Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-11-14
CHAPTER VI
L TO A FOCUS.

BROIGHI III A fOCCS.
The day had seemed long to the prisoner
in Milldale Jail, although he was cheered by
- S,y Cf.!'5 lnc-hor who spent all the
time tho authorities allowed IN her sons
gloomy apartment. 1t was n sight to see
the brave-hearted old lady sitting opposite
her son knitting a couvre-pied of soft Shet-
land wool, and pretending to be as comfort
able and as much at her ease as if she were
in her pretty drawing room at South Ken
slngton. Not by so much as a CULVER of her
lip would she allow herself to betray her
anxiety. Her heart was as heavy as lead,
vet she contrived TO smile, and kept up a
cheerful flow of small talk about the past
and futurc-church affairs, the schools, the
choir.
But even with this consoling company the
dark winter day had seemed long TO George
Caulfeld. He was feverishly expectant Of
news from Grandchester, and when none
came he fancied that his friend, his lawyer,
and the police had alike failed in their
efforts to let in light upon the mystery of
that nameless girls death.
And if the day seemed long, what Of the
dreary winter night, when imagination, ex-
cited by strange circumstances and strange
surroundings, osniurcd up the horrors Of a
criminal trial-:he crowded court, every
creature in it believing him, George Caul-
field. the murderer OF a helpless girl. He
saw the chain of circumstantial evidence
frightening out link by link, and he could
have no power to sunder those links. His lips
would be sealed.
And then involuntariiy there broke from
his lips a cry Of anguish:
HE is brought rs a lamb to the slaughter,
and as q sheep before her shearers is dumb,
SO he openeth not his mouth"
He had spent q feverish night, given half
10 wakefulness, half to appalling dreams.
He had risen and dressed himself as soon as it
waslight, and now hesat waiting YEARLY for
some sign from the outer world, some cheer
ing message, some word Of hope. 1t was
only two days since the Vicar of Freshmead
had left him, yet it seemed ages.
Hark! was not that the CHEEKY voice he
knew so well, the full vibration Of tonss that
carlo from powerful lungs, the clear utter
ance of a man accustomed TO address multi
tudesl Yes, it was Lsworthy's voice, as
suredly, and that cheerful tone should belong
10 the bringer of good tidings.
He sat with his hands Clutching the edge
of his pallet, profoundly agitated, while the
ETalluR hey u Iltl IN AAC ADIh, uili VIC
heavy cell door moved slowly back. Then
the vicar rushed into the cell and grasped
his hands, and laid his hand upon his fore
head in loving benedic;ion.
God bless you, my dear boy! You will
not have long to stay in this wretched hole.
The man who brought that poor creature 10
the station is arrested; he came here by the
train l Travelled in. He is 10Y in this Jail
NJ - III l.. .>.E ,n.I, 4alo- Tho in
quest will be reopened on Monday instead or
on wednesday mex, and the evidence then
produced will prove his guilt and your limo
%cence.n
THANK Goi!' CALCULATED George CAul-
field, and then he fell on hS knees beside the
prison bed and poured ont the rapture OF
his soul in prayer AMI thanksgiving.
When he had finished that voiceles' prayer
he sat down quietly besid, his friend to hear
how the vicar had Iona his work and how
completely he had succeeded.
"Up to last night the evidence against my
gentleman was only speculative he said,
when he had described all tina: had happened
in Briargate and at Parminter; "but last
night thu policS contrivel to bring matters
to q focus, Olce having got n clew, they
worked marvelously well. They got hold OF
half a dozen photographs Of this Mr.. Foy,
who had Leen vain enough to get himself
photographed, at different times, by all the
leading photographers. Of Grandmother.
Provided with these, they went the round OF
the chemists shops, and founl where my
gentleman had bought poison. They traced
him from lodging to lodging, till they found
him. two years ago, living in the outskirts
OF Grandchester with q weakly, nervous
wife, Whose description corrcSponded ex-
actly with that OF the weakly, nervous
sister at Parminter. They obtained a
photograph of this young woman, which
had been given by her as a parting souvenir
to the landlady; and this portrait Mrs Moff,
the Parminter charwoman. Identified as a
likeness o. the so called sister. This was
bringing things 20 a focus, wasn't ii: in
quirei the vicar, giving his young friend a
ferocious dig in the ribs.
Decidedly"
"They were brought still closer this morn
ing, thanks to my advertisement for a miss
ing Young woman in n Rob Roy shawl
This morning an elderly female appears at
MesSrs ~Brockbank's, s1licito5s-your solicit
tors, you know-and tells them that she
keeps n small public house in Water lane, a
narrow street leading 10 the river. and
within five hundred yards Of the railway
station, and to her house ann n young man
with an ailinS young woman in a plaid
shawl-Rob Roy pattern. They stayed there
two days end two nights, AMI while they
were there the young woman got worse, and
was 50 i'll that she had 70 be carried 10 the
station when the young man, who owned to
being her husband, took her away. He was
NaBip- ha- e. sLA uao-+la h. told hfz land
lady, the doctor having said the ssa air
would bring her round. The lanilaiy's son.
who was in the iron trade. helped to carry
the poor young woman TO the station. 1t
was quite dark, ana no one took much
notice Of them. This is why the police could
get no Information from cabmen or cab
masters, you sac. Now, this good woman,
the landlady, has been brought to Milldale
this morning. She will see the corpse and
she will see Mr.. Foy, and l hope she may be
able 10 identify both. She has seen Foy's
photograph and recognized it already. So
the long and short of it is my dear fellow,
that | think you're pretty comfortably out
Of this mess, and l hope youth never do such
a thing again
The vicar affected facetiousnesS, perhaps
% hide the depth Of his feeling. He loved
his friend almo.t as well as he loved his "
sons. and that is much, for the mans heart
overhowei with love.
The inquest was reopened on Monday, and
the evidence against Castor Foy was SO
complete in all its detail $ tina: the jury had
not q moments hesitation in ordering the
immediate release OF George Caulfald, who
left Milldale by an afternoon train, and Off
ciated at an evening service at Philemon's
that night How happy he and his mother
were as they sat side by side in the railway
carriage on the Journey back to London.
u think it viii be a long time before I