The Washington critic., 1885-12-19

may have seemed an accident; but un-
der the circumstances of your presence
in the Toom, no jury in this world
would call il an accident. The law
would call it murder"
81 was trying to wrcst the pistol
away, TO prevent him from shooting
me, when IL went off and killed him"
"And he was trying to prevent your
escape with his property, when the
pistol went Oft, shot and killed him.
The law would call 1t murder, my boy.
But come DO not despair. You
acted, one might almost say, in self
aforementioned In sclf-dcfence while
committing robbery. You did not
mean to become n criminal. You did
not voluntarily descend into the dark
abyss. You made 0aG misstcp and fell
hcadlong"
"But the verdict of the coroner's Jury
was that Nathan Ielvorton came to
his death by bullet shot into his brain
from n pistol held in his hand. This
verdict was literally true. The pistol
fired" said Harcourt, speaking with
difficulty.
Eyes, the pistol was in his hand, but
he did not fire it. The pistol was in
yoUr hand, also, for you had hold of IL
trying to wrest it from him. And be.
tween you, the weapon was discharged,
and Yclverton killed"
at was an"
Now, don't say that again; It is
stupid and monotonous. Pull yourself
together, man, and face the music. The
coroners jury have found it suicide,
and suicide ii rests Poor Yclverton's
body has this day been given no to his
friends and shipped to Washington to
be buried there, with the stigma of sui
eide on his name. The curtain has
fallen on the last act of the tragedy.
This settles it-unless l, the hidden
witness Of the crime, should come for.
ward to give information, concluded
Hanson, with a penetrating gaze into
the gloomy face of his companion.
"Why did you not give this informa-
ton before the coroner's jury?" de-
manded Harcourt, in tone Of despair
"Why? Because, in the first place.
! never was called as a witness; in the
second place, | make 1t rule of life
necer to gice anything fer nothing; in
the third place, kept silence that 1
might sell it to you."
"To me?"
"To you"
II am too poor to offer you a bride,
Mr.. Hanson
"And l too rich to need bride of
the sort you must mean"
"What, then, do you want ?" asked
the terror-stricllen clerk.
Not your money, even If you had
it TO offer me. wish you, in return
for my silence, to do something for
me.
"What is it?"
Hanson bent nearer TO the dropping
figure before him, and peered into the
death-like face.
81 want YOU" he said, "to do some
thing that Will so severely try you,
rack you, madden you, that you could
never consent to do it but to save you
from shameful death, your aged
mother from broken heart, and your
betrothed bride from blighted life"
lie spoke slowly, solemnly, impress
sively, keeping his eyes fixed on the
tragic face of the youth.
"Tcll me tell me - exclaimed the
latter. " For myself-ah Heaven
truly knows that l would rather die
than live But for my poor mother
and Roma-oh for Roma II would
do anything-anything-to avoid dis
gracc-disgrace that would more than
kill them Tell me what it is you wish
me to do" demanded Harcourt, in
voice of desperation.
II will tell you later. You are too
much excited now | will leave you to
think over your position, and mediate
upon the sacrifice you would he will
ing TO make for safety. Meet me on
the Serpents Back at sunrise to-mor-
row. Good night, or rather, good
morning - for it is nearly three
O. clock," said Hanson, as he left the
office. The above we publish rs n
specimen chapter of Mrs. Southworth' S
new story; but the continuation of it
from where it leaves off here, can be
found only in the N. Y Ledger. Ask for
the number dated January2, which can
now be had at any news Office or book
store. If you are not within reach Of
news office, you can have that mum
| Der of the Ledger mailed to you by
sending six cents postage stamps will
do) to Robert Bonner, publisher,
1872 William street, New York. The
New York Ledger is the Great Family
Paper full of good and interesting
reading, and has among its regular con.
tributors the Rev. DR.. John Hall,
Bishop Clark of Rhode Island, and
many other distinguished men.