Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1885-03-10
DARK DAYS
BY HUGH CONWAY.
AuiAor Of "oaR,d Raet


rcIaiei lu a calm an hillus Nay
Grant kn1w hal uo SISTER. ] calici her
cousin tecause had a wili horo that. " the
worss haITersi. ! might D. abls to concesl
the tfue lationship IN which We stood. and
80 D. T-rmittei O. give evtiencs on Ter -
half. ! trusted my wife would guess that I
bad a gor-i rcasHu Ter this deception.
"Try ani manage tbs for M. Grant, I
sad - earnestly that my fncni male no
further dcmur
Tale 10, in your cat. ami l viii 80 what
! can d.
During our drive 20 he shlrehal / asked
Grant what hc know about the impeni.uE
trial
"No,h.nr." ie .sii. frankly n hate
murder caas-taie even a. rad al.lni them
" c0ur-s know that 30 Mofvyn Icrrani
VS. Iiie.l ani hidden in ths snow for days
and iays But know NJ more
Who b. The accus.df
Il don't tuov I thought. from your
ansisiy. you m1af tnow him.
"Wli o. a. founi guI'fYr
n douf kn1v ti1Y. ] heard sous cne
vho ought a. D. well Inf0rmei sav vrl'fr.
iav tha' tte c1ss far the rrnssruflHn wa
ms feeble Hs sesuei a. douti Or ihs
grand JURY would return a irue hll"
AsItfafd tnn ] IItssld iuihppas tani
s.crrtlr fer ttai sts was trembling
Iio drive o. thr rtirctall occulioi only q
few minutes We di ne ~ a. ths ru6. BE-
entrance. in front q which ] could lre a
crowd oi r-oyls nearly decking up tha
sfrrrf We st0TI-i a. another dor, AMI
Grant, after lnoking around, caught agnt q
what ayfsarci O. a. an insIector oi lolicc.
Ila cutifei into hitio CUuVV-snt ton With
him th, rrsu't n vhlch was that we were
given IniD b. care.
Tbs is lresch q The lAs." Whispered
my frirul as lr ial. mo guo.i.i bye. "lDu
~iii have g. at.ne Or "a - a ha-dsolne
W followed car guile Tnnippa. al.
tfou.h ealklug with trm sen lranei
heavily uron my arm srarceiy know by
utat door W. entered ttat palac1 ~ lll-
uor Ita stnlvart TalI.cIgan lci ut tlruu fh
stone corraiafs and ptsages Which re.
rch0.i With tte trcal of oar foci. AMI at
..sf 30 folni ourselves lcfnrn n douh's
sUIu.lne rain oak door. over which in 0'd
EHr.uh irtfera rHs written Criminal
t.urf'
If.t nUppa shuiier. AM tnsw that
ths .ht of thoss soris bruught ~ horror
q tho situation fully honio o. hrr. Mechan
ioa.iy rrss-.-i q .oFeraign in ths hani of
the fcnial inslaciof, of ~taiefer he "asi
thsn. tn'ilnr ny viie's tant. ! Tatrd
through tas uois.losi swinging iror MO the
al bui empty court
4 fsw f.llIcemrn ani Other ofras were
ioung.ng about luo 0f thrcs people. sh1
Lai ~ doubt gaInei aiuitiance in thc sains
vav a. us lsi done. esrs .aiei n various
.oirnes n vantage iei PHILIPPE up tn
hfuai tfsfs. and pointed tonnn q fhs tarl
sonirn Ianrhfs rrHYIinIl Toe fla aUrnmm0-
iaiion of 90 general pulir 1teas benches
werc rsl..i fisp ~ stsp. Drs al 81 anoihsr
We closr or p.Itlon aiaui li i-ear up
"a ths fishi-hanl s,is q ~ o0art lh.l-
iVIa. Nth her thick veil falling dHvn o. hrr
chin. anl so i.fyia osnluon. san. usif'
ly into Doc -raf Z Tacel mysr.f hfsile
bsr. mY tsnl cr,pf unlrr iha cllas he
sore anl hr.i hrr hart
Saro.y. o. uas al a dream q ireaiial,
realistic dream sh.ui uakl nui tul
my seif uulsr th1 Efeat ortnsi Tree iu that
cUurfYanl u EnY NrNln. my haII.tu. knl
ciEar AMI TO- l0uk which bad Ten lan y
reading ly.nE at my feat. uy mother OPP
rie mo. laughing al my spmno ency, ani
ihuipIas grave iark eTrs lonAins Ni,n
calm cVer.a astlng love into my own
should waks AMI hni the c,oi ~ che evening
hal suocscie.l to the glare q the afternoon
We should walk through Che merry streets.
lounge ln ths Alamrii. uanior thrnug1 iNe
glowing Alcafar garirut Or drive Uui miles
AMI mlirs over fIn fertile smiling plains 90
! should even sake ani hni mfsalf nI.iiiug (
over mF FIRE in ny ionrly o.itags. iha ST. 4
william iho oniY human creature within
bail, itilrpas return. 90 fups storm. tne
drcai iul discovery, tha Z rlt N.fDi', tle
marrage-an. al a dfram'
inak.ul of supor-ths temporary rcac.
