The Van Buren press., 1878-06-04

her VOW"
took him back to Evans Corners as
fast as we could travel, and lodged him
in the prison there,
The trial came off in due time. There
wasn't one atom of evidence that he did
the deed, except his own confession TO
me. He hadn't opened his lips to any
one since; and when he was called upon
to plead Guilty or not Guilty" the
villain answered, " Not guilty." after all
AS he said the words, there was a
slight stir among the crowd behind him.
He looked round, and something he saw
there turned Lis face chalky.
He gave sort of gasp, staggered up
on his feet and fairly screamed out
Guilty T. and fell down in a fit.
They carried him out writing and
foamng at the mouth, and as they did so
a woman dressed in black came forward
and threw back her vail u wac Rooe
Wynnc alive and standing before US more
beautiful than ever.
4" He tried to kill me-" she said. IC
was not his fault that he did not succeed.
had been engaged to marry Mr.. Saeld-
on a long time, but because my father
was opposed to him and favored Mr.. Da-
Wis, we had kept the engagement secret
from every ono. / had gone out that
night, by appointment, to meet my prom
Used husband, and as | was crossing on
the railroad bridge, over the river, An
drew Davis came from the other side and
met me. He told me ii | did not prom
inn tn hin, aud fhaFa had
throw me over the bridge into the water
was always afraid of him; he had such
a savage look in his eyes sometimes and
knew him to be terribly jealous of Mark
Sheldon. But | would not promise him
anything of the kind. could not be-
lieve he would really carry out his threat,
and | expected Mark would come every
minute.
When he took hold of me, and l saw
be was in earnest, and really intended to
drown me, | struggled with him, and told
him if lie did harm to me I'd have him
hung for it, if had to come out of my
grave to do it. And | also told him !
was going to marry Mark Sheldon, and
that had come out there to meet him.
For thought perhaps it would scare him
if he thought Mark was anywhere about.
But he suddenly snatched my shawl off
me and wound it round my head to keep
my screams from being heard, and the
next moment he lifted me in his arms
and threw me over into the river. lie
did not know that | was an expert swim
mer; but before could free myself from
the folds of the shawl had gone under
the water twice. The second time | rose
to the service | swan toward the bank,
but the current was SO swift l would in
evitably have been drowned IL Mark had
not come just then, In time to. save me.
DAvis lad rnn away as fast as he could,
and he did not know that he had failed
in killing me, after all The shock was
dreadful one to me, and my fear of An
dy Davis was so great that l begged
Mark to hide me from him, and from
every one, and let it be supposed that !
was dead So then we were married,
and went away from this part OF the
country for several months, till we heard
that Davis had gone away, when we re-
turned. But kept close, and let no one
but my own folks know was alive, for
| was determined that Davis should be
punished in some manner So | never
went out without thick double veil over
my face, for was afraid Of Davis yet.
Then, one evening, l was riding
along in carriage, with my husband,
when l saw Mr.. Sharpe sitting at a win
dow. He was disguised, but recogniz.
ed him, and | remembered that he had
once promised to help me if | ever need
ed his services SO | went up to the
window quietly, and spoke to him, and
told him about Davis, and that is all, /
didn't want the man hung, of course but
| hope he won't be allowed to murder me
as am sure he will want to when he
finds | am not dead"
But Davis was past doing anyone any
injurn. The wretch went from one fit in
to another, and finally died, literally
frightened to death. And so his sin had
certainly found him out.