South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1882-12-15

/ When Bernini was arrested some
days later curiohs foreign coin. i.
Identified as partof the sto.en hoard
MAS found in his booklet This. how
ever, he had accounted for BY saying
that he had picked it up on the road.
The weak point ia the chain of evil
dence was a scarcely percep,ible hest
tation on the part of one of the wit
nesses. She had at fret declared
positively that the prisoner was the
man whom che had scen going toward
old Joan's cabin aud had afterward
adhered to this statement with what
aiterward appeared to be logged OBJ
stlnacy, rather than real conviction.
The prisoner himself positively dc.
MED having been in the neighborhood
at all on tho day of the robbery, but
unfortunately he could not speak with
certainty as to his whereabouts. He
had been lately dismissed from hospi.
tai. scarcely convalcscent, after bad
fever; his own ship had left the port,
and he had been rejected by the cap
tains to whom he had offered his ser.
vices, as not being sufficiently robust
for sailors work. lie had little
money left, and therefore took to wan.
dering aimlessly about the country,
intending, rs soon rs the Columbia
returned, to ship aboard her again
His mind had been weakened and
confused by his illness. and although
he knew that for several days pre-
ceeding and following that OF the rob-
! berry, he had been in part of the
country fully twenty miles distant, he
could not possibly say where he had
been, or to whom he had spoken on
the day i'll qnesticn. Many inquiries
had been made and many persons in
tervlewed who remembered the poor
foreign chap but no accura,ciniorma-
ton as 10 dates was Forthcoming Az
the testimony of person who had
extended her hospitality to him, eth.
CIR OF IL Tuesday or a Thursday, she
conldn't rightly say which, would not
unfortunately, carry mnch weigh; in
II conrt OF justice, bad TO trust for
u dcteGse tq the cross examination OF
the witnesses, whose character for We
racity hoped, by the jpliciQus msu.
agement of the usual forensic weap-
ons, TO compel them to annihilate
with their own lips. | much regret
ted this want of evidence. as | was
strongly prepossessed i'll favor Of the
prisoner; something franS and hon
est in his face maklng if difficult for
me TO believe him guilty of the COW
ardiy crime of whi,'h lie was accused.
Besides, it WAS. rs | have said, my
first important case. and selt-in,eres,
and professional instinct, alike promp
ted me to desire its successful issue
But of all this h,d little hope.
laid aside my brief at length and
went up TO the drawing room where
was greeted by my cousin and hostess
with somewhat petulent reproot for
having fingered SO long over those
mnsty lazy papers
Alice and had been chldren to,
gether-a big girl and little boy
we had grown from playfelIows into
friends, and since her marriage her
house ut CarrIgarvan had been nv
resting place in asSizc times. | was
al no loss to understand the cause of
her vexatlon ut nv tardy appearance.
She WAS somewhat OF match maker,
and having no one bn: myself on
whom to exercise her talents, she had
devoted them exclusively to Iny SER
vice She had already decided on a
suitable wife for me. aud was exert
ing herself to the utmost to bring a.
bout the marriage. The chosen
young lady was present, aud | knew
that Alice was much annoyed ut me
for devoti"g the evening to my brief
instead OF to Dora LIME. The latter
WAS the daughter ola solicitor in good
practice and was herself very pref
ty, bright looking girl. who would,
| was compelled to admit, be most
desirable wife for young unknown
barrsier.
/ was thoroughly fond of Alice,
and she was my chosen confdante
whenever needed one; but cOnldn't
tell her even that the true reason
which prevented Dora Lyne's brown
eyes and sweet voice making their
due impression on me was the re
mcmbrance of a face seen hut curing
a three hours railway journcy, a face
with dark gray eyes and qniet.
thoughtful expression, and of a voice
heard at somewhat rare intervals IN
the space of time, whose low-ptchcd
tones still Sibrated in my imAgina-
ton. Alice would have been too good
nsturod to laugh at me, but | felt
cure that had she known the state OF
the case. she wonld have entertained.
and probably expressed fears that o.
ver.stndy had affected my brain -an
opinion that would probably have
been shared by all persons whose
characteristic was common sense.
Miss Lyne, perceiving that Alice
was vexed with me. and wishing. |