The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1885-05-23
SYLVESTER'S WIFE.

denly developed into something near
" akin to excitement The Jury had
Just returned a verdict OF culpable
homicide against a dozen out OF some
fifty Shangaans who stood huddled
together, helpless and frightened, IN
thedock, charged with partlcIpatlonm
afatal tribal atfray at the Lone Star Dl-
almond Mining Company's compound;
the Judge had duly sentenced the gap
ing unfortunates, and the laIIers were
endeayoIing to sort them out from
among their unconvicted but prOba-
bly, no less guilty comrades, when the
Crown Prosecutor, a freSh-cOlOred
young Engishman, with no small idea
OF his own importance, turned in his
seat at the barrister's table, and wills
pered to the official who sat behind
him to put forward Dirk Sylvester.
The official arose and repeated the
name aloud; a hum OF expectancy ran
through the little crowd OF SPECTATORS
and passed on to the loungers outside,
who eagerly crowded into the CORFU
gated iron temple OF Justice; gentle
men OF the long robe and members Of
the press hurried over from 'The Vel
low Bar" Just opposite and the stall
wart Zulu, attired in canvas marked
with the broad black arrow, paused
in his monotonous Jerking OF the pun
kah cord in order to catch a glimpse
OF 'Baas" Sylvester, as he stepped in
to the dock.
The prisoner was tall, handsome
colonial, with dark cleaning eyes,
black beard, and a skin the paleness
of which had beenripened into sWarth-
mess by the fierce African sun. He
was erect and fearless; he threw
glance of defiance at his enc
mics; he nodded with a smile
to his friends, and then as the
door ola private entrance to the body
OF thecourt opened, and a figure draped
in purest white, with bright golden
hair rippling in rich prOiusion over the
shapely shoulders. glided in, softly and
quietly like a sunbeam from the free
world outside, he leaned over the rail
which interposed between him and
liberty, and hoarsely whispered her
name-the dearest name on earth to
him.
1t was Sylvester's wife. She re-
spOnded quickly with look more
eloquent than words; and then the
prisoner drew himself up to his full
height, folded his arms, and listened
intently as the clerk OF the court, an
old friend with whom he had spent
many a registering evening in his
bachelor days, droned through the in
dictment, and in a clear voice replied
to the charge of wilful murder, mot
guilty"
The Crown Prosecution, in slow and
measured tones began to sketch the
history OF the crime; the Judge lOunged
back In his chair and leisurely sought
for the clean pages IN his record book;
the counsel for the defense pushed
back his wig from his perspiring brow,
and hunted out reference I'm an al
most forgotten work on the Roman
Dutch law; the spectators hushed
their mumurings; the punkah swaved
regularly to and fro overhead, and Svl-
vesters wife, sitting there in the well
OF the sitting court, with her sweet
blue eyes riveted on the prisoner, and
her luNuriaut locks rising and falling
with the artificial breeze, looked to me
even more beautiful than two wears
ago, when She nightly rayished the
hearts OF susceptible digger, in the
make-shift theater in the Dutoitspan
road.
In those memorable bygone DAYS
She was MademoEele Marie La COur.
and the star OF a travelling theatrical
company, which, like most other
combinations OF talent visiting the
Diamond Fields, never, as awhole. GOT
any further. The proprietor made so
much money IN a short season that ne
left to assume the lesseehip OF a bio
Australian house, and Narie's father
took over the management OF the
sheep thus bereft OF their shepherd.
How divinely she danced and sang;
how she brought the tears into the
eyes OF great rough fellows. or made
them shake the rafterS with their
sonorOus laughter; how she hut-ered
the heats OF the bank magnates and
the jew diamond merchants. and how
she caused the treasury to overflow
with fatness-are not all these THINGS
written in the tablets OF the memory
OF every dweller ON the Fields I'm the
zenith Of her fame she married Dirk
Sylvester, and if ever q. man deserved
ms bride ne dld, for his passion wore
hum almost to a shadow. and his
dark eyes cleaned dangerously if a
rival presumed as much as to speak
to her and before Dirk came upon the
scene there We're rivals in plenty: but
though Marie slipped che champagne
they protfered, and even accepted their
diamonds, she laughed openly at all
OF them. Dirk was proprietor OF one
OF the richest claims at the New Rush,
ana the moment he and Marie met the
host OF more or less hopeful suitor~
saw their chances were over She
seemed to have fallen in love with him,
quite as much a. he had with her. and
would have married him long before
she dld but that her father besourbt
her to continue ON the stage n TtrIe
longer tor his benefit At last the
old gentleman drank himself into the
Iarn4rNon Hospital. and only came
our thence to occupy one OF the graves
when are always yawning. ready duo
IN the Kimberley Cemetery, for Vie
inns to fever and alcohol and then
Marie La Cour became to us and aI1
our world "Sylvester's wife. "
They took little villa at the ex-
lremlJy OF putoitspan road: a
neat Veranda-surrounded residence.
screened from the dust and heat bv
IaIi blue gums, and half covered with
creepers and tropical flowers. After
,hat We saw little OF the once so we'll
known Marie La Cou OCCASIONALLY
at long intervals they would invite =
lew bachelor friendsEmvself included
to witness their bliss. and ON sncb
evenings the great bullfrogs which in
Eaded the garden OF The Oasis. as
LheIr place was rightly named, would
hush Their vile croaking as Svlvesrar's
vile trlLl5d forth some gay chansonerre
20 the accompaniment OF the Broad
wood which Dirk specially imported
lior her nom Europe or sometimes tha
happy par would rideo over to a picnic
on the banks OF the meandering Mod
der River and Mrs. Sylvester wonId
delgnn to astonish Us with fears Of
craftsmanship with the pretty revoI-
~ F1s1r-