Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-02-01


stick up and down in his horny hands. and
look at Manthorpe with his ferret eyes, ''you
know more about that than | do. What
time does the train pass the station over
there 2"
AT half-past eight, tonight"
That's the train we are going TO take"
The 1--WE" sounded funerally in my ears
For the first time | realized that my friend
was in the clutch of that invisible force called
the law, represented by one Of its most dis
gusting agents.
"Nery well,' Manthorpo said 'I have no
intention TO resist your warrant for my arrest
and wish TO have an hour to myself with this
friend, in a room upstairs. Go and look at it
there is no means Of escaping from it, and
you may mount guard if you choose, at the
foot of the staircase"
The man hesitated, and seemed about TO re-
fuse Manthorpe with a sort of disdainful
composure, took bank-noto from his purse,
held it out, and the man quietly pocketcd it.
IAN rght-go on, he said.
Mnnthorpe went up stairs, followed, and
| the detective came behind. We entered
small room directly under the roof, lit 10y two
dormer windows, one in front and one in rear.
| This room was like the nest of n bird, and a
| glance told me that it was little Anne's cham
| Der. In one corner was low bed with
! suow-white pillow and counterpane. Some
sunbonnet on cricket There was II single
chair, washstand with plain white china,
and the chids dresses hung from pegs behind
! the little bed. This room, which brcathed
| perfume of purity and innocence, had in its
atmosphere another charm-some magnificent
geraniums, of every tint, boomed in oarthen-
ware flower pots at the windows, and filed
| the air with their fragrance.
As the detective came into this room. Man
a, Lii.
| puguance, as when we see n snake suddenly.
He plainly felt how much the spot was pro
famed. But such sensations were evidently
! incomprehcnsible to the gentleman with the
knotted stick He examined the room, saw
that it had but the one door by which we had
entered, and looked out of the windows,
which opened on the sheer descent below.
| The examination was apparently satisfactory.
| Hu went TO the door. said, "I'll be back for
| you in an hour" shut the door, turned the
| key in the lock- put it in his pocket, and the
tramp of his heavy boots was heard, as he de-
scendcd the stairs Manthorpe stood motion
! less, seeming TO listen. One might have sup
| posed that the dull tramp was echoing in his
! heart
You are not sorry" he said. in low tone.
Sorry for what =
That you have given your hand to a con
! Wet Z"
! No htlu, IL II nolulIS 10 me NHtlltI
! you are a convict or not-you are my friend.
| If you have committed a crime, it was not
mean crime! Tell me all. Why are you ar
| rested z Is there no hope that t-|
There is no hope he said, in the same
/ low voice. "a man who has been tried for a
| criminal offence convicted, and sentenced to
a degrading punishment. has no hope but a
| pardon, and "A pardon recognizing my Grimm
| ality, | would never accept. What the world
calls justice the law, has been my enemy and
! has conquered met shall not d grade me.
yield to it-l accept nothing from it. All
this astonishes you. | see. friend. | will ex-
| plain everything, ! am torn away from my
| little family hereit is heart-hreaking is it
not and they are left friondless. You will
watch over them, as far as You cam know
that very well-hut have no right to ask that
even, until you hear my story. 1t will not
take me long to tell you everything. We have
an hour, which is more than enough
III.
Manthorpe sat down by his daughter bed
! and leaned his elbow on the white pillow and
| his head upon his hand. His attitude was
calm. and his voice when he spoke quiet.
I'VE have not much time he said. ''and
shall confne myself to an outline of my life,
not give you n full history Of it, friend. | am
native OF Louisiana, and was sent to college
quaintance of person who had n baleful in
fiuence on my life,-a young man named
! Girardct, the son of a wealthy planter of the
lower banks of the Mississippi. Girnrdet was
of large stature and remarkable strength. very
much of a bully, though not a man Of cour-
age, and had become "A sort Of terror from
| having broken the thigh of fellow student
in drunken wrestle, nearly causing his death
| His manners were exceedingly arrogant. he
| 1af tn hx ~ oil nd he tirGtp
ceiyed a hostility TO me, 1 think, from my in
| difference to his claims as an athlete. | am
naturally person of peaceful disposition, and
was even then a protesting Christian but
there is something in my disposition which
refuses to be trodden upon-my pride, no
doubt; and Girardet soon gave up all attempts
to add me to his list of subordnates. In due
time finished my collegiate course and re-
turned home, where l passed some years as a
planter My father and mother were both
dead and as l was an only child | found my
large country house rather lonely. This nat
uraly induced me to visit in the neighborhood,
and these visits were most frequent at the res
idence of a Mrs Rurck the aunt of young
Miss Dare then at boarding school, to whom
the estate belonged.
Mrs Rurick had n daughter, dark beauty
of twenty-five or three with very fine black
hair a graceful figure and brilliant eyes A
curl of the lips at times, gave a vague impress
sion that Miss Rurck was not exactly amia-
BILE but she was witty and entertaining, and
for this | sought her society. In course of
time my visits became regular, and a sort of in
tmacy sprung up between us which the gos-
sips of the neghborhood in due time magni-
fled into courtship. They were wholly mis-
taken. | was lonely at my big house and
wanted n place TO spend the long evenings ;
| hat oil / M llxyf for
Rurick, for | had soon discovered that she
had venomous temper, and more than sus-
pected that she had formed the design to be-
come Mrs Manthorpe. Her mother and her
self We're poor, and my estate was an ample
one. l am certain that she cared nothing for
me but my attentions, or what the gossips
called such, hattered her vanity, which was
very great and this was the condition OF
things when Annie Dare, the little lady of the
manor, came home. OF what followed need
not speak at length. The little maiden OF
seventeen or eighteen was exquisitely lovely
and as pure as she was beautiful. | conceived
the deepest and tenderest love for her almost
as soon rs came TO know her and n good
Providence gave me her heart in return.
few months afterwards she had promised tC
become my wife. Miss Rurick remained, if
may so say, in the shadow watching us,
afterwards came to understand everything
The diversion of my attentions from herself
TO her cousin, had enraged her, and aroused
all the venom of her yenomous temper. Sh,
fancied that every one was laughing at her
She began to hate me, and at this moment al
incident occurred which promised an oppor
tunity for the qualification of her hatred
1.-The incident was the sudden, and TO m,
wholly unexpected appearance in the neigh
borhood, of no less person than my forme
college acquaintance, Girardet was ridinl
IN foo
He was accompanied by young Mr.. Hamil
ton a friend of mine, whom he had come t
I visit, and could see that his satisfaction a
seeing me was very slight He bowed stiff.
and passed ON. l returned the salute in tn
same manner, and so we parted, Three day
| afterwards l met Girardet at Mrs Rurick's
: where Mr.. Hamilton had introduced him