The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-11-10

"You need not fool any lear of me
sir" SAID Viva, quietly. Ishould hav
no motive in betrayinR you, even thoup
[ thought you guilty."
"Hugn is as innocent as T ami" OK
claimed his sister, in plaintive, tear
full voice.
The young man was now CLOSE a.
Vivia's side. The dimness of the room
had not previously let her soc hoy
handsome he was. He fixed his darkIy
brilliant eyes intentely op Vivia's face
and said:
IF had passed through trial
might have been sure that circumstan
tinl evideuce would have convicted me
Can you understand this?"
Eyes," said Viva, "but surely, i
you are innocent, it would have beel
better to suffer conviction than ge
through the rest of your life fugitive
from justice."
II do not think sol" cried Ella al
this point. II would have him live al
any cost!"
More than an hour elapsed before
VIVA went homo again. And she visit
ed that house many times more duriag
the next lew weeks. Both she and ella
believed that her exits and entrances
were watched. aud that Hugh's presence
there was suspected by certain spies
posted III the neighborhood, but they
were not by any means sure.
by this time ViYia had silently ad-
mltted to her own heart that she loved
Hugh Robertson. It had been love at
first sight with her. His beauty and
his melancholy fate had both produced
disastrous results with her young, ro-
mantle soul.
She had determined to help him to
escape. She was girl of strong will
and lu1iexibie determination. One day
she said to HIM:
II have bcen working out plan. The
house directly IN the rear Of yours is
mine. 1 purchased it yesterday. To-
morrow night it will be quito vacant.
You cnn cross by the back fences, and
get into the next street through that
house, There will be q Carriage wait
ing for you few doors below. 1t will
drlvo you wherever you wish to be
driven"
Hugh's face lighted with softly
grateful smile. Ella threw both arms
about Vlvia's neck and rapturously
kissed her.
On the following night they all three
met for few last words of forewell,
just before Hugh's venture was tiled.
IN the Dack garden ladder was
ready, hy which Hugh would climb
into the garden Of tho other house.
Hugh, Viva aul Ella all stood In a
room which communicated with the
rear piazza. Hugh first said farewell
to Ella, who ciuny for few minutes
so)bmg about his neck. Then he
turned to Viva Flo was frghtfully
pale.
"What l have to say" he begau,
ELLA ought pot. perhaps to hear. 1t
may kill her. 1t will probably give
you, Viva de Forest, au Intense an
gulsh. have deceived my sister up to
this moment. [ an not Innocent. I
shot the man OF whose murder | am
accus;:d--shot hlm openly enough, in q
barroom in ST.. Louis. Ho insulted me!
| was very mach enraged! We had
both beeu drinking. There is no doubt
that I was terribly to blame!'
"Hughp' now broke from Elias lips,
"this cannot bel You are deceiving
us!'
"Would 1 were" he murmured; "aud
would, too, that this were all I had to
tell. But it is not al. Viva de Forest,
from tho first moment that looked on
you l loved you. But it was days be-
tore knew who you were. Wilfred
Caldwell was your half-brother! You
bear different name from bis"
"What do you mean?" falterel Vlvia,
with paling ch, eks.
"Ah, why did you not remember
when you first met me-" Hugh Rob
ert on now crie,,, "fi,nt bore the
same name Common name as 1T may
have beeu) ns the man who shot your
brother? But you did not think OF this!
You pitied mel Then you cared for me
even loved me, Viva, since at this
hour need not deny that l guessed
your love! Yet all tho while L was--oh
Heaven! how hard it is to speak the
words!--I was your brother Wilfred's
mul derer!"
a faiut shiyering moan broke from
Vivia's lips. The next instant she and
ella were cliuging together, as il for
mutual support. 1t was n common JIM
pulse with the two unhappy creatures.
Each had been cruelty deceived. Each
now woke with horror to realization Of
the truth.
"FareweIll' they now heard Hugh
call to them, while they stood with
heads boweli on each others shoulder.
God guard both of you if we should
never meet again."
They heard him open the window
and go out into the galden Then came
quite IL long silence. And then gru0
voice whose tones seemed to curdle their
blood, called out amid the still night
"Stop. or fire"
There was no answer. Perhaps three
seconds OF silence followed, and then G
keen plat IL shot rang out on the Tranquil
night mir. After that there was q long
heavy groom.
"Ho has been shot!' cried Viva
looking with djlated eyes into her com
panion's ghastly face.
1t was true. Vlvia's plans, shrewdlJ
as che had conducted them, had beel
watched. A nelghboling house h"t
been taken by the deotiyes es a post Q
, observation. Perhaps, after all, Hugl
Robertson's appearance, climbing tn
,, back fence there in the bright winte
, moonlight, had been somewhat Of
! surprise, else the shot would not hav
been fired. But it was shot tina
proved fatal.
! a few years later Ella Robertson ma,
. ried, but Viva dc Forest has neve