The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-03-03

-A Income detective 3 n
~ IN that length OF time;
~ III bat he was so different
from the promise Of bis
early manhood that j
at once felt the change TO be much more than
waruiug of my recollection. When we haa
parted. Just after graduating from the same col
llgc-ae TO study law and j 10 take promls'
ing business post in Australia-he was q
healthy, stalwart young mans lhdomltaule'
buoyautly aggressive, uuoompromislngN anbi-
tloug. ana blessed with talents InsuunE hissuc-
cess. Calling al his Office, ] found q sHrunAen
man old before his time, his hair Rna ueaIa
tlrcaked with gray, and deep lines fn't'! =,
across waXen forehead. The hrst glance toiG
me that ] behed q tragedy Of nooic gus ana
aspirations -,
Igv pfysperitv. and he had told me that his pa
rgn,s were dead and that, moi having married,
NJ lived almost alone in the old homestead, Cld
spgal, Ul his appearance, aud blscech hl" III
the name Ul our friendship 70 tea me "haV
calamity bad come 10 him. lie locke" q. me
few moments. unable 10 reply, the puplls ol
his suuEeu eyes dilat!ug, aud pallor loI'l'b IoS
way through the yellow ahlns ~ jas, ho -
plicd. with shaking voice. and conceahhR the
trembling Of has bands 10y tightly pressing lhom
upon tie cEalr-aTmS: ma,
Yes. John. VIII tell you. But you will be
the oniv mortal except myself who knows What
has snapped the strings Of my energy "nu Pul-
poses ] cannot tell sou here, though
Greatly wondering, j asked:
Where can you tell me- -
nCome 10 The old home tO-nightHt eoclock.
punctual 10 the appointed time, j sent sol
emn echoes OF the old-tashionod bras 5-iuocker
through the wide hall. The house H"lhE
from colonial days, unable 10 keep pace WIN
modern Improvement aud secluded IRON lAe
street amid high poplars and clms, was gloomy
enough q. all times but clouds had brought,
tbe October night earlier and the rattle ahd
rustic OF The withered leaves, AS the Wlnd tore
them from the b0ughs andscuwied them across
the dead grass seemed TO deepen the alsmal
quiet OF the place or, in my fancy, CNclted 10y
apprehension, to the whispering 81 me demons
of fate and mystery. An aged colorcd servant,
whose hearty voice, rs ] mcmbered IT. had
been lowered 10 a pitch Of melancholy opened
the door and babe me 90 upstairs.
PHILIP welcomed nc IN the study with an arr
Of relief As he turned up the light the evident
main in his eyes aud the chair before the CRATE
dre showed me be had been broodiug In the
dark. An easy rocker drawn close TO his char
silently revealed his wish that we sit there. j
accordingly asked him 10 turn down the llght'
which he gladly did, and we sat down before
the fireplace.
Anxiously interested in my friends condi-
ton, J fell naturally 10 Analysing i as reflected
by the expression of his face, and now saw,
ever ia tile dim hearth light a spark OF hope
that this FIRST reyealment might lessen his
grief
John" he began you have noticed that
this Is not the same study that father used. lie,
you remember, preferred the room at the top
of the house which looked out over the slant
ing room Of the back building and command
ing the view we have so often as young men
admired in those happy days. Men Of studlous
habits seem 10 take instluctlvcly TO the house
tons as IL ncarncss 10 the ground makes the
mind earthly. J. too, liked ils solitude, and
after father died kept IL until -
lie stopped suddenly, and the spark 10 his
eyes was quenched by despair. j said nothing,
and be went on:
But i viii start at the beginning, aud If
yoH can suggest an escape for me you will be
more than friend 10 me. I'm suffering, John.
God help me, how ] suffer! You know what
prospects ] had. wrote you how was elected
prosecuting attorney. was winning legal TIT
umphs such as might have turned anyone s
head but sou behold me now, q complete a
hopeless wreck.
Yes, ] triumphcd until the case OF the
State VelglH Joel Iiarkt0n came 10 me. ID was
my FIRST capital case. HarSton was a we'll
known man Of the city, aud an acquaintance Of
mine Ills wife died suddenly under circum-
stances sufficiently suspicious 10 warrant hls
arrest They were only circumstances, but
very, very strong against him, and ] saw that
q conviction would be a laurel worthy trying
for; especially as ] knew that success meant
my certain nomination for State Senator
Briefly aud horribly, John, my ambition rose
10 madness. il tIamplCd down my scrupict
against conviction on circumstantial evidence
aud even the sympathy had Cor Harlzton as
close acquaintance. You will not you cannot
understand me when ] tell you that my anb
tion bccamc-blOOdthirsty. IL set q mark
Iarktou's life. You shrink, my friend and Il
Is sight you should but, before high heaven
81 A. al -
impuse--a determination which could hay,
been formed only Ia the deepest heart Of Luci
fer himself
Through day, and night after night, no
stopping 10 sleep, ] studied the circumstance
until ] bad weighed, aud pared, aud shaped
ana fitted them into q mosaic Of conviction
III i thought Of HarlltOn az all, u was only a
the old high priest regarded the sacrilca
lamb-as necessary 10 salvation. Triumph be
came my religion aud my God.
One night acute recollection sonccd th
trembling voice Tor few miuutos-"I sat q
iE ibg old Udy slruRiuE the facts, for Oh
hHudredth time, upon thread If prosecution
] was iu fever o. citation. 70 possible dclcus
could break down my theory OF the wife muI
der J already Clutclcd victory 10 my soul.
was 0b.lri9us 10 everything but thoTcasc; Oh
hours tl.'ed from the stgcple youdor, struc
upon my car, but did not reach my brain.
TeYlld .u q realization Of victory Ol tho al
ta.umeut Of my cherished nights aud
triumph over Tho counsel f6r the defendant
who Was my Dittercst political opponent Sud
denly was disturbed iu my ecstasy by a sd gl
noise aud, looking around there, within rcaC
% my hand, quietly stood joel Iml.ton.
For m0uCut ] was chilled Dy the fear thi
] was The victim ~ an ha1ucuati0u bat tl
mans voice assured me OF Lis material pre-
CBCc.
49, You arc work ing 10 convict me- was VIII
be said in mild rcproach.
"' How did you come herei' demanded.
." escaped from the Jail, aud craB ed 4
over the roof there, fO0lshly, perhaps 10 a.
you 10 aid me iu escape, instead Of seeking nj
lite ar yOu are doing. We have been friend
horclaud, aud as surely AS ] talk 10 you now,
Am Innocent
49, lnnoceutH ] repeated, IN scorn. ",
Killed your wife IN cold blood. Tho proof
inc0ntroyctiblc'
" lie shrauk from me, holding Up his han
in dcsparihR realization Of my bitterness ~
OF his mistake IN putting himself into u
power. j was furious az the mere prospect
defeat, aud he must have seen ID IN my fat
laIkt0n bad never been a strong man, but
was uOw further weakened by imprisOnmcI
could easily dgt8iu him, aud ! argued that
public officer sworn 90 see that the laws We
VINO Gated, II was my duty 10 dos SO far {
act NOW tell you Of was justified but
paused turning 20 me la violent self-cOndei
nation" ln 80 far as my aspirations sought
make stepping stone OF this mau's life the .
was GlabulICHl.