The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-09-01


mas been passed on the wretch who muir
dered my cousin. Good-by. know that
You believe me innocent, but will not take
your hands now. When YOU think it over.
you will see as well as do
that you couldn't have a man in
the regiment against whom men
as he passed would whisper murderer.
God bless you all;n and Ronald Mervyn
turned and walked rapidly away. One or
two OF the officers would have followed him,
but the colonel stopped them.
Leave him alone, lads, leave him alone.
We should feel as he does were we in his
place. Good heaveasl how ne must have
suffered. Still, he's right, and however
much we pity him we cannot think other
wise. AT the present moment it is clear
that he could not remain in the regiment"
As soon as the crowd had turned away,
DR.. Arrowsmith made his way to the point
where Ruth had been standing. Somewhat
to his surprise he found her still en- her f. ct
She was leaning back in the corner with
her eyes closed, and the tears streaming
down her cheeks.
Come, my dear" he said, putting his
arm under hers, "let us be moving. Thank
God it has all ended right"
THANK God indeed, doctor,n she muir
INJURED. Il had hardly hoped it, and vet
have prayed so much that 1t might be
So"
The doctor found that though able to
stand while supported by the wall, Ruth
was unable to walk. With the aid of a DC
liceman he supported her from the court,
placed her in vehicle and took her to a
hotel
"There, my DEAR" he said, when Ruth
had been assisted up to a bedroom by two
of the maids, "now you go to bed and lie
there till to morrow morning. | will have
basin of strong broth sent you up present
". It's quite out of the question your
thinking of going home to night. 1 have
several friends in the town, and am glad of
the excuse to stay over the night. l will
call for you at 10 o'clock in the morning :;
the train goes at 1890 o'clock; will have
your breakfast sent up here. l will go
down to the station now. There are lots of
people over here from Carnesford, and
will send a message back to your mother,
saying that you have got through it better
than expected, but wanted you to have a
nights rest, and you will be home in the
morning"
Thank you, doctor; that is kind of you, y
Ruth murmured.
"Help her into bed, girls. She has been
| ill, and has hada very trying day. Don't
ask her any questions, but just got her into
bed as soon as you can"
Then the doctor went downstairs, or
dered the broth and a g lass of sherry for
Ruth, and a bedroom for himself, and then
went off to see his friends. In the morning
he was surprised, when Ruth came down
stairs, to see how much better she looked.
my prescription has done you good,
Ruth. | am glad to see you look wonder
fully better and brighter"
II feel so, sir. | went to sleep directly
! had taken the broth and wine you sent me
up, and did not wake till they called me
at $50. I have not slept for an hour to-
gether for weeks. l feel as if there was
such a load taken off my mind
"Why, Ruth. you didn't Know Capt. Mer-
win to speak to, did you, that you should
feel sucn an interest in him?' the doctor
said, looking at her sharply.
mo, sir. l have never once spoken to
him that l know Of"
"Then why do you care so much about
his being acquittedm
sit would have been dreadful if he had
been found guilty when he was innocent all
the time"
But then no one knew he was innocent
for certain" the doctor said.
II felt sure he was innocent" Ruth
replied.
81 can't exactly say, sir, but l did fee
that he was innocent"
The doctor looked puzzled, but at thi!
moment the cab arrived at the station, anC
tho subject was not renewed, but the doc
| tor afterward wondered to himself more
than once whether Ruth could have hat
any particular reason for her assurance Of
Ronald Mervyn's innocence.
| For another ten days the Mervyn tria
was the great topic ofconversation through
out the county, aud the verdict was an
vassed with almost as much keenness anC
| heat as the crime had been before the trial
| Now that Ronald Mervyn was no longer
| in hazard of his life, the feeling of pity
which had before told SO strongly in his
favor was wanting. If a man so far for
gets himself as to use threats to a woman
he must not be surprised if he gets int
| trouble. OF course, now the Jury haC
given a verdict of ''Not guilty" there wa.
no more to be said. There was no doub
he was a 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 CarneG
Such was the general opinion, and al
though Ronald had still some stanch I'D
herets in his own neighborhood, the tide OF
| feeling ran against him.
Two months after the trial, Mrs. Mervvn
died, broken down by grief, and while this
| naturally caused a renewal of the talk, it
, heightened rather than otherwise the feel
| ing against her 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 land only those who believed thor
oughly in Ronald's innocence felt
how hard this additional pain must be for
him.
Immediately the funeral was over the
| two girls moved away to London, and the
house was advertised to let, but the odor of
the recent tragedy hung over it. No one
cared to take a house with which such a
story was connected. A month or two
| later there was sale of
the furniture; the house was then
shut up and lost to the county.
Ten DAYS after the trial it was announced
in the Gazette that Ronald Mervyn had re-
tired from the service upon sale of his com
mission No one had seen him after he
| had left the court free man. His horses
were sold week later, and his other be-
| longings for warded from the regiment to an
address he gave in London. His mother
| and sister had few days later gone up for
day to town, and had met him there He
had already written to them that he in
tended to go abroad, and they did not seek
| to combat his resolution.
ST can never come back. mother. unless
this is cleared up. You must feel as well as
do, that l cannot show my face anywhere
am surprised that | have got off myself,
and indeed if it were not that am sure
never got off my horse that night, should
sometimes suspect that must for a time
| raallu od aud ha doon bat