Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1883-10-13

was strongly marked ia The vlsat.e
} OF the second. Who could be ill-
terested in the fate uf murderer
; but the hangnIan who would gain
his fee?
These were my first reflections
, but | soon learned that Mr.. Kirwin
: had shown me extreme kindness.
! He had caused the best room ia the
, prison to be prepared for me !.
(wretched indeed were the best y
and II was he who had provided
physician and nurse. IL was true
he seldom came to see me, for, al
though he ardently desired to re
lieve the sutierings of every human
creature, he did not wish to be pres
ent at the agOnies and miserable
rawlings OF mu derer. He came,
therefore, sometimes TO see that i
was not neglected, but his visits
were short, and at long intervals.
One day, when l. was gradually
recovering, was seated in q chair,
my eyes half open, and my cheeks
livid like those OF death; ! was
overcome by gloom and misery,
and often reflected / had better seek
death than remain miserably pent
up only to be loose in q world re-
piete with wretchedness. At one
time considered whether should
not declare myself guilty, and suffer
the penalty of the law, less innocent
than poor Justine had been. Such
were my thoughts, when the door
OF my apartment was opened, and
Mr.. Kirwin entered. His counte-
nance expressed sympathy and
/ NO. nanofs.0. he oh al.
to mine, and addressed me In
French s..
81 fear that this place is very
shocking to you; can 1 do any
thing to make you comfortable ?"
~ thank you; but all that you
mention Is nothing to me :. ON the
whole earth there Is no comfort
which 1 am capable OF receiving"
i know that the sympathy OF
stranger can be but little relief to
one borne down as you are by so
strange misfortune. But you will,
hope, soon quit this melancholy
abode, for doubtless, evidence can
easliy be brought to free you from
the criminal charge"
"rhat Is my least concern am,
by "a course OF strange events, he
come the most miserable of morlals.
Prosecuted and tortured as 1 am
and have been, can death be any
evil to me?'h e.
"Nothing, indeed, could be more
unfortunate and agpniZing than the
strange chances that have lately
occurred. You We're thrown, by
some surprising accident, ON this
shore, renowned for Il hospitality
seized Immediately, aud charged
with murder. The first sight that
was presented TO your eyes was the
body of your friend, murdered In so
unacc0untablea manner, and placed
as II were, by some fiend across your
path"
AS Mr.. Kirwin said this, not
withstanding4 the agitation l en-
dnred, on this retrospect of my suf-
ferings, L also felt considerable sur
prise at the knowlenge he seemed
to possess concerning me. [ suppose
some astonishment was exhibited in
my c0untenanee; for Mr.. Kerwin
hastened to say ...... a..,..
ut was not until IA day or two af-
ter your illness that | thought OF
examining your dress, That might
discover some trace by which L
could send to your relations an ac-
count of your misfortune aud illness.
found several letters, and among
others, one which discovered from
its slcOnmencement to be from your
father. i instantly wrote TO Gene
va; nearly two months have
elapsed since the departure Of my
letter. But you are i'll even now
you tremble; you are unfit for agi-
tatiOn Of any kind"
"This suspense is a thousand
times worse than the most horrible
event. Tell me what new scene of
death has been enacted, and whose
murder i am now to lament"
"Your family is perfectly WE'LL"
land some one, friend, is come TO
see yOu." |.s..
know not by what chain OF
thought the idea presented itself,
but ii instantly darted into my
mind that the murderer had come
to mock at my misery, and taunt
me with the death of Cleryal, as a
new Indictment for me to- comply
with his hellish desires. | put my
hand before my eyes, and cried out
In agony
'Oh, take him away! cannot
see him; for Gods sake do not let
him enter ~
Mr.. Kerwin regarded me with a
troubled countenance. He could
not help regarding my exclamtion
as a presumption OF my guilt, and
said in rather severe tone,-'
II should have thought, young
man, that the presence Of your ia
ther would have been welcome, in
stead Of inspiring such violent re-
pugnance."
my father I" cried I, while every
feature and every muscle WAS re-
laxed from anguish TO pleasure. 4"
my father indeed come? How
kind, how very kind! But where
is he; why does he not hasten to
My change of manners surprised
and pleased the magistrate; per-
haps he thought that my former
exclamation was momentary re-
turn Of delirium, and now he in
stantly resumed his former benevo-
lenee. He rose and quilted the
room with my nurse, and In
moment my father entered IL.
Nothing, at this moment, could
have given me greater pleasure
than the arrival Of my father. /
stretched out my hand TO him. and
cried,-
"Are you then safe-and Eliza
beth-and Ernest ?"
My father calmed me with assuF-
ances of their welfare, and endeav-
Ored, by dwelling on these subjects
so interesting to my heart, to raise
my despOnding spirits; but he soon
felt that a prison cannot be the
abode OF cheerfulness. "What "a
place is this that you inhabit, my
son :" said he, looking mournfully
at the barred windows and wretched
appearance OF the room. "You
Travelled 10 seek happiness, but
fatality seems To pursue you. And
poor Clerval-"
The name Of my unfortunate and
murdered friend was AN agitation
too great to he endured in my weak
state; shed tears.
Alas yes, my father" replied /
"sOne destiny m the most hOrrid
kind hangs over uIe, and / must
live tO fulfill II, or surely / should
have died on the c.Illih of Henry"
We were not allowed To converse
tor any length 0f time, for the pre-
cariOus state OF my health rendered
naTor., .xwnaas,efl.. fl..N