Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-09-26
CHAPTER XVII.

with her DIR. Branksohe anu o0nJ
Flinter.
CHAPTER XVII.
DIR. BRANKsOME's LAST.
Early on the day following that on
which Bielski had informed us OF his ex-
traordinary discovery, my good irlenu
Harding found himself ut Whitehall, IN
the room of the permanent under secretary
of the home department. Belmore was
with him, and they had already drawn up
aIbrief statement of the facts when u
been discovered with regard to the murder
of Mr.. Mauleverer and the actual position
of Daisy. One by one Mr.. Belmore placed
these facts before the great official, ana
showed, not merely how the strong evidence
which had been brought against my darl-
ing at the trial had been neutrallzed by
subsequent discoveries, but how there was
now positive testimOny-testimoney oil an
extraordinary kind indeed, but stlll teStl,
money which was cOnclusive-wlth regard
to the actual criminal and his real accom-
plices, for whose arrest warrants had been
issued.
The under secretary listened with
patience and attention, and then armed
with the documents. which they handed to
him, he went to the apartment OF the
secretary of state. A few minutes later
they stood in the presence OF the minister
himself. -.
81 have been deeply interested in this
case, Mr.. BelmOre, and very much trouDled
by it. 1t was so difficult to believe That a
Young girl could have been guilty OF 4
crime of this sort. And yet the evidence
was apparently complete, and untortuna-
tely | have too much reason to know that
we can never trust absolutely to a~nteccdent
i~mprobabilities in cases of this kind"
"But now, sir, | think you will admit
that the evidence is clear rs far as 1t goes,
and that it establishes the innocence OF
this young lady,"
Il must see the Judge first in the mat
ter" replied the minister, cautiously.
"And NAV | venture to ask, " interpOsed
Harding, THAT you will act as soon as you
possibly can, sir? ! need not point out to
you the cruel position OF this young lady
Mt the present moment, or of those to
whom she is dear"
''My dear sir, | shall act at once; IN
such q case delay would he inexcusable.
! But you must forgive me if | withhold my
own opinion until | have ascertained that
of the Judge"
Half an hour later l received the telegram
for which | was waiting with GREATNESS
impatience mt York. Alas! it did not an
nOunce, as | had hoped might be the case,
the immediate discharge OF my darling.
Patience! patience!
But at nightGall the glad news came.
Secretary of state will advise queen to
grant free pardon. Formalitics can be COM
pleted tomorrow"
And the next day ! was at the castle by
daybreak, waiting to be admitted to the
governors room. | was too soon, ~OfcOurSe.
Even when Ofieialism acts with unwOnted
speed, it cannot Outstrip the impatience of
a lover. 1t was now the 18th of Decem-
ber' i'll a week longer Christmas would be
with us. Twelve days had elapsed since |
had heard the shameful doom pronounced
upon my beautiful darling-the woman
whom / had chosen out OF all the world as
wOrthiest and best, aye, and who had
chosen me, all unworthy as waS-tO keep
that tender heart of hers-the dearest and
truest that ever beat in a human bosom.
Only twelve days since that awful scene
when Daisy and | had seemed to stand to-
gether within the very jaws of death! |
could not believe it. Half of my entire
life appeared to have been expended in
the varied emotions through which | had
passed since then. The officials of the
prison were long, long in coming. l
walked to and fro impatiently. / declare
this waiting now was harder even than
had been that waiting for the verdict,
when my darling's fate hung in the bal
ance. recalled all the history of those
e~ventful four months which had passed
since | first saw her in her peerless beauty,
and the full flush of health and strength,
in the railway station of this very city;
and while | rejOiced more than ever at the
blessing which had been bestowed upon
me in her love, my heart cried out to
heaven for all those errors which in my
recklesness and ~blindpess l had committed
and from which she had suffered. All, if
it could but have come over again, how
differently | should have acted, and with
what loving care | should have shielded her
against that internal network of lies which
had been woven SO cunningly about her!
So l thought, rs l looked back upon it all;
and so, possibly, it might have been if that
strange dream could have been ~re-enacted.
But who can tell? Even now, when |
fully recognize the blunders ofwhich | was
guilty, the folly, the blindness, the stub
bornesS l displayed in my dealings with
Mauleverer and his friends, | sometimes
ask myself whether my blunders may not
have been more useful than my prudence
would have been.
But what is that sound? The door
opens and l turn to greet the governor
with the longed-fOr news. No; the COVER
nor is not there. 1t is my darling herself
who stands before ME, pale rs statue of
marble, worn and wasted by the strain of
an agony which might have brought even
a strong man to the grave, but with all the
light of life and love shining upon me from
her star-lit eyes.
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