond the place where tn
dead man lay, and certainly had the ap
pearance of being laid together for tn
purpose of removal. The direction o
the shot-wounds was possible by suicide
but not probable" ..r'r
"'Twas strange, too, that the accuse
man should have chosen that lonely by
way for returning home so late at night.
yet it was the most direct course
almost parallel with the railway. Poo
fellow he says he hesitated some me
ments whether to take the car or walh
Even in the assurance that he had foun
at last a saving employment, and had
chance of life again, his habit of povert
made him cling 70 the few cents tina
walking could save. N--
The words ca chance of life again
brought wildly to Miss Rommelaine
mind the vital interest. "Can you saw