Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1877-09-15

Maitland's antecedents perhaps were no
as orthodoxy correct as he was disposed
to maintain. "Wen ;" remarked, risin,
from my seat, my belief in Priscilla's &C
cusation again gaining ground, oh,
may be the man after all. What you'y,
Ijust told me is no refutation to Priscilla's
charge, it only proves that there is some
thing connected with his early lif;
which he desires to keep Concealed
"True enough, but Clark and the ole
man laid his hand earnestly on my should
er, "T beg Of you, do nothing rashly and
move cautiously. 1t is a terrible thine
for an honorable man to be confronted
with such horrible accusation, to be
suddenly placed under the ban of sus.
picion. If he Is guilty and there is one
chance that he is, against Thousand
that he's not, I will cheerfally give my
aid to see justice righted, even if he
were my own brother; in the meantime
before proceeding further, would wait
for further developements. ''But that's
| it, how am to get the further develop
meDtss ? 1 said little testify. 'tMy
friend" replied the old man solemnly,
''leave it in the care of providence. In
Gods good time He will right His cause.
He Will avenge His own" was almost
tempted, as lett my old friend, to have
nothing further to do with the matter.
Priscilla's pleading tones echoed in my
ear, and felt that it was a duty Dwell
myself as'weh as society, to ascertain if
Maitland were guil4S -0ynok ,,But, how,
was I to do itt All tho restof the, day
that mocking question launted,itie, till
at last in despairI put by MY work, look
ed my Office and went home. Ny wife
noticed my absent and preoccnpiesl man
ner and asked the cause. - Now as shb
was d Woman who possessed in an u1t
common degree the eminent quality Of
common-sense and her timely suggestions
having often aided me in more than
ono difficulty; to her determined to
confide my trouble. As soon as We VERB
within the privacy of our own room that
night, told her all. ~ am sure PrisciI-
Ia is right" she cried out impulsivcly 4
when had concluded. 'Why do you
think So" "Oh we'll. because am Ger.
tain she is" ":My dearr' exclaimed
imratiently; 'becausc is always a, wo-
mans reason, it may he satisfactory. to
you, but it is not logic, must have furtll-
or proof than this, Priscilla says s1ie
knows Maitland is one of the men that
were CONCERNED in the murder. and yon,
because Priscilla says so, are sure he is.
Must go up to y man who for twelve
years has borne an untarnished name
and say to him: sir, fifteen years since
you committed u hoinous offence against
the laws of God and man; servant in
my family the only witness of the crime
has recognized you lately, and my wife
says she is sure the servant is correct in |
her charge, and on this evidc uoe 1 arrest
you. Now you see Mary how unrcason-
able all this is" "Softly, softly John,
don't get out of patience returned my |
wife coolly. ''ro convict him, suppose
there must be further evidence" 'sBut |
how am to procure this evidence this |
is what puzzles me-" ''You we'll remem-
ber," said my wife, after q moments |
pause, "the old superstition, the ordeal of |
blood, I believe it was called, where,
when every other means of detection had
failed, the suspected person was confront
cd with the body of his victim, and con-
PEELED to lay his hand upon it; if he
were guilty, the blood flowed afresh, if
innocent no such token of guilt convict
cd him, the corpse preserving it's rigid
immobility. It is true, as SEQ you are
about to remind mo, that long since Miss
Peyton's body has been resolved into it's
dust, and in her case the plan would be
but Priscilla still lives
and see no reason why a meeting be-
tween Mr.. Maitland and herself should
be impossible, Or that results should fol
low from it that would be improbable;
if he is guilty the sight of that poor wo-
man he thinks he left dead in her mis-
tress' room fifteen years ago, will arouse
his conscience, and his own emotions will
convict him. AS to the meeting think
itcan be easily arranged, cannot you give
q dinner-party and include Mr. Maitland
in the list of invited guests? You arc,
you say, well acquainted with him, and
he will see nothing singular in the invita-
tion, will direct Priscilla to attend up
on tho table, and you can Incidentally in
troduce the sad story, tie rest you must
leave to chance or rather let me say to
Gods governing hand" Well said the
Hebrew ruler cried heartily, after my
wife had unfoldcd the details of her sim
pie little plot. "Well said he, a wise
woman is tho crown of her husband his
heart doth safely trust in her, she will do
him good and not evil all the days of his
life, yea, verify is her price above rubios,"
On the following day I contided my
wife's plan to my friend Clcburne, it met
with his approval. HIf it does no good,