, 1884-12-30
DARK DAYS.

DAhh 1IA1.S.
CoRtaned)
Tho fairest woman on the earth adorss you.
Why hesitatei Why lot one DOORS life
Argue the matter in another way. Are
not thousands OF men slain every year by tho
within Of a monarch or n statesmani The
thought OF their deaths troubles not those
who send them forth to light. Men kill each
other for revenge, for money, for n point of
honor, and the killer lives on like other mon
liyel Trust this man to tho yaunted array
OF justice. He Is innocent, and will come
from tho ordeal unscathod. II found guilty,
Let him die He will not be the first limo
cent man who has died, nor will he be the
last 10 die. 1t Is but one lfvel He is nothing
70 you; think Of him 20 moro, Come what
may, you win always have your sunny home
grow up around you. Why hesitatel A
hfe's happiness is to be won by simply seal
ing your lips. Its cost Is but, ~supposing
Justice plumbers, 10 benr the burden OF one
mans death A paltry pricei
This was the temptation with which l
wrestled during those long hours. Again
and again i was on the point OF yielding.
Once or twice ! rose to my foot with the
hxed determination of destroying that
paper, and letting things take their own
course Once Or twice I even forced my
steps some distance in the direction of home.
but each time l turned, went back To the
sheltered spot, threw myself again on the
ground, and fought the battle anew.
No, l could not do this thing. ] was a
gentleman and a man Of honor. Paltry MS
the price was when compared with what 1t
might buy, I could not pay it. Although
my whole soul was merged in Phihppa's well
an innocent man TO be done unjustly to
death The crime was too black, too base,
too contemptiblei felt sure that, witt tho
mans blood morally on my head, the SUI
premest joys which life could give would
not lull my conscience to rest knew it
would not be long before remorse and shame
drove mo TO commit suicide.
Let the preachers say that sin is easy; that
wrong is more alluring than right There
may be some sins W itch are easily com
mitted. but / dare to say that there are
othera which the average man. educated by
tho code of honor, and dreading shame and
cownrdice, finds II far easier to avoid than
TO bring himself 10 commit No. every sin
Is not easyi
But all tho SAND my struggle was a mortal
one. At times / fancy-it may be but fancy
that even now my mind bears some traces
Of that conflict; a conflict In which my Vic
tory meant ruin to my nearest and dearest
Was / not right when | said that my tempta-
ton was an all but unparalleled onol Yet IN
reasserting this let me humbly disclaim all
credit for not having yielded. lstrove to
yield, but could not
IL was only when Ihad conquered and put
the temptation from me that ! was able to
so how uttofly useless such n crime as that
urged upon mo would ave been, Doubtless
Philippe, sooner or later, would have learned
that Sir Mervyn Forrand'a supposed muir
derer had paid the penalty OF the crime.
How would II havo Jared with us thon-
then, when ropnration was placed out OF tho
question: Knowing as l did every thought
OF my wife's, every turn Of her impulsive.
sensitive nature, ! was fam to tell myself
that such newS would be simply her death
hI0W.
But what was to DO donel Finding that /
could not compass the treachery which /
dared TO mediate, / cast about for another
loopholo OF escape. What II | were TO return
10 England and accuse myself OF the crimei
To insure Philippa's safety ! would right
willingly give away my own life. IL showed
the state to which my mind was reduced
when ! say that ! considered this scheme In
all its bearings, and for n while thought IL
furnished a solution to my dihicultiesi !
wonder N my brain wna wnnderingl
laughed In bitter morriment as the alb
surdity OF my new plan forced itself upon
me. Ihad forgotten Philippe, and what the
effect OF such q sacrifice would DO upon her.
I had forgotten that she loved me, over as l
loved her; that my dying for her sake-for
the sake OF saving her fromthe consequences
Of that gruosome nlght-would make mn X
p~intion, II any were duo from her, the most
fearful which human or diabolical ingenuity
could devise.
mol Mother by SHINING against my follow
mar nor by "A voluntary sacrifice Of my WI
lifo could l save her. After all my pro-
trnoted mental struggles, all my lonely hours
Of anguish and wild schoming, l was forced
TO return 20 the point from which J started.
Philippa must surrender herself, and FREQ
this innocent man There was, indeed, no
alternativei
And n day gono, or all but gonel Tho
trial on tho 20thi To reach England-to
reach Tewnham Ia timo To stop that trial,
we must travel day and night Day and
night across sunny or starlit Spain-Rcross
pleasant Franco-wo must speed on, until
We reached our own native land, now lying
I'm all the rich calm Of the early autumn. l
must lead my wife: my love. to her doomi
1 rose from-the ground. | felt weary, and
rs II ! had been cudgeled In every limb. l
dragged myself slowly back 10 my home
'She must be told; she must DO told. But
how to tell herr ] muttercd as ! went along.
My appearance must have been wretched,
grave looking Sovillanos turned and looked
after me as / passed by. Evon as a cownrdly
felon who drngs himself slowly TO the scat
fold | dragged myself 70 the gate Of my
pleasant home, and on lettering feet passed
Into that fragrant space In which the hap
piest hours OF my lifo had been spent
As I entered, the remembrance of some
tale which once | had rend flashed through
my mind-n tale Of the ferocity OF a bygono
age. IL WINS OF n prisoner who was forced
by his cnptors to strike n dagger into the
heart Of tao woman he loved. I Know not
where. the tale Is to 10 found or where I
read Il
But it seemed to me that mine was a
parallel case,
Pity mel