The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1885-02-19

hphNJi pno loohen Nv Ho yNuFiihHiy'
dearest, II must have been a dream"
ble threw out her arms wildly. 'No, ne.
10 was no dream. Even now SEQ myself
standing In the plght over that motionlesi
.orm. can feel tho cold air on my cheek.
can see myself flying through tho snow.
Basil, hN - that man aud j killed himW
The tears we're streaming down my cheeks
seized her hands and strove 10 draw her
10 mo, Shs bore herself from my grasp, and
throwing herself wildly on tho bed, broke
into a parorysm OF soba A | approached
her she turned her head from mo-,
~ killed HIM killed himl" sho whispered
In awe-struck tones. ooh, that fearful
night IL has haunted mo ever alncs. ]
know not why, Now | know lie wrongsd
me, and ! killed himl killed himW.
/ placed my arm around her neck and my
cheek against hers, As she felt my touch
she started up wildly. .
mo, mop she cried. ''Touch mo notl
shun nal Shrink from mel Basil, do you
heart Do You understand have muir
dored q maui"
Once more she threw herself on the bed,
her whole frame qulyerlng with anguish,
"a shamed-a ruined womanp' she NUT
tered, "a villains (orssken toy, and now a
murderessl You have chosen your wife
well, BasllI"
DNbotohlt 4 iONH yUut' 4 MHhpoIols
"Lovs mel How can you love met Such
love Is not holy. II you love me, aid mo q
die, Basil Give me something that Will
kill mel Why did you save my lifef'
"Because ! loved you, then, as love you
now
sho was silent, and ! hoped was growing
calmer, / was but waiting for tho first
shock Of her nowly.born knowledge to pass
away, In order 10 reason with her, and
shew her that by every moral law she was
gulltless Of tn, fearful crime Suddenly
GLOW did i kill hlmr' shs said, with a
ahuddsr.
DEAREST. rest, We will talk again pros
sntly.n
"how did l kill hint" she repeated with
vehemence.
'Hs was found shot through tho heart"
answered, reluctantly.
'shot through his heart-hls wicked
hearth Shot 10y mel How could | have
shot hint with what Basil, tall mo all,
or shall go madl | will not have the
smallest thing concealed. | will know ALI"
''He was shot with a pistol.n
"A pistol a pistol How did ] como by
~ Where Ia ltn
~ threw II away
"Youl Then You kneww
I bowed my head. / felt that conceal
mont was useless, She must know all,
| told her everything. ! told hor how She
had promised 10 com 10 mo, how, as shedid
not keep that promise, | won't In search ~
her. told her how she had swept past mo
In the snow storm; how | had oysrtaken her,
repeated her wild words, and told her how
the fatal weapon had fallen at my feet, and
how ! had, on the impulse OF the moment
hurled II away into the night; how she had
broken away from me, and hvd down tho
lonely road how, excited and terrified by
her words, | had gone on 10 learn their
meaning how ! had found tho body Of Sir
Morvyn F0rrand; how, without thought or
concealinE tho deed, | had laid tho dead man
by the roadside; how ! had rushed homo and
found her, Philippa, waiting for mo, and In
the full height OF temporary insanity. /
told her all this, aud sworo that from tho
moment / discovered that her sonsos had
gone aatray | held her, although she had
done 40 dreadful a deed, IA innocent OF crimo
M whom aho slept, q babe, on hor mothers
breast
She listened 10 mo with flxed, .dilated eyOS.
She interrupted me neither by word nor ges-
ture, but when l had finished speaking she
covered her face with her hands, and great
tears trlcklSd through hor fingers. mo
hopsl No hopsf' she cried. "Oh, Basil, l
dared 10 hope that something you would toll
me- would show mo II was not my hand
which did this thingl My love, my own love,
we have bson 40 happy while ! could per.
sundo myself all this was n droaml We shall
be happy NJ moro, BahlW
Although she atill ahrank from ma, by
foroe ! drew hor TO ne, and laid that poor
head on my shoulder, atrokod the smooth
black silky hair, | kissed tho white forehead,
and used avery endearing and soothing OK
prcmion that love such an mine could sug-
gest. In valnl The moment | looesned my
hold my wlfo fed from my aide,
"Baall,n she cried, "you knew III You
know the blood OF q man was on my handal
Again ] say such q love IL not holyW
"Dearest, again ] toll you that In my
eyes-if tho truth were known, In tho eyes
OF nll-you are innocent M n babe.n
She shook hor head hopelesAly. saw
that nothing nj present could movO hor.
Perhaps u was moro than | had y right 10
expect So for the time ! gave up arguing.
! begged her for my sake 20 retire 10 rest.
gave her u soothing dr0ught, sat by hor
FOR hours, and hold hor hand, until NJ last
her eyolids foil, and, worn out by grief, sho
rlopt
on, how right | had boon In choosing
nlgh(l Although q cursed chance had ro-
vealed what ! fondly hoped would DO for
ever buried In oblivion, how right | had
beenl Had the hands Of Justice graapod my
sweet wife. although shO might no doubt
have boon found guIltlesa, tho trial, tho cx-
posure, would have killed her. Thank
heaven, she was safe, and amenablo only TO
thu tribunal Of her own sensitive oonaclencol
Whom | heard her breathing grow rogu-
lar and knew that she was In n deep ploop, |
pressed my lips gently 10 her fair check and
loft her. went In search OF my mother,
and made tho best tale / could think OF 10
account for Phillppaa indispositlon. I
forced myself 10 wear n smiling face, and 10
lIAtan with a show Of Interest," 10 tho account
my mother gavo mo Of certain difficulties
which had during my absence arisen with
somo OF tho native servants, But there was
nothing which could really interest mo
whom I Thought OF my poor love lylng thoro
morae. No wonder that, M soon IN | had
npont with my mother tho smallest portion
OF time which flial duty and gratitude OF
acted, ] fiod back 10 Phillppa'a bedside.
I watched beside her until she awoko--
until her splendid dark eyes unveiled them
selves. I leaned over and kissed hor pas
nionatcly. Between slcoplng and waking,
while consciousness was yet In abcyanoc, sho
%rsturned by carossoN Then came back
memory and la tcrrore
"iSayo mo-" she said; "T am a murder
etaT'
Once moro I donIod III, once moro I told
bor abe was innocent. My only hone was
that by continued argument ] might In tlmo
easo her mind. Sho listened almost Npathet-
ically. | grow eloquent and passionate.
Was I not pleading for my own sake m we'll
m hor~I II | could but persuade hcr ahc
| was unaccountable for what sho had done,
some remnant OF tho happiness which a few
days ago | had promised myself might sven
now be left
WBaail,n sho whispered. ~ have been
dreaming horrible things win they try
mo-and hang mo "
1--WE arc in Spain, dearest Even II you
wcre guilty, the English law could not roach
you.N
' Shs started. "And 10 wal for this you
hurried 20 Spain To save mo from q fell
.sTo save you rom what, In your state no
tho time, you could not boar. say again
you arc Innocent but ] dare not rlsk the
rlnl.n
she was silent for somo minutes; then shs
molta.