The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1885-02-20

maps the nearest approach to ms bet
ter nature had been his love for beauti-
ful Ginevra Moxley. He had loved
her, and it had been no sham marriage
between them as he pretended.
He saw plainly that Ginevra would
never consent to leave him, and that
they were miserly poor, ana with the
prospect of worse before them.
He thought that once set free from
hin, her aunt would take her back, and
knowing that she would never go, ex-
cept in some harsh alternative as this,
he had lied to her thus.
He lay in his prison cell and thought
of all this, and of his too probable com
ing fate. But he knew better than TO
attempt to make Ginevra believe him
certainly then.
"When / stand face to face with
death will tell her. he said to him
self. "She will believe the them
The case went up for trial. 1t is not
so difficult to string together evidence
enough to hang man, when there is
so little to be SAID on the other side as
in this case, and the very circumstan-
ces left little to be said. Besides, Dane
Eckhart already bore bad reputation,
and bad name is rs much an injury
TO a man as good one is an advan
tage,
We cannot follow the details Of that
trial here. Ginevra never went near
It, Shut up in her chamber at Moxley,
she waited with her beautiful face
growing more like marble every hour.
When that verdict of guilty was
brought her, she ordered her carriage,
and tor the first time went to Dane g
prison.
Dane smiled as she came in 1t was
the old witching smile that bad won
her. and the face, pale though it was
with confinement, was the old, hand
some, fond face, unobscured by the
sneering, half.brutal cloud that had
been lowering between her and it of
late.
81 am glad you have come. | was
about 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 the world to each
other.
Something smote this proud woman
suddenly, as burst of sunshine dis
solves snow.
Down at lis 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 yeti" 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, impro.
bable story she told was received as The
loving artifce of fond, too faithful
wife-that was all and Ginevra went
back to her husband to say, with her
face in his bosom:
81 cannot save you, my beloved, but
| shall die with you; l will not live
without you.'
The 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 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 eager
ly from the carriage door to listen.
The gaunt, miserable being came
close beside her.
Il can't stand it any longer he said,
"and I'm going to give myself up. !
was the heir'in-aw, and l thought if
she lived to see you, she'd make a will
and turn me ont. / didn't know she
had made her will already, and
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
bel p them, They'll starve now in down
right earnest, if the disgrace don't kill
then. first
81 will care for them," Ginevra said
solemnly, and took the wretch in her
carriage, and drove back to town.
1t was as the man said There was
plenty of corroborative evidence when
it came to that, and Dane Eckhart was
free-a thankful, it is hoped, a better,
man.
The poor fellow who had really done
the deed was, in the end, sent to In
natc asylum instead of to death He
went mad in the prison, and, some
thought, was mad all the time.
Glnevra kept her word, She and
Dane took home the starving wife and
babes, and shared Margaret Monkeys
riches with them, partly from humble
gratitude for their own happiness after
all, partly because both felt that it was
right and just.