Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-03-08
CHAPTER XVII.
CLEAR SKIES.

AitnOugh England was now to me and TO
my wife land very different from the one
We quilted some eight months ago we were
anxious to get back TO Seville, if only to set
at rest my mothers fears. She, poor wo-
man, as letter showed, was much exer-
ciSed as to what manner of business could
have made us leave her in so unceremonious
a way. Tue moment the glad truth had be-
come known to me, had telegraphed, say
Ing that all was well with us, and that we
should join her. Two things only detained
us.
The first was that we wanted the convicts
confession. Although Philippa said little
on the subject, | knew that until it arrived
she would not be happy. There was with
her haunting dread that the man, in the
hopes of mitigating his sentence, had plead
| ed guilty TO crime of which he was innO-
cent Even the accurate account which
gave her of my interview with the solicitor
did not quite satisfy her. So we waited i'm.
patiently for the explanation, which might
or might not come.
The second thing which kept US in Lon
don was this. / determined that before
left l would have the fact that when | mar
ried Philippa | married Lady Ferrand fully
acknowledged. l found my way to the gem
tlemen who were winding up the dead mans S
affairs, and stated my case to their incredu-
lous ears. At first they treated me as an
| impostor.
But not for long. Indeed, my task was
half done. They had already, without any
assistance from Mrs. Wilson, ferreted out
the date and particulars of the death of the
first Lady Ferrand. They had but to assure
themselves that the marriage-certifcate
which laid before them was no forgery,
and surrender at discretion.
| 1t was poor estate, the administrators
told me. Sir Mervyn had died intestate.
| He had during his lifetime made away with
nearly all he could ALLEVIATE. Still, there was
some personal property, of which my wife
| could claim share, and a certain amount
| of real property, on which she was entitled
to dover. But it was very poor estate.
cut them very short. told them that.
| let the deceased's wealth be great or little,
| not one penny-piece Of it should soil my
wife's fingers. If Sir Mervyn Ferrands heir
| was in want Of the money, it should pro-
| vided he was different stamp of man from
| his immediate predecessor, be given to him
| free gift. If not, some hospital should be
| benefited by it. All l wanted was, that it
| should be clearly understood that Sir Mer-
Nyn erlanu lelt 4 WIDOW.
The administrators, one of whom was, BY
| the bye, the heir, evidently looked upon me
! as most eccentric parsonage. Perhaps it
| was for this reason, Or-as do not wish to
| cast unmerited b.ame-perhaps ii was be-
! cause the estate wound up to onothIng-wfl,
| any way, even to this day we have received
no communication, much less remittance,
| from the administrators; nor, to tell the
I III
pas marriage admitted, l washed my hands
| of all the Ferrand brood.
The confession did not arrive; but | per
suaded Philippa TO leave England. Mr..
Crisp could send whatever he had to send
| to Seville just as we'll as to London. So
| once more and this time in all but perfect
| happiness, We took that long journey which
was by now quite familiar TO US.
The JOY, the wild JOY, with which Philip
pa threw herself into my mothers arms
checked all the upbraidings and reprGach
which we apparently merited. Our return
was L Ike the return of a prodigal son and
| daughter. Laughter, tears, and happiness!
Although / told my mother nothing as to
the object of our mysterious journey; al
though she asked me nothing, although no
word evidencIng her knowledge of what
had passed has ever crossed her lips, know
| that all has been revealed to her; that Phi
lippa has sobbed out the whole strange tale
on her breast know it by this, that since
the day OF our return my mothers deep love
FOR my wife has shown itself even tenderPr,
sweeter, and deeper. Yes, was spared the
telling of the tale. My mothers eyes the
next day showed me that Philippa had given
her the history, as have given it here, from
beginning to end.
No, not quite the end. Sit by me once
more, as asked you at the beginning of my
story TO sit by me; but this time, not by the
side of smoldering fire, but out in the fair,
gay patio Of our Andalusian home. Philip
pa and l are side by side. The post has just
come in, and brought me a bulky packet, on
which, in clerkly hand, is written my
name and address. tear the wrapper open
with eagerness. l know what it contains;
Phiiippa knows. l wish to read itfrSt alone,
but the appealing look in her eyes turns me
from my purpose. After all, there is moth
ing to fear, there can be nothing which she
should not know. So, with our cheeks all
but touching, We read together. Sit b. us,
lean over my shoulder and read with US
'The confession of William Evans, now
lying in Tewnham Jail under sentence Of
death:-
''On the fifth of January, this year, re-
turned from New Zealand. l worked my
passage home. When l reached London
had but a few shillings in nv pocket |
had no articles of value VIII ch | could sci .
All owned, except my clothes and the lit
tie bit of money, was pistol which a man
on board the ship had given me. 1t was
pistol of his own invention. He had several
with him, and said he wanted to get the sort |
known. Why he gave it to me God knows;
but he did, and a couple of cartridges.
Il spent my money-all but shilling or |
two. l tried to get work, but none was to |
be had. Then l remembered that once
had friend who lived near Rodng. | went |
there by train. l had just enough money to |
pay my fare. | found that the man knew |
had left the place two years ago. Iwalked |
back to the town penniless and desperate
"The first thing l did was to go to the |
pawnbroker's and try and sell the pistol.
The man wouldn't buy it at any price. He
said his shop was full of pistols. l went
away, and walked to the railway station to
try and earn a few pence somehow. | was
in despair-all but starving.
about seven o'clock the train from Lon
don came in. A tall gentleman came out of
the door of the station. | asked him if he
had any luggage | could carry for him. He
told me to be off Then | asked him, for
PHYS sake, to give me a shilling to buy
some food. He cursed me, and began to
hate him.
HE stood under the gas-lamp, and drew
out a great gold watch and looked at the
time. Then he asked a man near by which
road he must take to get to a village named
Cherwell. The man told him. | saw him
walk away, and knew where he was GO
Ing.
II sh.n be hanged next week; there is no
hope for me. But tell the truth when l
say that, bad fellow as | have been, | had
never committed such crime as the one
which at that moment entered nv head.
That tall man had money, jewery and good
clothing; l had nothing. l was starving.
So ran on, got before him, went miles up
he road, and sat down in the bitter cold on
/ heap of stones, waiting for him to come,
md making up my mind to kill and rob him.