Woodstown register. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 187?-1892, 1883-10-02

think my uncle would have prosecuted
him had he guessed who was the forger 4;
but he handed the whole matter over to
the law as soon as it was discovered that
the check was forged. Ii was then traced
to Alexander. and at the same time it was
found that he had robbed In the same way
his former empioye rs. He had given up
all work upon his marriage, but when he
found himself without money, his knowl~
edge Of the business enabled him to forge
the name q Derkiss & Co. Even if Uncle
Richard had spared him for my sake this
other forgery would have entitled him to
penal servitude- He was sentenced to
seven years, and uncle took me home full
of heavenly pity and forgiveness for the
child who had treated him 50 ungrateful-
w."
Then your husband is in prison ?''
said Gerald, in a hard strained voice.
"No, no, he is dead! He died within
the first year. Uncle Richard saw the
death in a paper, and sent the money for
his burial. No, I. am free but, ZONE the
less, l am the widow ola convicted felon."
"But none the less" quoted Gerald
"the woman | honor and love above all
others, and hope still TO make my wife"
1t took, however, more than one inter-
view, full OF loves pleading, to win Maude
from her resolution She SO honored her
lover, and was so proud of his good name
and the position he had attained by his
talent, that her sensitive nature shrank
from even the shadow of her misery upon
his life.
But the vic Dry was won at last, and
the lawyer walked home one evening full
OF a proud. glad joy. for Maude had then
promised to be his wife.
"lf you are willing to take Alexander
HulFs widow TO be your wife," she said,
Il will not oppose YOU any longer, for l
love you with all my heart"
lie had no thought but of that glad tri-
umph when he turned up the gas in his
ONCE. He was in the habit of making a
late visit there before GO ing up to his bed
room, IN case notes or messages were left
Tor him. One lay there on this evening,
a shabby looking envelo pc, but directed
In a bold handsome han.l which he recog-
nlzed at once. He tore it open. After a
few lines of introduction, the note ran:
"You did the best 70 IL could on nv
tfiai, but the facts were too strong for you.
have now a last favor to ask Of YOU. |
ole, as you know, at moon Tomorrow
iou, as my lawyer, car see me at any
lime. VIII you come as soon ascyou re-
celve this, and with the gratitude Of the
man you know as JAMES Fox p,
The man knnw asJamAs Enx-onant
tered the lawyer; "the smooth, plausible
scoundrel who actually ma he me believe
him innocent of the hideOus murder for
which he wa convicted. can find ex-
tenuatlon for some murder 5, but this cold
olooded assassination Of an old man for
money only, was revolving How he de-
ceived me. though, for a til ne. And how
he exuIted over his success in doing so
when he saw the facts we re too strong.
shall I go to him 1 SUI ppose l must.
It is still very early"
Ii was not yet midnight when Gerald
Langton was ushered into the cell Of the
man who, in a few Short hours, was 10
NEE the extreme penalty of the law for
the worst Of all crimes.
Yet there was nothing revolving in the
appearance Of the criminal. His dress
was neat, his hair carefully arranged, his
moustache faultless, his hands white and
refined looking. He rose from his seat
upon the bed as his lawyer entered the
cell.
Il knew you would CO me-" he said,
cautiously, though you W ere offended at
my want Of frankness. Well, that is all
over. You Will not refuse. the last re-
quest OF a dying man, MIR. .angton 7"
mot if can grant it." was the reply.
"This," said the murder, .r, sis not my
first offence against the law. Some years
ago was sentenced to a term of seven
years for forgery. By a str ange accident
| escaped the penalty. On the same day
James Fox was sentenced to two years for
petty larceny, and we were sent to prison
together. James Fox-m y companion,
understand, not myself, vas deranged,
but his lawyers had not be- N able to save
him, as his alteration was not always ap-
parent. When we were ent cred upon the
books of the prison, imagine my amaze
ment when my fellow-priso ner gave my
name for his own. Like a fash l saw the
advantage to be gained by the de, cept1on,
and allowed the error to pass. N y COM
panion Committed suicide, and I escaped
with two years Imprisonment ms tead of
seven. But I feared recogniti, IN and
went to Canada. There I lived by my
wits until a year ago, when I retur ned to
try to raise money for my wife, and t bought
| saw an easier plan by commlttii e the
crime for which l die to. morrow. But
want to see my wife. I wronged her
| robbed her-but as heaven is m Y wit.
ness, | love her. When l was in prison
she dropped my name and took fser own
again. So it is not for Mrs. Alex ander
Hull you must ask, but for Mrs.. NIaude
Temple"
Was the room reeling-the Ce ling fall
ing-the wall closing around hi n Ger
aid Langton felt as thou sh they
were, as the name fell upon ais ears
Maude-his Maude-the wife o { this cool
villain who talked of his hidec us crimes
as it they were ordinary events? Well he
knew that to carry this mans m essage was
to separate himself from Maude forever
Never would she let him marry the widow
of a murderer! Very rapidly the terrible
facts passed one after the Of her, and he
said: 'If you love her why a ID a misery
to her life? She may have lived down
the old pain you caused her; why, for a
selfish qualification, viii you make her
whole life a misery ?"
"she was my wife! l would bid her