Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1885-03-13

At first L thought was going OF had gone
mad. The thoughts which rushed through
my mind were disjointed, and wanted coher-
! ence. An innocent man accused of the
crime! To be tired on the twentieth The
twentieth! and now it is the sixteenth
Fresh evidence forthcomingl The fools-the
utter fools! This the boosted detective skill!
10 arrest on suspicion, to bring to trial
man who must be ignorant of everything
connected with the murder! What is to be
dones What can be dones Oh, my wifei
my poor, darling wifel
Then, l believe, l cried like a child. 1t
seemed to me that all was lost There was
but one thing to be done-one course to be
taken. lily darling must give herself up to
Justice, and by her confession free this luck
less wretch who now stands in peril of his
life. She must bear the shame of the trial.
and trust to human justice and the mercy
which she had right to expect. Oh, it was
pitiful, pitifull For long while no altelna-
tive course suggested itself to me.
Human justicel What is Justice See
how it can err 1t can arrest, try, and--oh,
horrible ught!-perhaps condemn to
death an innocent mani How then would
it fare with Philippa2 Who, now that mar
riage has scaled my lips, was there to prove
her madness when she slew that man? [
ragged at the thought. It seemed to me that
we We're hard and fast in the tolls | might,
it IS true, call William, my servant, to swear
that her manner was strange and wild upon
ulidu Ill1uU. L hight Gall luO nurses TO prove
that when first they saw her she was recov-
ering from an attack of mania. But would
they be credited? Would not clever law
yer soon convince twelve ordinary men that
it was not her madness which prompted the
crime, but the crime which produced the
madness We were indeed meshed and
bound; hemmed in on every side; helpless
and, it seemed hopeless!
And Philippe must be told this! must
tell herl How could nerve myself to make
the truth known to her-now, OF all times,
when her health was all but restored; when
kind of sad but placid acquiescence in what
fate had wrought seemed to be gradually
coming over her; now, when l was once
more building up homes ct happiness for her
as well as for me! For / knew-ah! think of
this, and pity me-that before another half
year should pass there might be given to my
wife and me gift which would 90 far to-
ward sweeping away the memories of gloom
and horror which had of late spread over
our lives even dared to hope, to feel GER
tain, that as she gazed into baby eyes, as
she pressed tiny heed to her bosom, some,
nay much Of the lost sweetness and glory of
life might return to my love
Think o. this, and picture me lying on the
ground that day, with the damning intelii-
genca fresh on my mindi Think that in a
few hours | must return to my home and tell
my wife that the bolt had fallen! There was
no alternative!
No alternativea Stay, there is an alterna-
1--WE! 1he Llood seemed TO course Wildly
through my veins, my heart beat fiercely,
my lips grew dry, and a choking sensation
came over me, as for the first time the SIM
pie yet certain way of cutting the knot OF
my difficulties flashed across my mind SO
simple, so easy it at first appeared, that L:
laughed at my stupidity in not having seen
1t at once.
Tear that accursed paper to pieces, Basil
North Scatter those pieces to the Winds
Forget what you have read Go back to
your luxurious, flower bedecked home. Meet
the one you love with a smile upon your
face--you have forced smiles before nowi
Greet her as usual. Say nothing of this
mornings news. Keep your own counsel:
bury all you have learned in your secret
aearu. &c tais sad be hanpv forever moral
ITO be Contimued.]