Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-05-10
SYLVESTER'S WIFE.

1.
After tiffin on the second day of the
summer assizes for Griqualand West, the
ianguid interest which had hitherto been
taken in the proceedings suddenly de.
yeloped into something nearly akin to
excitement. The jury had Just returned
verdict of culpable homicide against a
dozen out of some fifty Shangaans who
stood huddled together, helpless and
frightened, in the dock, charged with par
ticipatiOn IN a fatal tribal ARRAY as the
Lone Star Diamond Mining Company's
compound; the Judge had duly sentenced
the gaping uniOrtunates, and the jailers
we're endeaYOrng to sort them out from
among their uncOnvicted but probably no
l,ss guilty comrades, when the Crown
Prosecutor, fresh-cOlOred young En-
lishman, with no small idea of his own
Importance, turned in his seat at the bar
risters' table and whispered to the official
who sat behind him to put forward Dirk
sylvester. The official rose and repeated
the name aloud; hum Of expectancy ran
through the little crowd of spectators and
PASSED on to the lOungers outside, who
eagerly crowded into the corrugated iron
temple Of justice; gentlemen of the long
robe and members OF the press hurried
over from TIE Yellow Bar" just oppo-
site, and the stalwart Zulu, attred in
canvas marked with the broad black ar
row, paused in his HOMOGENEOUS Jerking of
the punkah cord in order to catch a
glimpse of "Baas" Sylvester as he stepped
into the dock.
The prisoner was tall, handsome colo
NAL, with dark cleaning eyes, black
bemd, and skin the paleness of which
had been ripened INTO ~ arthiness by the
fierce African sun. He was erect and
fearless; he threw glance Of defiance at
his enemies; he nodded with smile to
his friends, and then, as the door of pri-
Vate entrance 10 the body of the court
opened, and figure Qraped in purest
white, with bright golden hair ripping in
rich prOfuslOu over the shapeiy shoulders,
glided in softly and quietly like a sun
beam from the free world outside. be
leaned over the rail which lnterpOsed be-
tween him and liberty, and hOarsely wills
pered her name-the dearest name on earth
10 him.
1t was Sylvester's wife. She responded
quickly with look more eloquent than
words; and then the prisoner drew him
self up TO MS full height, folded his arms,
listened intently as the clerk OF the court.
an old friend with whom he had spent
many a registering evening In his bachelor
days, drcned through the indictment, and
in clear voice replied to the charge Of
wiliul murder, "NOt guilty."
measured tones, began to sketch the his
tory of the crime; the Judge lounged back
in his chair and lelsurely sought for the
clean pages in his record book; the cOun-
sci for the defense pushed back his wig
from his perspiring brow and hunted out
"a reference in an almost forgotten work
on the ROman-Dutch law; the spectators
hushed their murmuring; the punkah
swayed regularly to and fro overhead.
y = In fhs
we'll of the sitting court with her sweet
blue eyes riYeted on the prisoner and her
luXuriant locks rising and falling with
the artificial breeze, looked to me even
more beautiful than two years ago, when
she nightly rayished the hearts Of sus-
ceptible 0iggers in the make-shilt theatre
in the DutOltspan road.
IN those memorable bygOne days she
WAS Nile Marie La Cour, and the star Of
a lr't us theatrical company, which,
liNe mo- other combinations of talent"
visiting Tue Diamond Fields, never, as a
whole, got any further. The proprietor
made SO much money in a short season
that he left 10 assume the lesseeship OF
big Australian house, and Marie's father
took over the MANAGEMENT Of the sheep
thus bereft OF their shepherd. How di-
yinely she danced and sang; how she
brought the tears into the eyes Of great
rough fellows, or made them shake the
ralters with their sOnOrOus laughter; how
she tluttered the hearts Of the bank MAJ
mates and TIE jew diamond merchants,
and how she caused the treasury 70
overflow with fatness-are not all these
things written in the tablets of the
memory OF every dweller on the Fieldsl
In the zenith of her fame, she married
DIX Sylvester, and 10 ever man deserved
his bride he did, for his passion wore him
almost 10 shadow, and his dark eyes
cleaned dangerously II rival Presumed
as much as 10 0peak TO her, and before Dirk
came upon the scene there were rivals IN
plenty; but, though Marie slipped tho
champagne they proflered, and even ac-
Ceptcd their diamonds, she laughed
openly ut all of them. Dirk Was prOpre-
tor OF one OF the richest claims 40 the New
Rush, and the moment he and Marie met
the most Of more or less hopeful suitOrs
saw their chances were over. She seemed
10 have fallen In love with him quite as
much as he had with her, and would have
married him long before she did but that
her father besougnt her 10 continue on the
stage little longer for his benefit. AT
last the old gentleman drank himself Into
the CarnaryOn Hospital, and only came
out thence TO occupy one OF the graves
which are always yawning, ready dug in
the kimberley Cemetery, Tor victims TO
fever and alcohol; ard then Marie La Cour
became to us and all our world "bylyes-
tCr's wife,
They took q little villa at the extremity
q" Dutnitspan road, 4 neat yeranda-sur-
luuuded residence. screened from the aust
ana heat by tall blue gums, and half COW
cred with creepors and tropical flowers.
After that we saw little Of the once 50
Well-knOwn Marie La COur. Occasion
ally at lOnu fntorvnta they would invite q