The Penn's Grove record., 1885-09-05
"What sacrifice are you going TO pro.

lays for the information that will save
her,"
THAT will be the day before the x
ecution."
He s~huddered, and after a slight
pause said
"You cannot save her without my
information, and l will not give 1t to
you unless you swear to me to wait"
"You must explain yourself a little
more clearly" l replied.
II intend to- have 1t in my power
to prove Marian Elliott's innocence. j
know who murdered her husband"
"You dor" L exclaimed. Sand yet
you have all this time withhed the In
formationl Great heavens, have you
no humanity In you that you could let
that poor creature suffer so muchp Who
is the murderer"
That" he answered ''you cannot
know for three days. At the end of
that time, If you call at the address ]
shall give you, you will receive a packet
addressed to you. In that everything
you wish to know will be fully explain
ed.n
why cannot you give it to me at
once?"
because 1 intend TO be out of Eng.
land before you get it."
"But suppose l prevent you from go.
ing out of England2" / said.
THAT will be fatal to you and do
me no harm. Without my testimony
you are helpless; and l swear you shall
never get it IL you try force. Give me
your oath to wait three days, and l in
| raft1rn mill rixa Won mInn fhaf Win
enable you to save her,"
II will take the oath" l said.
"You will never repent having trus-
ted me-, he returned.
The appointed morning came at last.
At ten O'Clock | was at the address
Vaughan had given me, and a couple
of hours afterwards l was back in my
own room, the fateful packet in my
hand.
With the painful elaboration of one
who hopes for good tidings but yetfears
evil, / broke the seal. Inside the packet
were several pages of writing, 1 un-
fold them and read as follows
"Some years ago my cousin married
a most beautiful girl. He was a fool.
and could not appreciate her. | did,
and loved her with all my soul. My
cousin was a coarse minded brute, his
wife was proud, independent, and pure.
Such women have been known, in the
first horror at discovering the natures
of their husbands to rush into wild ex-
cesses. 1 thought Marian would do
the same. / was mistaken in her. The
admiration she excited made her indlg.
nant. She is the only woman / have
a.r1. -1AN wrs4L~.. liz lAaeh kA.nn 20 41A
coquette about her. / think she de-
tested me, if possible, more than her
husband, and yet l would have done
anything for her. For years l was her
humble slave: l believed some day she
would understand my devotion and re-
pay it.
THAT hope was dispeiled for ever
only on the day Of the trial. Had she
looked humble IN her sore affection,
had she turned to me for one moment
with g%entleness, l would have given
my evidence very differently. l held
her life In my hand, and she looked at
me with as much scorn as though u
positions were reversed. l would not
save her then.
''Still I never meant that she
should die. | have waited till the last
moment in the hope that a reprieve
might be granted. that her punishment
might be mitigated. But to-day l know
the last effort in her behalf has failed.
l must now save her myself.
1.-THE blow which I'D the earth of 2
villain was not struck by Marian Elliot
session of the history of that last quar-
rel. Marian's story is perfectly true.
She never returned to the room, never
again saw her husband. But l did. |
had been unable to come to dinner; but
later ON in the evening l walked v
to Eiliot's house. No one was about,
and, having a latch-key, 1 let myself in
and entered the dining-room without
meeting a soul. Elliot was still at the
table.
"'There you arel' he said. "Why
the deuce didn't you come before?"
81 couldn't manage it, L returned.
Where's your wifep'
"He swore fearfully as l asked the
question.
"I don't know, and l don't care.
She's a fiend, tnat woman. DO you
know she actually threatened to u
der me before she left the roomp'
"'Serve you right If she does some
day. l replied. What have you been
doing to her now?'
"'1 tried to give her a piece of my
mind with that horse whip, and she
picked up the knife you see lying there,
and swore to put 1T into me-
"'Do you mean you struck her2'
eyes, | gave her n cut
"'You internal cowardI'
"'Tom, | won't stand that language
from youi'
"'You1l have TO stand it. l mean to
tell you what l think of you. You are
a fool, a bully, and a cowardl'
"Elliott rose and aimed a blow at
me. l parrled it, and the next moment
we were struggling together. At last
! got him down, and, as he lay there, /
saw the knife. In another instant |
seized it, and struck once with it. / did
not need to repeat my blow.
"Murderers, we are told, feel remorse
at the sight of their victims. / felt
none, All l thought was that I had
set Marian free.
"Unobserved as / had entered it 1
left the house and returned to my own.
l thought a good deal of Marian. L
wondered how she would be affected by
my act. 1t never for a moment struck
me that she would be charged with
the murder.
when / heard the terrible news,I was
almost ready to declare myselfthe muir
derer. But / hesitated; could not believe
that one wholly innocent could be con-
demned. l thought they would spare
her because of her youth and beauty.
And life was dear to me; l could not
forfeit it unless no other way remained
to save her.
"At the worst l thought she would
get imprisonment for a few years; and
when she was set free / would go to
her, tell her of my love. and ask for
hers.
"But fate has ordered otherwise. 1t
can never be my privilege to make Ma
rian amends for the past. All that lies
in my power have now done. The
rest depends on you."