Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1886-10-27

witnesses both willing and the reverse.
It was after Daisy's final committal that
Branksume and l quarreled Up to that
moment / had been constantly with him
and had taken his advice In every matter
concerning the trial He on his side had
treated me with gentleness and frankness
which had strengthened his hold upon my
feelings. He had never referred directly to
the fact that it was my action at Trondhjem
which had set the fatal engine Of the law in
motion. He had even listened to me with
grave attention when openly declared my
belief that Flinter was at the bottom OF the
mystery and that he had probably worked
through some accomplice at the hall When
he had asked me where that accomplice was
to be found, had told him of my meeting
with Gregson and had suggested that If we
could lay hands upon this man we might
perhaps obtain some clew to the real origin
Of the tragedy.
He was evidently surprised by my account
Of what Gregson had said to me on my jour-
ney by rail to Great Lorton Hall; and, after
considering the matter for some time, he ad-
mitted that the first step to be taken was to
discover this man and learn the meaning Of
his declarations The finding Of Gregson
was a part of our common task, which
Branksome took into his own hands. He
knew something Of the man, hs told me-had
known him, in fact, when he was in the en-
ployment of Mr.. Mauleverer in Australia
and he had no doubt about his ability to
discover him.
Once I ventured to ask Branksome by
what right this fellow had followed and per-
secuted Daisy on the occasion Of my first
meeting with her. But on this subject he
could give me no information, any more
than he could with regard to the mans sim
lister predictions regarding the murder at
Great Lorton Hail.
Up to this point, say, had worked in
the most perfect harmony with the doctor.
But now, when Daisy had been committed to
take her trial at the asszes, we quarreled,
and quarreled bitterly and irrevocably.
II have thought everything over care
fully" he said to me- as we sat together in
the hotel on the night alter the examination
was CLOSED. II have weighed all the evil
dence, and the position of the poor girl, and
I have come to the conclusion that there is
only one course to be taken
"And what is that2" asked, eagerly.
"She must plead guilty, in which case I
have no doubt that we shall be able to save
her life"
l could scarcely believe my ears. For
moment was stunned by this unexpected
suggestion.
Guilty" cried, when found my voice.
@You suggest that she should confess to this
horrible crime-you, DR.. Branksome, who
have stood in the place Of father to her,
and who ought to know her innocence and
purity as we'll as do myself! You are jest
ing, surely"
He shook his head, AMI those deep dark
eyes of his looked fixedly into mine.
1--WE have done our best, my friend" he
said, "and we have failed. Don't let us de-
ceive ourselves as to the truth any longer"
"Speak for yourself, sir" cried, in a mo-
ment freeing myself from the influence
which the man had so long exercised over
me. "If you choose to adopt the monstrous
falsehood-yes. it is falsehood, and you
know it-that Daisy is guilty, then 20 your
way, and join the band Of her prosecutors
and bring her to the gallows if you canl
but don't ask me to join you in the Internal
work"
@Be calm, SIR" said 'Branksome, sternly.
sYou compel me to remind you how 1t is
that Daisy's life has been endangered"
Isprang to my feet, exasperated beyond
endurance by that fatal recollection.
"Dr. Branksome, owe you much in con-
necton with this matter, and I shall try to
remember my debt. But there Is one thing
I shall never forgive-never while I live
and that is that you should have been ready
to desert Daisy in her hour of sorest need"
I left the room in hot indignation, and
from that time we met no more as friends
I obtained an interview with Daisy-though
it was more difficult to do so now that she
had been committeeman procured from her
the full authority which / needed to enable
me to take charge Of her interests during
her trial. The good people of the prison
pitied both her and me. Her beauty, her
youth, the tie which bound us to each other,
all seemed to awaken in thu hearts Of the
officials feeling Of sympathy and goodwill
toward us. Even the chief constable, East
mead, was friendly in his manner, and quite
willing to do what he could to assist me in
the task hal undertaken as Daisy's cham
pion In the little town of Barton, where the
Mauleverer poisoning case was for weeks
the sole topic of discussion, everybody knew
the story OF Daisy and myself; and I was
conscious that as I walked through the
streets was followed by the pitying glances
of the passers-by. But alas, no comfort was
brought to my soul by all this Out flowing of
a generous sympathy. For in my heart of
hearts knew that all these people believed
my darling to be guilty-belitved it all the
more certainly now that it was known that
even her guardian, Branksome, had deserted
her. I, and I only, knew her to be free
from blame; and alas! / found myself as
time passed less able to convert others to my
view
Their. was one thing I could and did do
for Daisy I.procured for her at my own
expense the lest legal assistance that was to
be obtained. Mr.. Belmore. Q. c., whom
caused to be retained for the defense, was by
common consent the great leader at the
criminal Lar. His silvery tongue and pol
ished manner, combined with an unrivaled
acuteness in detecting the weak points not
merely in an adversary's armor, but in the
panoply of virtue in which every British
iury is clad had raised him to position
which very few men are able to attain even
at the English bar. never paid any money
With greater satisfaction in my life than
when / disbursed the amount necessary to
permit Of Mr.. Bslmores brief being marked
"refre,her" Of one hundred guineas day.
As second to Belmore selected my friend
Harding, with whom I had been associated
at Scarborough at the time when Daisy and
I first learned to love each other. His name
had been ment 'oned to me among those OF
several other rising juniors on the circuit by
the attorney whom had consulted, and in
stantly selected him, believing that be would
give me the assistance of a friend as we'll as of
an advocate And now I waited with such
patience as I could command for the day
when my darling would be placed on trial
for her life. and when, as hoped, her inlo-
cence might be fully established. did not
of course relax the efforts 1 had been max
ing to obtain counter-evidence on her behalf.
Three special points engaged all my atten-
tion. desire |. first, to discover how strych-
MIA had been administered to Mr. Mau !everer
on the night Of his murder; secondly, what
had become of the poison which Daisy had
undoubtedly procured shortly before the
murder was committed; and, tn rdly, where
Gregson-whose connection with the mystery
was, felt sure, so intimate-was now to be
found Alas! when the day of the trial
orened was still without satisfactory in
formation on any of those points
The case Of my darling was the last on the
calendar at the winter assizes. 1t had been
postponed at the request Of our counsel. on
the plea that her committal was OF recent
date, and that we had not been able to COM
plete the inquiries necessary for her defense.
But at last came the morning on which
found myself seated in front Of the dock. in
/ the little court in which so many tragedies