Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1880-04-15

actions, an awful fear grew upon me.
Maggie tried in vain to discover what
disturbed me- She went away in a lit
tie time, but promised to call again the
next day, for I'm afraid the fever is
coming on you," she said, and kissed me
and bade me goodbye.
After she had gone busted myself in
getting ready the supper, for Jamie al
ways enjoyed his supper; and what a
wonder that. with a. hard days word,
an early breakfast and only a lunch at
noon, he should eat heartily at night. /
baked some biscuit, and kept them
meat and boiled the potatoes, and then
got nice dish of preserves and stepped
the tea.
Just in the nick of time, as we say,
/ and when everything was ready, Jamie
came in. He looked more cheerful than
he had in the morning, and smiled, and
praised the appearance OF the table.
| But there was look of firm determine
| ton in his face that had not seen there
before, and it troubled me to know what
it betokened.
/ "Well, mother" he said "if every
thing is ready, we'll eat, for I'm as hun
CRY as bear, and after supper l have
something important to tell yeu."
These last words he spoke hesitatingly.
but | was glad to know that he was
about to unburden his soul of whatever
secret it contained.
So we sat down to the table. l was
| just pouring out the tea when there
came loud and unexpected rap at the
ing, the constable. He lived not far off, !,
and had been friend of my husband.
Good evening, Mr.. Keating," 1 said.
| Good evening, madam" he replied !;
"does Jamie Riley live here?"
"And don't you know he lives herepn
I answered.
| g Is he at homer"
"Supposing he is, what thenp"
81 mustsee him. have an order for
| his arrest"
What do you m can BY thatp" I
asked. angrily, surely you're joking,
to Jail, you know he never did an evil
deed"
cts sad duty" answered the con-
in the house."
"Well, he's not in the house nor has
he been here tonight"
Before these words were fairly out of
my mouth, Jamie himself stepped to the
door.
He had listened to all our converse
tion, and now he spoke in his clear manly
voice:
81 am ready to accompany you, Mr.
Heating, but with what crime am /
charged?"
Mr.. Heating spoke very low, so that
1r,f hr1t 7 ho
words made me faint and sick. l tried
to Danish the horrible suspicion of my
sons guilt, but / could not forget how
the bell had changed the night before.
"Mr. Keating." said, as calmly as
| could, though my voice trembIed.
will you let me speak to my son one
minutep''
Certainly, Mrs. Riley"
Then the lad came into the room, and
the constable stood without the door,
and l took the boys hand in mine, and
looking up into his face spoke these
words:
Jamie Riley, by the love you bear
me, by the memory of your dead father,
by the hope of your souls salvation,
speak truly-are you guilty or inno-
centaan
nocent," and he bent down and kissed
my wrinkled forehead, and lifted the
great load of doubt.
Then go, darling" said, "and may
the Lord in His mercy watch over you
and bring you forth from this tribula-
tion.n
So Jamie went away with the con-
stable, and l sat all night by the fire.
place, moaning ard crying as l thought
of my poor boy in the cold cell of the
Jail.
When the morning dawned | tried to
arouse myself to the duties of the day,
but oh how lonely and desolate the lit
tie kitchen looked, and when / laid the
table and put Jamie's plate at the ac-
customed place, and thought how, per-
haps, for long days he would not be
there to eat any more, my eyes filled
with tears and could do nothing. The
news of Jamie's arrest spread quickly
through the village. When they told it
to Maggie Ryan, the brave girl tied on
her hood, and going straight to the jail,
demanded an interview with her lover.
She never doubted his innocence for
moment, and there, with the bleak
dreary walls surrounding her, she re-
mained to be true and faithful to him
always, and devote every energy in Sc
curing his vindication and release.
Her presence cheered Jamie, and she
came from the jail to my cottage, bring
ing many hopeful messages from her
dear hoy. From her first learned the
full charge against him.
1t seems that on Sunday night jamie
had Leen seen near the Presbyterian
church. shortly before the fire was dis
covered there.
Nor was this worst. Joseph Milward,
whose father owned the factory where
my son worked, was ready to swear that
he saw Jamie rush from the vicinity of
the vestry where the fire broke out, and
that he spoke to him as he passed.
David Butler, wealthy young man,
was Milward's companion, and his
statement was the same.
Jamie's examination-the prelimi-
nary examination they called it-took
place on Tuesday. The magistrate
heard the evidence, and said that he
must commit the prisoner to await the
action of the grand jury. We might
have got him out on bail, but there was
no one to become his bondsman, for
though Jamie had plenty of friends,
] they were all poor. The boy spoke no
harsh words whatever. "'Twill make
no difference to me, mother" he said,