Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-04-21

Edgar's hand: s.Aa is.,oeu In an hov,. or liza.
sh0u be nth you" But the reaction was too
much. flung myself upon the bed and sobbed
Ash short halt hour more. ind was in Edgar.
arms, laughing and crying alternately at tho
strange jog ofit, and, In my newly-found happi-
ness, forgetting to inquire, and scarce caring to
know, how it had come about. But after .
little time knew. and, % briefly as possible,
will relate it here
When Edgar reached N, after parting
| with me on Saturday afternoon, he found q tel.
egram awaiting him AOm The firm of engineers
who had given him the Indian appointment. 1t
stated that the head of the firm was Obliged.
| unexpectedly, to start for Paris next day and
desired Edgar, If possible, to meet him in Lon
don first, to receive his final instructions.
There was just time to save the four o'clock
express to town, and Edgar left by it, judging
| 1t best not to inform me Of his sudden and nm
expected departure. He travelled alone from
York to Peterborough.
At the last-named station, when after few
minutes delay the train was on the point of
| starting. young lady, apparently in state OF
considerable excitement, ran along the plat
| form, and. pushing past the guard, who was
about to close the door, jumped into the car
| rage beside my husband. They had proceeded
some distance before she had sufficiently reooy-
cred breath to speak, but at last, in gasps. she
made him understand she had no ticket and no
| money; that she had run away from some great
danger and il he would have pity on her and
furnish her with sufficient funds to pursue her
journey she would give him the address of her
uncle. by whom he would be repaid. Her
strange. excited manner alarmed nv husband
Hoping to calm her he handed her his purse. re-
questing her to take what money she required
He saw her help herself to gold and silver
Then, with the money and purse still I'm her
hand, she took out her watch and tried appar-
| emily to detach it from the chain. Too impatient
to effect this properly, she tore it off by sheer
force. breaking at the same time the slender
plain chain OF Indian gold to which 1t was fas-
tened. Then. placing the watch, together with
the purse. in Edgars hand, she said:
''Take that to Uncle Septmus; he will recog-
him to have the watch His Address
She never spoke again, but. with stifed cry
fell forward on the floor of the carriage strug-
CLING and writhng in mortal agony. Edgar
guessing this to be either some paroxysm of
madness or some sort of fit, grappled with her
with all his might. but his utmost natural
strength was slight compared with that Of
frenzy. How long the dreadful struggle lasted
ne could not guess. In vain he attempted to
| signal to the guard to stop the train; his hands
were too closely occupied in holding the unfor-
tunate girl down upon the floor At last she Law
quite still, but when thus enabled to relax his
hold, life had fed. He raised her, placed her on
the seat, and then the awkwardness of his own
position occurred to him for the first time
The fact of lady being found dead in the
train would necesstate an inquiry, and he
Edgar, as the only person cognzant Of the cir
cumstances of her death, would be required to
attend such inquiry. This would inevitably
cause delay, and delay to Edgar at this partcu-
lar iuncture of his life meant certain ruin to all
his prospects, the one stipulation regarding his
Indian appointment being that he must start On
Wednesday, without fail. This last thought de-
cided him. He determined that, voluntarily. he
would say nothing Of the terrible tragedy he had
witnessed. He entirely forgot the watch which,
IN his haste to render assistance to the door girl
ne had thrust hurriedly into his pocket He
forgot the money which had fallen to the ground
When she was first seized; but with sad feel
ing at his heart and conscience that all the
time upbraded him sorely he removed, as far
as he was able, the traces OF the encounter from
his clothes and person. The instant the train
reached Kings Cross, at 1U:40 he gave I'D his
ticket. and was out of the station probably be-
fore many OF the passengers had even left their
carriages
He next went Into restaurant, and there the
Idea occurred to him that the removal of his
muStache might aid In frustrating any ATTEMPT
TO identify MN as the travelling companion OF
the unfortunate girl. The interview with his
employer was accomplished satisfactorily, and
he left London again for the north by the 1:42
train on Sunday morning.
Having made the return journey without re-
cognition. he hoped all would now be well. 1t
was not until he saw the newspaper account of
the affair on his way to Leascar on Monday
morning that he realized the horror OF the stu
alton, and then, when too late, deeply regretted
the part he had taken. There appeared nothing
LOT II now but to let events take their natural
course. There was still the chance he might be
able to leave England without discovery. He
would risk that chance; and. If fate favored
him, he would write q detailed account of the
whole sad story and send it to the newspapers
Fate did not favor him. He was seen and re-
cognized at Peterborough and a telegram to
Scotland Yard caused two detectives in plain
clothes to be in waiting at Kings Cross
when told of the charge laid against him,
Edgar contented himself with simply asserting
MS innocence, and prOfessed his entire readiness
to go to - police station and explain every
thing before the proper authorities. Now for the
part Mr.. GOoderingham played in the affair
Late as it was when he left me, he managed to
gain access to the room where the body OF the
poor girl lay, and at once identified it as that of
his niece and only living relation. She had been
subject to epileptc fits since childhood. and
owing to their increased severity had been
placed by her uncle within the last few months.
under the care OF doctor in Huntingdonshire.
VINO gave particular attention to such cases.
during his temporary absence, and by means
which need not be detailed here she managed
to. escape from the custody of those who had
charge of her.
And now" said Edgar. when he had told me
this, thanks solely, believe, to the wonderful
chance that threw Mr.. SeptimuS Gooderingham
across our PATH my character is not only COM
pletely cleared from the horrible charge, but,
what had scarcely dared to hope, we can sail
for India on Wednesday without let or him
drance.'
But does Mr. Gooderingham blame you, Ed
gar, for-for-?" inquired auxiously, though
could not conclude the sentence
He seemed to fully understand my reasons
for acting as l did," answered my husband,
:. and was even kind enough to say he thought
that under such very exceptional circumstances
many man would have done the same. 1t was
an error in judgment. Mr.. Gooderingham has
promised to see us off on Wednesday to wish us
Godspeed."
Shortly after our arrival in India received a
letter from my old friend DR.. Grey. Comment
Ing on Edgar's very narrow escape of being tried
for murder, he added this most characteristic
remark:
1T is my firm .convlction-and have not
studied humanity more than half a century for
nothlng-that no man would have placed him.
sell oy his own act in such a predicament as
Harrington did, If he had had head for ,ohist"
An, well! we are very happy now. But NAV
safely say that never in ali our lives to come
shall we commemorate with anything approach
Ing rejoicing the anniversary of our terrible
wedding-day.
FNHERE "a EIyT S,sr, -,,,,,~x