Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1889-09-12

| winch ue ndu taken ner 10 mis- neart;
and his whole soul went out in that
one intense longing-that fierce i'm
ploring cry, ITO be free-only for one
hour!' t.--- 1-
He looked down ut his fettered
limbs In mute agony. OF bodily suf-
ferlng, weakness, pain, even Of tho
fate in store for him, he did not think
only OF her. He had wronged her
so deeply, judged her so harshly, and
through all she had loved him with a
love whose depth and purity he had
never fathomed before, till it came
home to him with the divine force OF a
resistless truth, wrung from the reluc-
tant lips of his powerful rival.
''What she has suffered!' SO he said
TO himself, again and again. And L
her protector-her guardian-the
sharer OF her life-I was the first to
mlsludge and forsake her."
He grew delirious in his agony
as he thought of it. AS he
pictured her now-hunted, OPP
pressed, pursued by ruthless foes, by
a passion merciless and cruel as the
grave, the violence ofhs hatred against
this powerful enemy increased TO fever
point. 1t was not for himself he fear
ed death BOW, not for himself that he
would have recalled the blow, whose
penalty his life would pay-but for
her. For her who would be at his
rivals mercy henceforward. for her
whose youth, and beauty, and wealth
OF love and faith were all sacrificed
because of his want of trust. IF she
had only told me" he moaned in his
feverish remorse. .'How could |
dream it was her father she had shell
tered.
For he was in ignorance as yet OF
the oath she had taken, of the coward
ly desertion and traitorous betrayal of
which this man had been guilty. lie
knew nothing OF the struggle between
a daughters duty and a wifes love
that had so perplexed and tortured the
girl S young, loving heart. He knew
nothing of the cause that had induced
her to accompany her father in his
hour OF peril seeing that her husband
no longer believed in her, and had
forsaken her-frst! Now it was too
late. He had no hope left. With the
morrow the court martial would sit
his fate would be decided and then
AS that thought crossed his mind he
threw himself on his knees-his fet-
tered hands appraised TO heaven-the
hot tears raining down his white sunk
en- cheeks. "Oh, God!' he prayed, ..if
In Thy courts above there is atone
ment for earth's suffcrings, or forget
fulness of earth's pain, let me meet
her there since here we may not ever
meet in life again"
With the next days noon the trial
began.
The case was brief, clear, indefensi-
bic. The plan TO escape |
fortunately gave no names, bore |
no address, but the fact of its |
being in his possession was conclusive |
evidence. The soldiers gave witness
as to hearing the struggle between the |
Prussian officer and the prisoner.
Colonel Won Brandstein swore to the |
assault, stating that the man was evil
IDENTIFY DESTROYS OF regaining posses
sion of the paper by violence. The
statements were concise and plain
enough.
When Leroux was asked II he had
anything to say he merely replied that
the provocation given him had been
too strong for any man to resist, and
that Won Braudstein had, in the frs.
place, seized him by the throat, and
ri 20 i'm hal liz 4
toned as to the plan OF escape he re-
fused to say from whence 1t had come
Or who contrived to deliver it, but
said that being on parole he had de-
clined taking any steps in the matter,
and If he had intended 10 escape he
would not have waited three weeks
before making the attempt. He knew
that what he had done was uniustifia-
Die in military law, but he begged the
Judges to take into consideration the
-yyranny and cruelty TO which he had
been subjected ever since his entrance
INTO the garrison. His enemies them
selves could bear witness to that, and
therefore, he considered himself NOR
lilly exonerated, II for once he had
iealt with his tyrant and traducer as
nan TO man, not as soldier TO officer.
IL know that / stand at n dsadvant-
lge here" he said. Il am a prisoner
Vt the mercy of my enemies. l can
hardly expect you to believe that with
he means OF escape ut hand | refused ..
o profit by them; yet, with death be-
ore me, | solemnly swear speak but
he truth. The story may DO hushed
it will--but truth,
ooner or later. comes TO the fore; !
nd then, in other lands and in /
ther tongues will my wrongs be pro-
laimed at last, and men will learn
low Germany allows private luminosity o
o take the lead OF public justice, when I
ealing with conquered foe!" r
There was an instants silence. The
aces OF the judges grew sterner and !,
aler. Something in the noble bear
ng, the calm, heroic face OF the pris-
ner touched them with compassion. {
ct they knew his doom was sealed. /
Hillary Justice is stern in is action