Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-03-01
DARK DAYS.
BY RUGH COSW4T.
Author Of "CaJed Back"
CHATTER NI-CoNTINUED.
,he looked atlne lumorJnglr.

She lnoked at me lGmorlngIr.
~ could stand uP. ] said. and state on
oath that you We're at the time in raging
deltrium. l could pledge my professional
reputation that your ac;innS were the result
OF madness. Fear nothing on that score, my
wife"
spoke boldly: hut as spoke a thought
shot through We-a thought which hlanched
nv cheek and hrOu ht the beads of peTSVjra-
tion to my brow. / knew enough of law to
be aware that a husband could not in a
criminal case give evidence for or against
his wife. Ny marriage with Phiiippa had
deprived her # the benefit Of my testimony
aS 20 her insanity. ! trtmblrd like n leaf as
pictured what might happen in the event
of her being tried for the murder Of Sir
MaryyT F1rTand. The very nurses had but
seen her sane. No one but myself and per-
haIs my servant had seen her IN her mad
ness.
My Gismly was such that | was bound to
leave the room, in order to recover my pres
ence of mind. Again and again | thanked
heaven that We were on foreign soil. The
thought that my UnreaSoning love might
have destroyed her l loved was almost more
than ! could bear.
l fancy l have fingered long enough over
that terrible time, when my wife first learn
ed that the dream which had haunted her
was realty-tlat her hand had unknowing-
ly avenged her supposed and premeditated
wrong. LIT me but say that the mental
anguish into which the knowledge plunged
her was not unattended by physical evil. In
fact, for many days my poor girl was i'll,
very i'll. Ny mother and nursgd her with
every care, and by and by youth and
splendid constitution rraSSPTted themselves,
and. a shadow Of her former self, she was
able to leave her bed. My mother was ten
derneSs itself 20 her daughter. She knew
nothing Of the true cause Of her Illness; in
deed. she blamed me roundly for not having
taken proper care Of my beautiful bride,
and vowed laughlugiy that for the future
nothing should induce her to trust Philippa
out of sight
Now that Philippa knew all she had done,
/ thought il better TO tell her that although
he had no intention of so doing, Sir Mervyn
Fprrand. in causing mock marriage TO be
celebrated, had by strange chance really
made her his wife. This gave her little COM
fort. 1T makes my crime the greater" she
said, bitterly. Il have killed my husband
instead of my seducer! am not fit to liver
Weeks went by. Philippe gradually grew
stronger, and, what was even more cause
Of JOY to me. ca'mer and more reasonable
on certain subj Ct With all the power
could bring to baar, had never ceased to
impress upon her that morally she was In |
noeent, and | believed my words were bear |
ing fruit. Her fits of mental anguish and |
self-reproach grew Of less frequent occur |
renee. She did not whenever we were |
alone, continually harp upon her crime. !
Calm seemed 10 settle upon us once more, |
and ventured TO hopa that the great physi- |,
clan. Time, would one day bring TO my |
wlfe's heart something that might be called |
sorrowful happiness: hut l knew must
wait years ana years fer this.
She was changed, greatly changed. HPr |
lips seldom smiled; her eyes never bright |
ened, unless when she saw me drawing near.
She seemed older and graver. But | knew,
in spite of all, she loved me with 4 death
less love.
Although at last we had ceased to discuss |
the sorrow of our life, suspected it WAS
seldom absent from her mind. Sometimes |
as lay beside her heard her moaning and |
talking in her troubled dreams, and too we'll |
knew the cause. As my arm stole round |
her, and assured her Of the safety and eer- |
tainty of my great love, in my hearth cursed |
the dead man whose evil deed had brought |
such lasting woe on the fair head pillowed |
on my bosom. All me! what life might have |
been for us two, now that lcye reigned be- |
tween us!
Once-it was shortly after Philippa began |
TO creep. weak invalid. about the fragrant !
pdti0-she said to me, with evident mean /,
ing in her voice.
''Basil, do you see the London papersg'
''Sometimes-not always. l have almost |
forgotten England
Promise me you Will see them every |
day."
Il will, If you wish; but why?'
Her voice sank.
Can you not guess? Basil, listen. Ihave
10 be guided by you. am pray
ing that the day may come when shall |
think as you think. But what if an inno-
cent person were accused of the crime ] |
have committed? Then there is but one |
course; you could urge nothing against it |
Promise me you will see the paper every |
day as soon as it reaches here. shall have |
no peace unless you ao."
Promised fearleSSiy. Justice does some
times make miSta 6eS, but not such mis-
take as the one hnted at by Phiippa 10;
Sir Meryyn FGryand's death was n mystery
never TO be solved. So, TO set my poor wife
at ease on the matter, | wrote and ordered
that the Times should be posted TO me every
day.