The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-11-10


Ruth has told me everything, Father.
We can clear Ronald Meryyn as soon as we
like"
And Mary Armstrong threw her arms
round her fathers neck.
81 thank God for that, Mary. / felt 1t
would come sooner or later, but had
hardly hoped it would come so soon. / am
thankful indeed, my child; how did it all
all come aboutp
Mary repeated the story Ruth Powlett
had told her
"Yes, there's no doubt this time" her
father said. "As you say there could be no
mistake about the knife, because she had
given il to him herself, and had had his
initials engraved upon it at Plymouth. l
don't think any reasonable man could have
a doubt that the scoundrel did it; and now
my dear what is to be done nextp
'Ah, that is for you to decide. ! think
Ronald ought to be consulted"
20, you think thatl' Mr.. Armstrong said,
quickly. "You think he knows a great
deal better what ought to be done than 1
dos"
mo, don't exactly mean that father,
but / think one would like to know how he
would wish it to be done before we do any
thing. There is no particular hurry. you
know, when he once knows that it Is all go
ing to be set right
mo, beyond the fact that he would nat
urally like to get rid of this thing hanging
over him as soon as he can. Now, my idea
is that the girl ought to go at once to a
magistrate and make an affidavit and hand
over this knife to him. l don't know how
the matter is to be reopened, because Ron
aid Mervyn has been acquitted and the
other man is goodness knows where"
well, father, there will be time enough
to think over it, but do think we had bet
ter tell Ronald first"
VERY well, my dear. as you generally
have your own way, 1 suppose we shall set
tie on that whether we agree now or three
days hence. BY the way. have got a letter
In my pocket for you from him. The
Cape mail touched at Plymouth yester-
day"
"Why did you not tell me of it before,
fathers" the girl said, reproachfulIy.
We'll, my dear, your news is so In
finitely more important, that own forgot
all about the letter. Besides, as this is the
fourth that you have had since you have
been here, it is not of such extreme import
ance"
But MARI was reading the letter and
paid no attention 10 what her father was
saying. Presently she gave a sudden ex-
clamation.
What is it, my dear; has he changed his
mind and married Kaffir womani If so,
we need not trouble any more about the
affair"
mo. papa; it is serious--quite serious"
well, my dear, that would be serious; at
least l should have thought that you would
consider it sou
mo, father; but really this is extraordi-
nary. What do you think he saysp
ut is of no use my thinking about It,
Mary" Mr.. Armstrong said, resignedly.
especially as l suppose you are going to
tell me. l have made one suggestion, and it
seems that it is incorrect
This is what he says, father: You
know that told you trooper in my COM
pany recognized me. fancied knew the
mans face, but could not recall where
had seen it. The other day it suddenly
flashed upon me; he is the son of little
farmer upon my cousins estate, man by
the name of Forester. / Often saw him
when he was young fellow, for was foud
,of fishing, and can remember him as a boy
who was generally fishing down in the mill
stream. l fancy he rather went to grief
afterward, and have some idea he was
mixed up In a poaching business In the
Carne woods. So think he must have left
the country about that time. Curious,
isn't it, his running against me heres How
ever, it cannot be helped. l suppose it will
all come out, sooner or later, for he has
been in the guardroom several times for
drunkenness. and one of those times he will
be sure to blurt 1t out"
Isn't that extraordinary, fatherT'
at is certainly an extraordinary coinci
dence. Mary, that those two men-the muir.
derer of Miss Carne and the man who hal
suffered for that murder, should be out
there together. This complexities matters
good deal"
"It does, father. There can be no doubt
of what is to be done nown
well, now quite come round to YOU
side, Mary; nothing should be done unit
Mervyn knows all about 1t, and can let III
know what his views are. / should moi
think that he could have this man arrested
out there merely on unsupported accuse
ton, and should imagine that he will want
an official copy of Ruth Powlett's affidavit
and perhaps a warrant seat out from Eng
land before he can get him arrested. ANY
how. we must go cautiously to work. Wher
Ruth Powlett speaks, it will make great
stir here. and this Forester may have som,
correspondent here who would write anc
tell him what has happened, and then hs
might make a bolt of it before Ronald
can get the law at work and lay hold Of
him."
~ should rather hope, for Ruth's sake
that he would do SO, father. She is ready
to make her confession and to bear all the
talk it will make and the blame that will
fall upon her but it would be great trial
to her to have the man she once loved
brought over and hung upon her evidence. y
$50 it would, Mary, SO it would; but, on
the other hand, it can be only by his trial
and execution that Mervyn's Innocence can
be absolutely proved to the satisfaction OF
everyone. 1t is a grave question alto
gether, Mary, and at any rate we win
wait. Tell Mervyn he has all the facts be-
fore him, and must decide what Is to be
done. Besides, my dear, l think it will be
only fair that Ruth should know that we
are in a position to lay hands on this For
roster before she makes the confession
'I think 80 too. father. Yes, she certainly
ought to be told; but l am sure that now
she has made up her mind to confess that
she will not draw back. Still, of course, it
would be very painful for her. We need
not tell her at present; will write long
letter to Ronald and tell him all the ms and
outs Of 1t, and then we can walt quietly I'M
til we hear from him"
"You need not have said that you will
write long letter, Mary" Mr.. Armstrong
said, drily, considering that each time the
mail has gone out / have seen nothing of
you for twenty-four hours previously, and
/ have reason to believe that an extra mail
cart has had each time to be put on to carry
the correspondence"
TITS all very well to laugh. father, Mary
said, little Indignantly, you you know
that he is having fights almost every day
with the Kaffirs, and only has our letters to
look forward to, telling him how we are