The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-05-25
THE GREAT Mill STREET MYSTERY
BY ADELINE MT
Author OF JAcoB1s VICE. RoY
PRErENcEs" Ere -
IALL RIGHTS RESERVED
CHAPTER XXXVII.
THE TRIAL.

man. liz Qld not appear 10 MIN, Wnen he
had heard Jess story, that she ought rightly
to esteem herself murderess, and he some
what doubted the necessity for public
confession of her action. But he would not
dissuade her from the course that she had
marked out for herself; it did not lie within
his province to do so. All that was possible
to him was to smooth her way, to make
thinks as little painful to her as possible.
No doubt of her story ever crossed his
mind.
He went with her to the nearest magis-
strate. before whom she made her state
ment. And then he said good-by to her,
kindly and pityingly, promising to do all in
his power for her welfare. Before night
Jess was lodged in a prison cell, and the
newsboys were crying sensational accounts
of her story.
1.-THE Mill Street Mystery cleared up!
Remorse of the murderess! Full confess
stomp
Among the persons who heard the news
boys cry and stopped to buy the latest edi-
ton of an evening paper, DR.. Price was
numbered.
What does this meant" he said. And
when had perused the account, his brow
grew black as night. "What on earth does
1t mean? he repeated. "pn go down to
Alice Drew tomorrow morning and in
quire. Ny patients may hang them selves
for aught l care"
He was as coed as his word. Before nine
o'clock next morning be met Alice Drew,
with Meenie in her arms in the little garden
before the cottage door.
$50 it is trueF ne began by brusquely
exclaiming, as he looked at her pale face
and swollen eyes. 81 see that | needn't
acb do that's
MEAN by what, doctorW said Alice, ner-
vously.
'By letting that poor child give herself
up for what she never didw
II don't understand you, sir" returned
Alice, her lips quivering. "She has told the
truth, l believe; that Is ALL"
do you really think that she was telling
the truth when she said that she pushed
Stephen away from the window! Wen, l
don't believe it. l don't believe she had
either the physical strength or the nerve
for it. And il you do, l tell you plainly
that you're a foolw
'Why, DOCTOR said Alice, much taken
aback by this change of front, ''it was you
that first pnt the idea into my head"
"Then was a fool!" said the doctor.
"Then why should she confess it if she
hadn't done it!'
ITO screen somebody else, of course; a
baby could tell you that" replied DR.. Price,
y.
you loved"
"Whatl Tell lie? Accuse myself of
murder? Mop
Then you're no true womanm roared
the doctor, land despise you as heartily
as esteem j ess ArmsIrong-whic is say
ing a good deal. Good morning Miss
Drew
He strobe away to the gate, and opened
it; but instead of passing out, banged it
close again and retraced his steps. Alice
stood motionless, just where he had left
her. but the tears were flowing slowly over
her pale cheeks.
'pm a brute" he said, suddenly. ST did
not mean to hurt your feelings. Pm only
expressing what / feel toward myself. I'm
dolt and an idiot, and it is my fault that
she's flung herself into the lions den in this
way-all because of few idle words of
mine that frightened her for that precious
lover of hersW
Alice shook her head.
Il wish l could think her innocent; but
after what she said to me can't. My poor
Jess! her repentance is very bitter"
"You think SO, do you2" said the doctor,
cycling her curiously. Women ought to un-
derstand women-and yet!-WeIl, l sup
pose / shall have to give evidence at the
trial; and shall say what can for Jess"
1t was easy for the doctor to say SO, but
it was difficult for him to carry out all his
could afford neither time nor money for
Jess defense He called on Francis Hell
mont, but received so complete and crush
ing an assurance that Eastwood had been
abroad at the time of Stephen Eyre's MUIR
der that he was almost shaken in his con-
viction that Jess was trying to shield her
former lover.
He wrote two OF three letters to the news
papers, but what were these in comparison
with Jess own confessiong The declaration
81 did it killed him. could not be ignored
or explained away.
Search was made for the man with whom
| jess represented herself as associaUing on
the night of Stephens death; but no one an
| sweringsto her description of him could be
found. A mystery seemed to envelope his
fate--a mystery as profound as that which
| had formerly enwrapped the fate OF
Stephen Eyre. Jess professed herself I'M
able to say what had become of him; she
thought-vaguely-t he had gone
N abroad. Aud she would say nothing more,
except that she and she only had been to
/ blame
IL was curious case-curious in its very
simplicity. The bare avowal of guilt made
| oy Jess Armstrong did not impress the pub
nc quite as much as she expected it to do.
The conclusion drawn by the world al
large was that man was mixed up in the
matter and that she was endeavoring &c
by this view of the case, although as be
told himself, such consideration could not
possibly affect the course of justice.
Justice Armstrong tried the case. he
was an old white-haired mau, with re-
hned, severe cast of features, but gentle
and kindly eyes. He took an unusual inter
est IN the prisoner. He did not know why
but ne felt drawn toward her as if by some
close link of kinship or affection. There
was look in her face which reminded him
Oh one who had been very dear to him. The
pathetic sweetness of her eyes puzzled and
oiseorNerted him. She was a poor, lost
talen creature, he said to himself-and YET
strange how these likenesses occuri-sht
was strangely like his dead wife, the wife
ne had lost in.h his youth; strangely, too, like
tne handsome son who had refused TO bt
bound by his fathers wishes, and had mar
al ned girl out of Whitechapel sluml
N Well, he was dead now-poor Gerald l.
and his wife too. As for the child-for hs
Knew that there had been a child--was she
not dead too? Was it within the bounds Of
possibility that this poor lost girl, this muir
deress who called herself jess Armstrong
could be the grandchild for whom he hac
yearned SO often, as later years brought