The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1890-09-26

rlmony OF Cant, Lenc and Lieut.. Mason,
who had not yet come.
And now, hour after hour, for two
days, Mabel was reading in her hus-
bands face the utter hopelessness that
possessed him; nay. more, the truth was
being revealed to her in all its damning
details. 1t might be impossible for the
prosecution to prove that he had actual
ly caused the false and boastful stories
to be given to the press and the public;
but how about the kilograms and letters
Mr.. Withers had so pryudly come to
show her? How about the kilograms
and letters she herself had received?
What impression could she derive from
them but that he was the hero Of the
whole affair, and that he was lying pain
fully wounded when he wrote? The
cash through the beautiful white arm
turned out to be a mere scratch upon the
skin, that pin might have made. 1t
was Greene's command from Fort Ora
ham that had rescued Lane, and Lane
with his men who had rescued the cap
tives, and then fought SO hard, so des-
perately, against such fearful odds, and
sustained their greatest losses while her
hero--her Gordon-with nearly fifty
men, was held only mile away by half
dozen ragamuffins in the rocks. She
had almost adored him, believing him
godlike in courage and magnanimity;
but now on every side the real facts
were coming to light, and she even
wrung them from his reluctant lips
And yet-and yet-he was her husband,
and she loved him.
Again and again did she question Mr..
Falconer, the eminent counsel, az to the
possibilities. This gentleman had fought
all through the war Of the rebellion, and
had won high commentator for bra
very. He had taken the case because he
believed, on Withers' statement, that
Noel was wronged and injured man,
and because, possibly, fee of phenome-
nal proportion could be looked for. He
met among the old captains of the
Eleventh men whom he had known in
Virginia in the war days, and learned
from them what Noel's real reputation
was, and, beyond peradventure, how he
had shirked and played the coward in the
last campaign; SO that he, who had
known Mabel Vincent from her baby
hood and loved her old father, now
shrank from the sorrow Of having to tell
her the truth. Yet she demanded it, and
he had to say that her husbands fate
hinged on the evidence that might be
given by Capt. Lane and Mr.. Mason.
That very night these two officers ar
rived, together with three members of
the court. The following day at 10
o'clock the court was to begin its session,
and four Of its members were still to
come. That night Mr.. Falconer and
Noel were closeted with several men
in succession, seeking evidence for the de-
Tense. That night there came a dispatch
from Withers saying he had done his
best in Washington, but that it seemed
improbable that the president would in
terfere and accept Noels resignation from
the service.
Noel showed this to Mabel and sank
upon the sofa with groan of despair.
"Oh, my darling!" she whispered,
kneeling by his side and throwing her
arms about his neck, "dont give way!
There must be hope yet! They cannot
prove such cruel charges! There must
be way of averting this trouble"
"'There is one," said he, starting up.
"There is one, if you will only do it to
save me-"
"What would I not do to save you,
Gordon?' she asked, though her face was
paling now with awful dread of what
the demand might be.
mabel, my wife, it is to see-him at
once. There is nothing that he will not
do for you. l know it-for 1 know what
he has done. See him. You know what
to say. l cannot prompt you. But get
him to tell as little as he possibly can in
regard to this case"
Gordon she cried, "you ask me to
do this after the great wrong / did
him?'
There is no other way" was the
sullen answer. And he turned modify
from her side, leaving her stunned,
speechless.
TO BE CONTINUED.
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