The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1885-02-05

trial here. Ginevra never went near
it. Shut up in her chamber at Mox-
lev. she waited with her beautiful face
growing more like marble every hour.
When that verdict of guilty was
bTougrt her, she ordered her carriage.
and for the first time went to Dane )
prison.
Dane smiled As she came in. 1t was
the old witc ing Smi Il that had won
her. and the face. pale though it MAS
with confinement. WAS the old, hand
some. fond face. unobScured bv the
sneering. half-brutal rlond that had
been lowering between her and it uf
J late.
Il am glad you have come. was
;rirrut To send and ask you To come. :"
Dane said. and his voice was low, and
sweet, and rich with tender feeling. as
in The old days when they had been
more than all tue world 10 each other
Something smOte this proud woman
suddenly. as burst of sunshine dis
solves snow.
Down 1T his feet on the prison floor,
she sank, crying:
Forgive me. Dane'
Then Dane Eckhart lifted her up, and
told his story.
Il will save you yetr' Ginevra cried.
.'Let ME go"'
But Dane shook his head. smiling
sadly.
You may try, my darling, but it
will be in vain"
And it was. The strange, improb-
able story she told was received as the
loving artifice of fond, too faithful
wife-that was all; and Ginevra went
back to her husband to say, with her
face in his bosom:
Il cannot save You. my beloved, bu.
/ SHAH die with you: | will not live
without you"
Tue awful day approached. There
was no remedy, unless, indeed, the
real murderer came forward at the
last moment and confessed the deed.
There seemed little enough prospect
of that: but one evening as Ginevra
was driving home from the prison, a
strange, hungry-loOking creature came
out OF a clump of bushes by the road
side and spoke to her. She might not
have needed him, he looked so desper-
ate and forlorn. but she caught from
his lips her husbands name, and, bid
ding the driver stop, she leaned eagerly
from the carriage-loOr to listen.
The gaunt, miserable being came
close beside her.
Il can't stand it any longer" he
said, land I'm going to give myself
up. | was the heir at-law, and l thought
if she lived 10 see you, she'd make a
will and turn me out. | didn't know
she had made her will already, and l
shouldn' t have harmed her if you had
been day later in coming. She would
not have lasted of herself till then. 1t
was; for my wife and babes, who were
starving, and she wouldn't help them.
They IL starve now in downright ear
nest. if the disgrace don't kill them
first
Il will care for them," Ginevra said
solemnly, and took the wretch in her
carriage, and drove back to town.
1t was rs the man said. There was
plenty of cOrrobOrative evidence when
it came to that. and Dane Eckhart was
free Il thankful. it is hoped, a better,
man.
the poor fellow WHO had really done
the deed was. in the end. sent to lun-
attic asylum instead of TO death. lie
went mad in the prison. and. some
thought. was mad all the time.
tiinevra kept her word. She and
Dane took home the starving wife and
h:tbeS. and shared Margaret Mox ey's
Riches with them, partly from humble
gratitude for their own happiness after
all, partly because both felt that it was
right and just.