The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1880-06-03

After she had, gone buised myself in
getting the supper, for jamie always en-
|joyed his supper; and what q wonder
that, with hard day. work, and an ear
~ breakfast and only lunch at noon,
he should eat heartily at night. baked
some biscuit, and kept them smoking
hot, cooked q nice piece of meat and
boiled the potatoes, and then got nice
dish OF preserves and stepped the tea.
Just in the nick of tune, as we ay,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 q look of firm determination
in his face that I had not seen there be-
fore and it troubled me to know what
it betokened.
"Well, mother" he said, eff everything
is ready, we'll eat, for I'm as hungry as
q bear, and after supper I have some
thing important to tell you.''
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. Il was
just pouring out the tea when there came
loud and unexpected rap at the door.
l opened it and found MI. Heating, the
constable. He lived not far off, and had
been friend Of my husband.
''Good evening Mr.. Keating,'' I said.
"Good evening, madam, be replied:
I..does Jamie Riley live here?n
"And don't you know he lives here9''
answered. 3,
SIS he at home?'
Surprising he is, what then9"
II must see him. have an order fo1
his arrest"
"What do you mean by thaty' I asked,
angrily, "surely your joking, Mr.. Keat.
ing! You wouldn't take jamie to Jail.
you know he never did an evil deed.''
"lt's sad duty answered the con
stable, "but arrest him must, if he's
in the house."
Swell, 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 conversation
and ow he spoke in his clear manly
voice:
II am ready to accompany you, Mr..
Heating, cut with what crime am I
charged2"
Mr.. Heating spoke very low, so that 1
would not hear, but hear I did, and the
words made me faint and sick. I tried
to Danish the horrible suspicion of nv
sons guilt, but ], could not forget how
the bell had changed the night before.
"Mr. Keatlng," I said, as calmly as I
could, though my voice trembled, swill
you let me speak to my son one minute?''
Certainly, Mrs. Riley
Then the lad came into the room, and
the constable stood without the door,
and I took the boys hand in mine, and
looking mp into his face I spoke these
words: .:.
"Jamie Riley, by the love you bear me
by the memorg of your dead father, by
the hope OF your sonl's salvation, speak
truly-are you guilty or innocent9"
"1nnOcent, mother-before God. inno-
cent" and he bent down and kissed nv
wrinkled forehead, and lifted the great
load Of doubt. @
"Then go, my darling" I said, "and
may the Lord in HIS mercy watch over
you and bring you forth from this tribu-
lation.'
So Jamie went away with the consta-
BILE, and | sat all night by the fireplace,
moaning and crying as l thought of nv
poor boy in the cold cell of the Jail.
When the morning dawned I tried to
arouse myself to the duties OF the day,
but oh! how lonely and desolote the lit
tie kitchen looked, and when laid the
table and put Jamie's plate at the accus-
toned place, and thought how, perhaps,
for long days he would not be there to
eat any more, my eyes filed with tears
and I could do nothing. The news Of
Jamie's arrest spread quickly through
the village. When they told it to Mag
gle Ryan, the brave girl tieG on her hood,
and going straight to the Jail, demanded
an interview with her lover.
She never doubted his innocence for q
moment, and there, wife the bleak dreary
walls surrounding her she remained to be
true and faithful to him always, and de-
vote every energy IN securing his vindi-
cation and release.
Her presence cheered jamie, and she
came from the Jail to my cottage, bring
ing many hopeful messages from her
dear boy. From her first learned the
full charge against him.
It seems that on Sunday night jamie
had been 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, a wealthy young man, was
Milward S companion, and his statement
was the same.
Jamie's examinations the preliminary
examination they called it-took place
on Tuesday, The magistrate heard tn e
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 be-
come his bondsman, for though Jamie
had many friends they were all poor.
The boy spoke no harsh words whatev-
er. ss'Twiil make mo- difference to me,
mother, /" he said, when visited him in
his cell Ufnr fhn ii1rv IA IN snao;nu ona