The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1878-06-07

toward him 10 the same religious, rev.
erential mood with which 1 had eonse-
Grated my life to his keeping while as
yet knew not what that life was des-
tined to become.
30, my Godl she has tainted %
heard Gerald say. And then the elank-
ing Of the chains restored me to myself
"No, Gerald; l am not faint" / an
swered, falteringly.
Then I rose, aud beekoning my chill
dren across the aisle to his box, was
elasped with them close to the chains
that manacled him.
"You are not guilty, are you, Gerald >"
asked, as / nestled yet closer TO his
side, while be stroked my wan face with
his pinioned palm, and piteously begged
that would save him.
did not pause to ask myself whether
or not believed he would have cared
for my love and sympathy il 1 had
needed his aid. The motive that might
then have prompted him did not con-
Germ me-
ETHEL, as God is my judge, am not
guilty Of murder. am guilty Of much
that is worthy Of death, or rather, Of a
better life, for I would gladly atone to
you for every wrong against you Of
which am guilty, and they are legion,
but-they may hang me if they WILL
/ yet am innocent of that bad woman's
| blood"
"But dreamed, Gerald; and 1 saw
you strike her. l never mistake the
evidences Of my inner Senses" I said,
yet doubling them for the first time,
even while l spoke.
II did strike her, because she pro-
voked me to it, Ethel, and in my heart
was a murderer, perhaps, for certainly
wished that she were dead, but the pO-
lice bore her away after I struck her,
aud know she was not dead"
"Gerald, do you think she is living
now ?"
ASK Elder Chalmers"
"EJder Chalmersg"
"Yes."
"But I haven't seen the old caniing
reprobate for nearly a twelvemonth.
How should I ask him concerning your
affairs ?'
ethel, that bad man knows what
became of that wicked woman. He
got your money. He fascinated her"
"Oh, Geraldv'
81 know whereof speak"
"And she isn't dead p"
81 do not know"
"Then, how can they try you for the
murder of a person whose body cannot
be produced?'
"That is for the law to decide"
"Will Elder Chalmers attend the
trial ?"
81 do not know. / have made every
possible effort through my attorney to
find him, aud thus far without avail"
80, yes! o, yes! o, yes" cried the
lusty-throated sheriff, calling the court
to order.
Very kindly Judge Downy spoke to
me, reminding me that must now re-
sumo my allotted seat and eschew
further conversation with my husband
except through his attorney.
Then came the tedious farce Of i'm
panneling jury. True, there were men
enough in waiting, such as they were,
to have stocked a regiment, but they
were for the most part men Of enter
prise aud consequent intelligence, and
were not sufficiently ignorant Of the
case to come within the requirements
Of legal stupidity.
All day long | sat there with my lit
lie ones, growing more and more ner-
vOus, anxious and hopeless as the hours
rolled on, and feeling more and more
the while that could not live unless
my husband were acquitted.
At last the jury was impanneled.
And-such a jury! Two-thirds Of the
pack were men Of meager mental cali
Der, half were unable TO speak intelli-
gible English, sll but one or two were
badly dissipated, and three-fourths were
miners Of the toughest, most lawless
stamp, who had figured in vigilance
committees and Lynch law executions
and who cared about as much for hu-
man life as did the swarthy UGqUerc
who looked fieFcely upon the scene as
though thirstiug for blood. But iguor.
ance is the cardinal requisite of a9ury
now and always, and the twelve before
me lacked not an iota Of this most neces'
sary virtue BY Ibis time the hour was
late, and it was time to adjourn for the
day.
: Gerald looked imploringly at me, a
. though he longed for words of cheer ol
2 blessing, but 1 was forbidden to speal
} to him, except through his counsel, anC
J 1 saw him go away in custody Of th'
: sheriff, his chains elanking.
5 Once again within the confines Of my
: chamber, aud I closed my eyes and Pon
= dered long and earnestly.
When had last seen Elder Chal
mers, and under what circumstances
| Would not my friends, the MOtleys
] hear of my trouble aud come to my ai'
} on the morrow?
e ITO be continued.l
!
1t is curious fact for the American
d theologians to consider, that our mel
ii. a e..