Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1885-09-25

should nave to travel, l dared not remon-
strate with her. Now, Of all times' her
slightest wish should be mi law.
Noiselessly / undid the massive studded
wooden gate, which at night time elosed tne
entrance to the patio. Unseen, we stepped
into the shady, narrow street. Um auk e 4se
was light. l could carry it with ease 70 me
station, which was only a short distance on
We were there only too soon.
We had to wait some time ere Ins tEaIuI
which, following the example Q, tns Sree
Spaniard, declines on any consldeEatuph 70
be hurried, made its appearance. :9oS
our seats in silence. At last the ulghlI my
train condescended to move on"aE9: We
sat side by side, and gazed and gaz9d III Gne
direction If the beautiful city from which
we were flying; gazed until we So" tne very
last Of it, until even the great covering
Giralda was lost TO view. Then, ana only
then, l think we fully realized 10 "u"' Gnu
we were speeding.
The next three days and nignIs seem no"
little more to me than a whTins urean'
On and on we went TO worK ouS our aaYS'
over the same ground which ! mad traVersed,
with scarcely less agitated feelings, some
months AFRO. | ground my teeth when l
thought how little my strenuous and SEEM
inoly successful efforts had awaited. Now,
moi from any omission of precaution; not
because the law compelled; not by the exer-
else of force; but simply on account OF the
great dictum Of right and wrong, we were,
of our own accord, retracing our steps 70
face the danger from which we hao ned'
Oh, bitter irony of destiny!
What was money to me nowf NotnlnS
but so much drossl 1t could do one tning,
only one, that gold which / lavished SO
freely on that journey. 1t could assure Ihag
Philippa AMI / might travel alone. 1t could
give US privacy for the time that journey
lasted, that was ALL go,
Yet although alone, we spoke but LtCie'
Our thoughts were not such as can be ex-
pressed by words. Her hand in mine, her
head on my Misunderstanding when we
could sleep, waking and looking into each
others faces-knowing that every mile OF
sunny or starlit country over which, we
passed brought US nearer to the end. AMI l
understood then how it is that lovers VINO
are menaced by some great sorrow can Kill
themselves, and die smiling in each others
arms! We might have done SO; bui our
deaths would have left to perish chat
stranger whom we were speeding to save.
So, as in a dream. the hours, the days, the
nights, went by. We might have been trav-
cling through the fairest scenery In the
world, or through the most arid desert. l
scarcely troubled to glance out of the car
riage window. The world for me was In
side.
1t was after we left Paris-Paris, which
to-day seemed almost within stones throw
Of L~ondon-that l aroused myself ana
braced my energies to discuss finally win
Philippa our proper plan Of action. ielt
that my right course would be to go straight
to some solicitor, tell the tale, and ask him
to put matters in train. But | could not
bring myself to do this. Our secret was as
yet our own. Moreover, through the misery
of those hours, one ray OF hope had broken
upon me. If Philippa could be brought to
yield to my guidance, to follow my instruc-
tons, it was not beyond the bounds OF pos,
sibility that we might be saved, and saved
with clean hands.
Dearest" l whispered, 'to-night We
Her fingers frightened on mine. "And al
Tewnhamp' size said. 1--WE shall he il
timer
"In ample time. But, Philippa, listen
''Basil, as you love me, not one word t
tempt, to dissaude meE'
"Not one; but listen. Sweetest, If 20
will be guided by me, even now all may 6
. we'll. This man-"
"The poor man who is standing in m
! place9"
eyes; listen. Heaven forbid that Ishoul
tempt you. Think; he is, Io doubt, a ma
9 of a lowly station in life. Philippe, l al
rich, very rich" ..
L 81 do not understand you,n she sait
pressing her hand to her brow.
9 "Money will compensate for anything
d Let him stand his trial. He Is innocent.
there is justice in the land, he may, he mus
. be found not guilty."
; "But the agony of mind he must pas
: through"
"For that l will pay him over and owe
} again. He may be but a country boor, t
whom a thousand pounds would be ine1
. haustible wealth. But, whatever his ste
ton, the compensation sent to him by a
g unknown hand shall make him bless the da
which laid him under the false accusation
l Reflect, look at the matter in every light.
r swear to you that, in my opinion, we ma
a with a clear conscience, await the result
L the trial.
9 She sighed, but made no answer. H
r silence was a Joy to me. 1t told me that n
r specious argument carried weight, l toC
her hands and kissed them. l told her aga
:, and again that | loved her; thai my life
}. well as hers depended on her yielding.
g TWAS long before she yielded. The thong
Of a fellow-creature lying in prison, perha
for months, and tomorrow to stand
le shame before his Judges, on account Of
/. deed which she herself had done, was angui
le to her noble nature, Then, growing despera
at seeing the only plank which could sa
10 us from wreck spurned for the sake OF VIII
e, in my present mood, was able to pehe
It too finely strained a scruple, l used my Ii
10 and. as I rightly judged, my most poweri
n- argnment / told her that it would be I
only she who would suffer for that uncC
N scious act, but that ], her husband, must p
v the penalty due from an accessory after
~ crime
~ words caused that loving hearth Philip
lr IN whom the intelligence OF my danger
like a thunderbolt, sank back IN her Sc
tn pale and trembling. Had l ever doubi
that nv wife's heart-whole love was my o
Iy that look would have dispe1ed the doubt.
She praved and besought me to leave
no at the next station; to let her finish the 10
new and make her avowal alone. My re
in was short, but sufficiently long to put
IT. hone of my consenting to such a course
Id Of her head, Then, for my sake, she yield
ION one condition-one only, she said.
at "Be guided by me in this In all else J
re shall do as you like"
i'd II must be in the court, Basil. n
hear the trial II the worst happen, u
OF must not be the delay OF a momehS' I
he and there l must proclaim the truth"
re mYou shall be ct hand-close at hand
lch will be present.
It'll "Nol | must be there. must hear
ice see all. II the man Ia found guilty, l m
lly before his horrible sentence Is pronoun'
m stand I'D and declare his innocence"
"All that could be done afterwards"
or tNo; it must be dche then. Basil, fan,
old put yourself in his PLACED, Nothing c.
atone for his anguish at hearing hin
err condemned to death for a crime he KIN
ite nothing Of. must be there. Promise
no shall be there, and for your sake l will d
at you wish"
...,;aod I ooncealed the fact that If U