The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1885-01-22

Sir Mervyn Ferrand had paid for his sin
Wih his lifei
Deadl Before | knee,ed bosIde' him and,
aftor unhuttonIng his coat, laid my hand on
his breast, | knew the mar was dead, be
fore | turned the lantern on hIa white face |
knew who tho man was, Sir Mrryyn Fer
rand had paid Tor his sin with his lifol II
needed little professional skill to determine
tho cause Of his death. A bullet fired, ID
seemed 10 me, AT close quarters had passed
absolutely through the heart He must
have fallen without a moan Killed, |
knew, by tho hand OF tho woman he had
wrong,d,
A meoring smile yot fingered on his set
features, could even imagine the words
which had accompanied IT, whom swift and
sudden, without one moments grace for
repentance or confession, death had boon
melted out 10 him, Al one moment he stood
erect and full OF life, mocking, II may DO,
her who had trusted him and had been bo-
trayod; No the next, before tho sentence no
was speaking was completed, no lay lifeleas
al her feet, with the now-tiakoa beginning
30 form hla w~indlng-sheeti
oh, IL was yengoanoel swift, deadly ven.
goaneei But WHY. oh. WHY had she wreqkod
~ PHillppa, my peerless Philippe, a muir
dsrcasl oh, II was TOO fearful, too horrlblol
must bc dreaming, All my own thoughts
OF revenge lott ms. II was for tho time pity,
shoor pity, / felt for tho man, cut of In tho
prime OF hIa life, While l knew ho was alive
] could look forward 10 aud picture tho min.
utc when WI should stand coolly Sooklng TO
kill ono another. but now that no was dead
I hated him no longer, Ali death Ia a sacred
thing. Dcadl Sir Mervyn Forrand dead,
and slain by philippal
IL could not DO truoi 10 should not DO truei
Yet / phuddored no l remembered the passion
she hal thrown Into those words, "Basil, did
you ever hate a manr' ! gave n low cry OF
anguish rs l remembered h w | had hurled
from mo tho pistol aho had lot fall-tho
very weapon which had done tho dreadful
deed.
Killed by Phlllppai Not IN a sudden burm
Of uncomfortable passion, but with dclibor-
nto lntont She must have gone armed 10
meat him. Rho must have shot him through
the heart; must have soon him fall. 1hon,
only then, tho horrible deed which she had
wrought mnst have boon fully roaliEodl
Then aho had turned and fed from tho spot
IN a frenzy, Oh, my poor grill my poor
grill
Utterly bowlldcred by my anguish roso
from my knees and stood for a while beside
che corpse. II was In that moment | learned
how much | really loved tho woman who
had done thia thing. Over all my grief and
horror this love rose paramount Az all
cost l must save hor-save hor from tho
hands Of Justice; a hor from tho force
elements which hor tender franc wal over
at this moment Drawing. AMI an I recalled
how she had sought mo yesterday with tho
talo OF her wrong--how she hal wildly fcd
into the night, M | thought OF tho injuries
she had suffered, and which had led her 10 |
shod this mans blood, AZ I oontraated hor
In her present position with what she was
whom first | know hor and loved hor. tho pity
hogan 10 fade from my heart, my thoughts
toward tho %liroleus form at my feet grow
storm and aombrc, and l found myself bo
ginning, by tho old code OF an eye for an
eye, 10 justify, although l regretted Philip
pas fearful act Right or wrong, she was
the woman l loved; and ! nworo I would
savo hor from tho consequences OF hor
crimo, o~vcn-Heayon holp mol-it tho aecu-
sation, whom made. must fall upon my
shoulders.
Yot II was not tho beginning Of any
scheme 10 eyado justice which induced mo
10 raise tho dead body and bear II 70 tho
aide OF tho road, whore l placed II under tho
low bank on which tho hedge grow, II was
tho reverence which ono pays h death made
me do this, oould not leave tho poor
wretch lying In tho very middle OF tho high
way for tho first passcruby 10 stumble
against Tomorrow no would, OF course,
10 found. Tomorrow tho hue and cry
would DO 6utl Tomorrow Phillppn, my
Philippe, would -, Oh, hoavcnsl never,
mover, ncvorl
30 l laid what was loft OF Sir Mcrvyn
Pcrrand royontially by the aldeo OF tho lonely
road | oven tried 20 close his CLASSY cyca,
aud I covered ha face with his " hand.
korchlef 1hon, with heart holding fear
and anguish enough for n lifetime, | turned
and wont In search OF tho poor unhappy
girL
Whore should | acek hcrI Who know what
her remorse may have urged hor TO dol
Who know whittier her horror my have
driven hcrl II needs but 20 find Philippe
lifelea' N tho road 10 complete tho heaviest
tale u grlcf which can 10 cxocted from ono
mar In onoshort night lolinched my tooth
and rushed on,
had tho road all tho road 10 myself No
ono wns abroad In such weather, Indeed,
few prisons wcrc aoon at night IN any
woat' or In this lonely part Of tho country.
Imalc straight for my own housi, Tho dis
mal thought came 10 mo that unless Phil
ipra kept 10 tho road she was lost 30 mo
forever. II she strayo1 10 Tho right or 10
The left, how on mcl, a night coull ! posi-.
bly, nud hort NY one hope was that aho
would 30 strai ht'to my cott,ga. 40 thithor
] made the best Of my way, II she hal not
arrived, | must got what assistance ! could
and seek for her In the folls TO tho right and
left OF the road. II was n drcary comfort
b. rrnember that all Tho ponds aud spaces
OF wnt r WIRE frozen ak inches thick.
i hesitatod a moment when | reached her
late residence. Should | inquire II she had
rcturned thltherf MOI when morning re-
vealel Nh, CHASTITY event Of tho nirht, my
having done 40 would awake suspicion.
Let mi n,pt 20 homo.
Home NJ last In n moment I shall know
Che worst. | opened thn slide of my Ian.
tern, which was atill alight, md throw tho
rays on the path which led 10 my door. Ny
heart give n grent bouni OF tlankfulnoss.
There on the Hnow, not yst oblitcrnted by
more recent fakes, were tho prints Of a
small foot. Pbilippa, an ! prayei, but
scarcely dired 70 hopo phs might, had como
straight to my house,
Ny man opened the door for mo II was
well ! Ind sern those footprIntn, as my
knowled q OF Plilippa's arrival enabled mo
- Assume a natural nir.
|