Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1885-03-05
DARK DAYS
BY HUGH CONWAY.
Author OF "CaHed Back"
CHAPTER WV


YEARF
Although, while engaged in the labor of
writing this story, have many times re-
GREETED that am nothing more than plain
narrator Of facts and incidents, not a master
of fiction, think have not felt the regret
50 strongly as at the moment when begin
this chapter. The somtEe acts Of the life
drama in which Philippa and played parts
50 painful, so full of grief, and even if
Frightened by a ray of joy, of joy falla-
cious and of uncertain tenure-these acts /
have found little difficulty in describing; l
had simply to throw my mind back to the
pictures of the past and reproduce them in
words. The task, whether well or i'll done,
was not hard one
But now, when in one moment and as il
by magic, everything changed; when sorrow
seemed to be simply swept out of our lives;
when that poor wretch's abject confession
of guilt, forced from him in some mysterious
way, not only left our whole future brig ht
and cloudless, but consigned to rest all the
ghosts of the past whose shadowy forms
had hitherto dogged our steps and denied us
the happiness rightly due to those who love
as We loved; now I feel my shortcomings
acutely, and wish my pen was more power
full than it Is
And yet word will describe the state of
my own mind as, when the last solemn
words were spoken by the judge-spoken in
a voice which showed emotion and distress
at being compelled to condemn follow
creature to death-I carried my fainting
wife from the crowded, reeking court. The
momentary sense of rapture passed away I;
bewilderment, sheer bewilderment, is the
word for what was left. l could not think.
All my reasoning faculties had left ms. In
fact, believe that had Philippa not swooned.
and so needed my mechanically given care,
myself should have fallen senseless on that
threshold which an hour before we crossed,
thinking we were going to endless misery.
remember this much. AS l laid Phil
ippa on one of the hard wooden benches in
the stone corridor kept repeating to my
self, innocent, my love is innocent; that
man is guilty" l suppose this continual re-
iteration was an enieavor to impress the
tremendous fact upon my brain, which for
time was incredulous, and refused to en-
tertain it.
l threw up my wife's veil and bathed her
face with water which was brought me by
a kindly policeman. Presently her eyes
opened and consciousness returned; she
strove to speak.
My presence of mind was fast returning.
dearest" l whispered, las you love, me not
word in this place. In minute we will
leave it."
She was obedient; but knew from the
wild look of joy in her eyes that obedienc,
tasked her to the utmost. She was soon able
to rise, and then We walked from the court,
pushed our way through the crowd whc
waited in the street busily discussing tbs
sudden termination to the trial. threw our.
selves into cab and in another momeni
were alternately weeping and laughing H.
each others arms.
1t was. however, but for moment. Ths
inn to which we drove was close at hand
There we were shown into room, and were
ut last free to give the fullest vent to our
pent up feelings
1t would be absurd for me to attempt to
reproduce our words, our disjointed exclama-
tions. 1t would be sacriege for me to de-
scribe the tears that we she'd the embraces,
the loving caresses we lavished on each
other Think of us an hour, one short hour
ago! Think of us now! This curse laid
upon us by that awful night removed for
ever! Our secret kept, or secrecy. if still
advisable, no longer absolutely needful.
Philippa, in spite of all had seen, in spite
of all she had told me on that night when [
found her, wild, distracted woman, in a
storm the widest that years have known,
guiltless of her husbands deathl Innocent
not only as she had in my eyes always been,
but also, what was far more, innocent in her
own eyes
Small wonder that for nearly an hour we
sat with our arms twned around each other,
and used few words which were mora than
rapturous exclamations Of love and jov.
There l cannot, will not describe the
scene more fully. will say no more, ex-
cept this; when at last we grew calmer,
Philippa turned to me, and once moro I saw
terror gathering in her eyes,
Basil" she said, 'is 1t true-it must be
trueY
''Truel of course it is"
"That man, the prisoner, could not have
pleaded guilty when he was innocent"
"Why should he9 1t meant death to him,
poor wretch"
"But why did he confessF'
"Who can tella Remorse may have urged
him to do so"
Philippa rose and her next words were
spoken quickly and with excitement
"No, did not do it, The thought, the
dream haunted me, but did not believe it
until heard these men talk of the way he
died. Then it all came back to me- The
mad storm, the dead man over whom I
stood; even then l don't think l actually
believed it. 1t was when you told me how
you found me that lost all hope"
"Dearest, forgive me. should have be-
loved in the impossibility of the act even in
your delirium, even il l had seen it DONE
Philippa, say you forgive me-"
She threw her arms around me. "Basil,
my husband" she whispered, 'you have
done much for me, do one thing more; find
out the whole truth-find out why this man
killed him, how he killed him; find out,
satisfy me that his confession was a true
one: then, Basil, such happiness as have
nsver even dreamed of will be minen
Sand mine" echoed.
promised to do as she wished. Indeed,
the moment | had recovered my senses re.
solved to learn everything that could be
learned. Once and for all | would clear
away every cloud of doubt, although that
cloud might be no bigger than a mans
hand.
But Philippa must not stop in Tewnham.
Her strange conduct during the trial, her
fainting fit after it, were bound to have at.
tracted the attention of thoss present. No
doubt she was looked upon friend of the
prisoner, who was overpowered by the sud-
den and awful ending to the case STILL she
must not stay at Tewnham.
We went to London by an afternoon train.
The next morning again ran down to the
place at which the trial was held. I learned
the name of the convicts solicitor, and as
NON as found him at leisure renueataj tba