The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1879-11-05
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whose hair was silken sheen of gold, a
murderessl
"Well, what do you sayP'
"I want you to come out of the fire
with clean hands, Maude. You do not
think that wish your condemnation,
girl?"
He who Is not braAely for me is
| against meP' rung out the clear voice of
Maude Holden, and the handsome man
started back.
Against you, Maude? II
Yes, sir, youp' was the response.
"Alfred Bersford, what have you sought,
my hand or my uncle's money? This night
we part forever. My hands are washed
Of that old mans blood. Not on my
poul rests the sin of his ruthless taking
| off. What / believe / will not tell; the
| years shall avenge my uncle's death.
Goodbye, Alfred. Poor, proud man,
| Maude Holden pities you"
The pretty hand of the girl was held
out to him, but he took It not That
hand, often kissed by him, was charged
with murder; to touch it now would
contaminate the Bersford name, and tar
nish the honor of proud family.
Refusing the dainty member white
and dimpled as child's, Alfred Bersford
turned away with her last words ringing
in his ears, and with goodbye" which
should have been a farewell, F." on his
| lips.
Maude Holden leaned against one of
the porch pillars with a long drawn sigh,
and watched him till his figure disap-
peared; nor did she move until she
heard the hoofs of his horse on the
bridge not far away
She then sought the interior Of the
old mansion, over whose threshold tie
law had lately stepped, and arrested her
in the name of justice for her urcle's
murder.
Maude had been his protege since early
girlhood
The rich man was found dead in Iris
bed and the odor of bitter almonds set
many rumors afoat.
These increased when the coroner's
Jury determined that the old man had
come to his death by poison, and, while
it did not declare Maude guilty, it is
said that the deathly substance had been
administered by some person connected
with the household.
Maude was arrested, admitted to bail,
and permitted to return to her home,
there to await her trial.
There, as we have seen, the marriage
engagement between her and Alfred |
BersfOrd was dissolved.
But the fair girl was not left friend
less.
Maude had friends who believed in |
her innocence; among them Basil EUs-
ton, young lawyer, who was to assist i'll
her defense.
The girl is innocent. She is the VIC
tim of some designing person. Let me
prove this, and Heaven willing, the years I
and my love will bring my reward" he |
said.
Tocut long story short, Basil Euston, |
by display of legal skill that electrified .
the bench, secured his fair clients tri- |
umphant acquittal.
Bersford did not attend the trial
He passed the time between his last
interview with Maude and her acquittal |
among relatives at the north, and did not |
return until the mysterious affair had |
ceased to be the topic of conversation.
He's come back to me now. Maude !
Holden is not in my path," cried a
queenly girl, whose eyes lit up with a
proud exultatiOn, as the returned beau,
as handsome as ever, lifted his hat to her
in the street. Stranger things than
this have happened I always hated
you, dolLfaced Maude; not for your
gold, not for lands, but, because you had
won Alfred Bersford. But you are out
of the way now-getting ready to pay
Basil Customs defense of you with your
hand, while am free to win the hand
soonest and proudest man.
A tIaia Cord au yUaS y,r04yJ ~. cI,o ,----
beautiful.
Her father was rich, and his beautiful
estate was not surpassed by another in
the county.
Since her introduction to Alfred, but
one ambition ruled her heart-to become
his wife.
And now her hopes seemed near their
long wished-for fruition.
Maude, her rival, was out of the way,
and Basil Eustcn, her lawyer, was likely
to make her his wife.
One autumn day a wedding ceremony
was performed, and Maude Holden gave
her hand to the young man whose eIo-
duence had saved her life.
tivities OF all kinds, and hundreds of the
elite.
Alfred Bersford and Alicia Corday
me wedding was quiet; Jnere was no
bridal tour; and the young couple spent
the honeymoon on the old estate.
Not long afterwards another wedding
took place; but it was attended by fes-
we're man and wife-"a proud couple
and handsome one"
Here, with the marriage of our char
acters, our story might not 1nappropri-
ately end; but we must not lay down the
pen till we write the story of a retribu-
5ion, which the unwearying years brought
to the guilty:
Through bad speculations Alfred Bers-
ford found himself bankrupt.
Accompanied by his naughty wife he
fed north, and in one of the manufac-
turing towns, through family influence,
secured position on the detective force
The years and close application to his
new profession made him marked man
in the secret calling.
Alicia, fair as ever, and as naughty,
spent her summers at the sea side, while
Ter husband like the sleuth-hound,
lunted the evil doer, and mercilessly ran
lim to earth
The pair forgot Maude and her hus-
oand, who lived happy in each others
owe. and respected bv all.
4 cannot pe mistaken" Alfred NUT
cred one day, as, in a disguise, he
emerged from q hotel al have aoci-
lentally found clue to James Holden
leath. Why not follow it up and sat
sly myself?
The detective at once proceeded to in
restigate the mystery which few years
,efore had startled and puzzled the COM
nunity.
He had the reputation of being a good
lunter, and for weeks he remained, pick
ng up clue after clue.