The Penn's Grove record., 1885-09-05

my lie, L tainted uead away.
EDWARD SMITHS STORY.
l am a lawyer, senior partner in the
firm Of Smith & Todd. I'm Edward
Smith. Some time ago | was asked to
take the defence of a certain Marian
Elliot who was charged with the muir
der of her husband. l was at first in
clined to refuse the case.
/ had made up mind to decline having
anything to do with it., when | was told
that a gentleman wished to Speak to
me-. He was shown into my office. l
saw a tall, powerful, rather handsome
man..
"Mr. Smith, | presume?" he said.
81 am Mr.. Vaughan"
81 have come about the case of Mrs.
Elliott. viii you undertake her de-
fense?"
Excuse me-" 1 replied. 81 am
afraid / can have nothing to do with
it,"
"Do you believe her guiltyP' he
asked.
appearances are strongly against
her,"
81 didn't know that lawyers judged
by appearances" he said. "And in
this case 1t would be a cruel injustice
for the lady is innocent"
"Can you prove itP"
He looked rather uneasy at me.
Perhaps" he said, avoiding my
question, ''Ihad better tell you who |
am. The murdered man was my cous-
in. He treated his wife shamefully."
$50 l understand, l returned. "His
wife is supposed to have stabbed him
because he struck her. The chief wit
ness against her is a servant"
ST know" returned the other; ''but
he acknowledges that she left the room
without striking the blow. He cannot
swear actually to the murder"
at is very seldom any n cam" l
remarked.
''But she must be savedl' cried Mr..
Vaughan excitedly. 81 tell you she IS
innocent. Great Heaven. do you mea
to tell me they will dare to hang that
splendid creature? Before you refuse
to defend her, go and see her, speak to
her, hear what she has to say; and, if
you still think her guilty, l will save
her myself"
Il DCkGA W bO AltOAOobCd III Tx OdoS3
professionally it seemed seductive.
Within a couple of hours. having OBJ
tanned the necessary permission, | was
ushered into the presence of my client.
| was surprised at her appearance. l
had no expectation of seeing such a
singularly beautiful woman; and my
first thoaght was-how could m man
have been such a brute as to ill-use a
creature like her?
l told her briefly who I was.
81 suppose theR," she said, 'you
know of what l am accusedp"
YES"
'.And you believe me innocentp"
II hope to prove your innocence?" l
answered.
"'How can your"
81 have not yet looked very carefully
into the case; but there are few instan-
ces where some loop-hole of escape may
not be found"
81 don't see any in this"
She spoke with a calmness that sur
prised me.
"You plead mot guilty. of coursep"
I said.
"Of course. 1 am innocent.
81 will give you his to read" she
said, handing me some pages of writing
sit Is my whole history. Don't read it
here take it away with you. If you
| come back, 1 will explain more fully
anything you may think requires ex-
| PLANTATION"
L returned to my office with the man.
uscript, and there read Marian Elliott's
history as told byherself. When l had
| finished it, 1 was convinced that my
client was innocent. Noguilty woman
I felt, could have written like that. The
question now was how to lro le her
innocence.
In the first place 1t was plain her hus-
band had been murdered. The nature
of the wound precluded all idea of its
having been self-enficted, Further
more, there had been some appearances
of a struggle in the oom Sc far this
was the only point in favor of my client
If the man had not been murdered In
his sleep, was it likely he could have
been overcome in q struggle with his
wifeY
1t was late, and, putting the papers
together, l rose, intending to take them
home with me. AS Preached the door,
it was opened from the outside, ut |
found myself face to face with Mr..
Vaughan, the ''cousin Thomas" l sup
posed of the narrative.
"What do you wantp" lasked sharply
81 am going home now."
Cant you spare me afew minutes?"
he said in reply. 81 want to know if
you have seen her."
Eyes / have seen her."
Sand you think you can prove her
innocencepn
1.-THE evidence is very strong against
her." l said, looking keenly at him. |
thought he turned pale.
ssSurely they will never have the heart
to condemn a creature so young and so
beautiful" he said.
s'Perhaps not, If the jury have any
reasonable pretext for letting her off,"
I returned. "But they cannot fly in
the face Of the evidence"
"You talk as though you were for
the prosecution instead Of the defencey'
II will do what | al for my CLIENT"
l returned; ''but, unless / produce
some stronger evidence of her innocence
than her youth and beauty, am afraid
the case Is a hopeless one."
.'If l came here tomorrow evening""
ke said. twill you be able to see me2 /
think l a help you"
He had turned his face so l could not
see the expression; but his voice was
hoarse.
II will see you,' l replied.
The next morning | went again to
see Mrs. Elliott.
swell. f" she said, have you read my
confessionY'
"Yes; and | hope to make the world
believe your innocence as firmly as |
do.n
Her face. which had hitherto been
hard and Indifferent, suddenly hrigh-
Tened.