The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1881-10-06

bhe Ahsytt walked nome one eYenl1g
full Of q proud. glad Joy. for Maude
had promised 70 be his wife
"tIf you are willing 70 take Stephen
Hulfs widow for your wife," she had
said. Il will not oppose you longer, for
i love you with all my heart"
I He had NO thought but that of glad
triumph when he turned up the gas in
his chambers in the Temple. He was
! in the habit of making q last visit there
before going home, in case notes or
messages had been left for him. One
lay there this evening. ashabby-looking
envelope. but directed in . bold. hand
some hand that he recognized at once.
He tore it open. After q few words
of introduction the note ran
You did the best you could for me
on my trial. but the facts were too
strong for you. / have now o last fav-
or to ask Of you. die. as you know.
early tomorrow. You. as my lawyer,
can see me at any time. win you
come as loon as you receive this, and
win the gratitude Of the man you
know as JAMES FOxPn
The man l know as James Fox"
muttered the lawyer .the smooth,
plausible scoundrel. who actually made
me believe him innocent Of the hideous
murder for which he was convicted. ]
can find extenuation for some murders,
ous ths cold-blooded assassination Of
An old man for money only. was revolt
ing. How he fooled me, though for q
time. And how he exulted over his
success in doing * when, ~ he says,
facts were too strong. SHkn 1 go to
himP l suppose l must. 1t is still
early"
1t was not yet midnight when Gerard
Langton was ushered into the cell of
the man who. in . few short hours,
was to meet the extreme penalty of the
law for the worst crime.
Yet there was nothing revolving in
the appearance of the criminal. His
dress was neat, his hair carefully ar
ranged. his moustache faultless, his
hands white and refined looking. He
rose from his seat upon the bed as his
lawyer entered his cell.
"a knew you would come" he said,
co~urteously. Though you were often
that is all over! You will not refuse
the last request of q dying man, Mr..
L~angtonP"
Mot If ] can grant 10" was the re-
ply.
This" said the murderer. 'Js not
my first offence against the law. some
years ago l was sentenced for q term of
years for a forgery. BY q strange ac-
cidcnt l escaped the penalty. On the
same day James Fox was sentenced TO
two years for petty larceny. and we
we're sent together to Millbank. james
Fox-my companion. understand. not
myself-was deranged. but his lawyers
had not been able to save him, as his
alteration was not always apparent.
When we were entered upon the books
of the prison, imagine my amazement
when my fellow prisoner gave my name
for his own. Like a flash / saw til
advantage 10 be gaineddagy tho decep-
ton. and allowed the error to pass.
My companion committed suicide. and
| escaped with two years imprison-
ment, instead of seven. Bnt 1 feared
recognition. and went to America.
There l lived by my wits until a year
ago, when 1 returned here to try to
raise money from my wife, and thought
| saw an easier plan by committing the
crime for which / die tomorrow. But
l want to see my wife. 1 wronged her
Il robbed her-but Heaven is my wit
ness l loved her. When 1 was put in
prison she dropped my name, and took
her own again. So it is not for Mrs.
Stephen Hull you must seek, but for
Mrs. Temple" :
Was the room reeling-the ceiling
falling-the wall closing around himp
Gerard Langton felt as Il they were, as
the names fell on his ear. Maude-
his Maude-the wife of this cool villain.
who talked of his hideous crimes as il
they were ordinary events. Well he
knew that to carry this mans message
was to separate himself from Maude for
ever. Never would she let him marry
the widow Of a murderer !! Very rapid
ly all the terrible facts pressed one after
another upon his brain, and he said.
s.n you love her, why add o new
misery to her life? She may have
lived down the old pain you caused her.
Why, for a selfish qualification. will
you make her whole life a miseryp" !.
''She is my wife! l would bid her
farewell"
.'She is not your wife Your own,
crimes have released her from any al,
legiance to you"
"You know herp" ,
Eyes I! l know what she has suffered,
and beg of you to let her still believe
you died years ago." T,
''She is happyP"
Scarcely that Such wounds as.
hers never heal entirely, but it is cruel,
ty to tear them open when they aret
quiet"
HAS she married againp"
slNo Che g., eth xx1r~ xvsl1-rgY !
at is hard to deny myself one morel
sight Of her face, and the hope I had
that she would say she forgave mer'
''Think of her, not Of yourselfr'
There was q long silence in the CELL
Every throb of Gerard Langton's heart
was a pain to him. But Stephen Hull
sat in moody silence, evidently reluo-]
tant to give up his wish. At last bel
spoke :
"You have been very good to me.
Tell me now If you have any PERSONAL
reason for your request Perhaps
you love hcrP"
II do r. was the brief reply. "She
has promised to be my wife r.
"Then 1t will be James Fox who is
hanged tomorrow I meant to give
my real name up, but I will carry my
secret to my grave. It may be that in
another world even the little last self
denial will be a plea for me. Go now.
You may trust me-"
And he kept his word. and Gerard
Langton his secret. When Maude. q
few weeks later, became his wife. she
little guessed the terrible ordeal which
he had spared her, or the added dis
grace that belonged to the name she
had given up.
DR.SANF0Rp'S