Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-07-27

had before told so strongly in his favor was
wanting. If man so far forgets himself as
to use threats to a woman, he must not be
surprised If he gets into trouble. OF course,
now the jury had given a verdict OF mot
guilty." there was no more to be said.
There was no doubt he was very lucky
fellow. and the jury had given him the
benefit of the doubt. Still, if he hadn't
done it, who had killed Margaret Carne?
Such was the general opinion, and al
though Ronald had still some staunch ad-
herents in his own neighborhood, the tide OF
feeling ran against him.
Two months after the trial, Mrs. Mervyn
died, broken down by grief, and while
this naturally caused renewal of the talk,
it heightened rather than otherwise the feel
ing against ber son. The general verdict
was that it was his doing; whether he killed
Margaret Carne or not, there was no doubt
that he had killed his mother. All this was
doubtless unfair, but it was not unnatural;
and only those who believed thoroughly in
Ronald's innocence felt how hard this addi-
tional pain must be to him.
Immediately the funeral was over, the
two girls moved away to London, and the
house was advertised to LEI, but the odor of
the recent tragedy hung over it. No one
cared to take house with which such a
story was connected. A month or two later
luere was q SAFE OF En6 tue uOuse
was then shut up and lost 10 the county.
Zen days after the trial it was announced in
the Gazette that Ronald Mervyn had retired
from the service upon sale of his commits
sion. No one had seen him after he had left
the court free man. His horses were sold
week later, and his other belongings for
warded from the regiment to an address he
gave in London. HIS mother and sister had
few days later gone up fo- day to town,
and had met him there. He had already
written to them that he intended to go
abroad, and they did not seek to combat his
resolution.
81 can never come back, mother, unless
this is cleared up. You must feel as well as
do that l cannot show nv face anywhere.
am surprised that got off myself and in
deed if it were not that 1 am sure never
got off my horse that night / should some
times suspect that 1 must for a time have
been really mad and have done what they
accuse me of. 1 have already sent down a
detective to the village. There must be
some clew to all this if one could only hit
upon it, but own that at present 1 do not
see where it is to be looked for. l do not
believe it was done by some passing tramp.
1 agree with every word that was said at my
trial in that respect.
Everything points to the fact that she
was deliberately murdered, though who ex-
cept myself could have entertained feeling
of animosity against Margaret. God only
knows. There Is one comfort, mother, and
only one, !" he said, with a hard laugh. ''I
can set our minds at ease on one point, which
1 have never felt sure about before, that is,
that have not inherited the curse OF the
Carnes. Had done so, the last two months
would have made a raving lunatic of me,
whereas l have never felt my head cooler
and my reason clearer than 1 have since the
day l was arrested. But you mustn't grieve
for me more than you can help, mother; now
that it is over, feel more for you and the
girls than l do for myself. l have sort of
conviction that somehow, though don't see
how, the thing will be cleared up some day.
Anyhow mean to go and lead a rough life
somewhere, to keep myself from brooding
over it. The weight will really fall upon
you, far more than upon me, and 1 should
strongly advise you to shut up the house,
let 1t if you can, and either come up here or
settle in some place-eitEer Brighton or
Hastings-where this story will soon be for
gotten and no one will associate your names
with this terrible business
About that time a stranger arrived at
Carnesford. He announced that he was a
carpenter from the North, and that he
suffered from weak lungs, and had been
recommended to live down South. After
staying for a week at the Carne's Arms he
stated that he liked the village so much that
he should settle there if he saw a chance of
making livelihood, and as it happened
that there was no carpenter in the village,
the idea was received with favor and a
week later he was established in cottage
that happened to be vacant As he was a
man who seemed to have travelled about
England good deal, and was we'll spoken
and informed. he soon took good position
N 10 nj nd odn foI %
one Of the party in the snuggery, where he
would talk we'll upon occasions, but was
specially popular as an excellent listener.
When spring came there was fresh SEN
sation. The gardener at the hotel, in dig
ging up some ground at the edge of the
shrubbery, to plant some rhododendrons,
there turned up the missing watch and Jew
elry of Margaret Carne. 1t was all buried
together few inches below the soil, with
out any wrapper or covering OF any kind
Captain Hendricks arrived at Carnestord as
soon as the news of the discovery reached
him, Reginald Carne was himself away.
having been absent ever since the trial took
place. Most of the servants had left at
once; the old cook and a niece of hers alone
remaining in charge, and two stablemen
from fhe garden also staying in the house..
Nothing came OF the discovery, but it, of
course, renewed tine interest in the mystery
of Margaret Carne's death, and the general
opinion was that it was fortunate indeed for
Ronald Mervyn that the discovery ha5 not
been made before his trial, for it completely
demolished the theory that the murder was
the work of burglar. 1t was possible, of
course, that such a man, knowing the active
hue and cry that would be set on foot, and
that it would be dangerous to offer the lew
elry for sale, and still more dangerous to
keep it about him, had at once buried it.
intending to go back some day to recover it,
for, as Reginald stated at the trial, the miss
ing jewels were worth 81 500.
But had they been so hidden they would
assuredly have been put in a box or some
sort of cover that would protect them from
the damp, and not have been merely thrust
into the ground. Altogether the discovery
greatly heightened, instead of diminishing,
the impression that the murder was an act
of revenge and not the outcome of robbery,
and the cloud over Ronald Mervyn became
heavier rather than lighter in consequence.
Ruth PowIett had gained health and
strength rapidly after the verdict of "Not
guilty" had been returned against Ronald
Meryyn. She was still grave and quiet, ,
and as she went about her work at home,
Hesba would sometimes tell her that she
looked more likr a woman of 80 than a girl
of 10; but her mind had been llghteped
from the burden of her terrible secret. and
she felt comparatively happy. She spent
much of her time over at the Forresters', for |
the old man and his wife were both ailing.
and they knew that there was little chance |
of their ever seeing their son again, for the |
gamekeeper, who had been injured in the |
poaching affray, had since died, and as the |
evidence given at the inquest all pointed to
the fact that it was George Forester who |
had struck the blow that had eventually |
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