tion. surros.. consequent upon such faiigus
and uout'e-i gatsl around M, aui "un'
dsrrl sloroi saa
What !. tbs great empty blilng. hi
from Ona fila ~ large cerarfurf nlui1Hs
rnt-~i iurrs ou either siio 90 the tuIliug
n ecc'os.asi.cal dssIEni What arr thea.
duh gray vacant sails. that lnfiy ceiling.
crosssi AMI cut into small sqlarcs hY dark
rafters. This Isaioi rn0r 0n wtich fori
fan al but un aelealyi What are th0ss
tho-s small raiiei platforms 40 tui aillin.
ing them. AMI 40 hgt Al .oiu'ng That r1ne.s,l
oak structure a. Co. cni facing net
What h that rectangular b1x shnpel
erfction with oferhnnUng Carfri cofu.l Fl
1t us away frum this iiuull c'lufics.
fiarsf - ms waka AMI i1l myself anil
the f1sers. orange tr.rs, thc fair ghts and
surroundings n cor Spanish hlmt
40 have hui to tu.n my dhfsl ei - tl
the rrnfrs q aunrr ln uhIrh We sat a. knoss
that I am dreaming nn trram. that w. must
wait her, ami learn olr fat That ohoug
wooden enclosure withtigl slles. ioppoi ~
light irrn railing. irInw reality lax to
M u L. tha rflsonera 1nck u an hour
time aman will tiani thsrc. IT, vii n
lroughi up thoas sf0nf steps vhi.h lrai n
I, from ha'OU. ne topm0si fag ~ which
can insi se. lls vi.l stand there o. hours
A. a. leaves ths d0ck. drc'sroi innoccnt 90
guilty. - viii our lives D. declared harpy
Or miserable.
Nv hanI hollis my Wits yet closer. "a
ths last minutes which may l. ours O.
spend together are slipping by - fa'i' .
very fast
~. ths clock under the balcony marks
haif.rasf nine Tha al lut desertei cour'
lcgins o. assume the nyIsarance - pro
psfing for tusinest policomen AMI oihei
officials tass o. nni fro. enme arrangiu.
papsr, soms rcrlonisling ink .botilea, AM
placing Quill pens really Tor TIE harisierl
and s0licitors Who will coon on those front
seats Soue one. With whst seems q m.
bitter irony. PLACES a magnificent bouquet
% fowers on either hand n the tutEu's Va
cant chair What have f1weri In commnu
with such a scsne as thisi Flower, Too
whirh arr i.auiiful enough o. recall :,
ny mini the fair spanish home. which
mayl~. w- shall 49, ~ more. Flower. %
this den - sorrow Rather should ever
sost. every beam. D. drapci In black
Now the doors % each siie ~ TIE courl
oren. AMI remain open. hear o shnfhini
% many feet reopie. IN a continuou,
stream. pas through tho enirance, an
went their way 20 tie portion n the cour'
allotted o. the general puhlic. - fast, a.
thick they crnie. that Ia ten minutes th'
snsce i throng.i almos, % slfccation.
rhni1a AMI ! prcs,oi closer snt clos.r &
each other. A. every inch % the bench %
which We are seated is Appropriated IN
court Il full
Crowded by rcspectabie-lookinz. well
drrS-s-i PEOPLE, who have gained admission
a. heari. ~ favor o. tbo sheriff. Yet
respectable a. they are, each man. eacl
woman. rushes In eagerly anil strives foi
tho brst available seat And Tor What rsa
soni To 80 ami hear a poor wretch irie.
for his lifci In my bitter mood J. Oh VIII
hate on thcse sensation s-ekerS J hate then
even more when Think that their morbid
craving for excitement may h. satisfied will
such food a. they little expect and ] clincl
my teeth as picture tho scene at ths, mo
ment when lhilippa, IN pursuance of hei
immovabls resolution, ris.s. ani makes he
effort 10 proclaim her own guilt and III
conylctsl mans innocence Although
strive 20 force tho picture from my mini
hy telling myself tha, justice cannot err
that the man will D. acquitted. yet agsiI
and again the dreai u the worst seiEs' me-
ana hate every face IN that crowd. whicl
NAV, b. AMI BY. b. gaping. with looks o
wonier and curiosity, At the woman love
Asin a haEs I see some faces which an
familiar % me A number 0f genilemei
enter and Eat themselves on the benche
which counsel usually occupy. Some few o
thr-s I know ~ sight They are countr,
S,ntleuen from the neighborhOoi u Rod
Inx. who are now called 20 serve on ~
grsni iufy. 80 aiso the thin faced. hawk
I.h-looklnx woman Who calls herself Mrs
Wilsnn | am thankful that she takes
seat In front a us and does not sec uA She
Ike ourselves. must know that an innocent
man l. this DAY about % he tried.
the crowd of people, now Al the empty docl
ana vacant bench in front Of me; listening
ing 20 the hum % voices which rises from
the packsd court; longing for the momen
- -. "a. Ir..lf su.uansa t,.,