Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1893-05-12

And let me wiring your heart. for so
shall,
If it be made of penetrable stuff.
Hamlet.
The remote village of Lowell was
one afternoon electrified by news of
the death of it's Squire, and the intima-
ion that his body might be expected
to arrive before night, under the care
of his friend, Lord Loyel.
La less than an hour Mr. Eyre's grave
was being dug beside that of the
woman whose lover and husband he
had been, and Of whose murder he was
secretely believed to be guilty; though
If he had killed her, it had been for
love-because, though he could endure
to see her die, he could not brook the
sight of himself degraded in her eyes,
or, as others said, know himself sup
planted in her love by his friend
He had never been accused of the
crime, nor even for some time suspect
ed of it, and this was partly due to the
fact that at his inStigation a woman
named Clark had been tried for the
murder, and, by circumstancial evil
dence, SO nearly convited. that her
aqulttal was Indignantly declared by
the Judges to be 4 gross miscarriage
of justice.
But some extraordinary disclosures
made by Mr.. Eyre in the course Of the
trial had, in the eyes of many of those
present, reversed the position of ac-
cuser and accused; While the ruthless
lifting by his own hand of the curtain
,hat had screened his inner life ap-
palled the gaZerS, who in one scathing
flash of light saw him stripped naked
of his worldly robes, and he as the man
that God and his own heart had long
known him.
He stood before them man who for
years had been at the mercy of
secret sin; himself the fatal moving
power out Of which had sprung three
successive tragedies of mspeakable
oahtos and horror, upon which he
gaZed impressive and unsubdued-less
repentant of his misdeeds than callous-
ly bold in Wanting them-casting aside
like wornout glove the honorable life
ne had worn in hose years when he
had,
| Dull IL cIuiCIl, anu EtuSueu Ills
word to scorn,
and by his inhumanity rather his sins,
cutting himself off from all sympathies
with bis kind.
AS betrayer and deserter of the wo-
man Clarke in her youth, and remorse
less bringer to justice Of her only
friend for the murder of his macknow-
| lodged child privately exerting his
great influence to hang herr as the
man who first robbed his best friend
Of his sweetheart, then filched his good
name and wore it before the world
as the assassin who attempted Hester
Clarke's life because he had an hourly
dread lest she should tell Mrs. Eyre
the truth-as the accuser of that I'M
happy woman of his wife's murder
and as magistrate committing her to
jail while yet his child's corpse lay
warm upon her knee-thus bit by bit.
his character during the trial painted
itself to the shrinking beholders' gaze,
till all felt themselves in the presence
of man whose hand would not shrink
from any deed to which his iron will
impelled him.
From that day the secret convic-
ton grew and strengthened that Mr..
Eyre had himself been the murderer of
the wife he so passiOnately loved. the
most popular reason assigned being
violent jealousy of Lord Lovel. cul-
minating in q fit of madness. in which
he slew her
! But those who were best acquainted
with Mr.. EyreS naughty and infieXible
. character, said that he never needed
to know jealousy, and felt none; but
that the complications of his position
with regard to Hester Clarke becoming
| unbearable-and rather than see his
, wife endure those miseries that the
, he bad cut the knot of his difficulties
; and her life with 4 single blow. and
so secured ignorance to her forever.
| Others denied the murder to have
! been one of either jealousy or pride,
declaring it to be one of simple greed,
; committed for the ske Of the magnifi
cent diamonds she had worn that night
and which were found missing when
she was discovered stabbed to the
> heart, but breathing yet, in her chair.
Strong suspicion had at that time
attached itself to the gardner, who
was seized on a ladder. placed against
her window. within a few moments of
| the deed. and whose infatuation for
Mr.. Eyre's French nurse was said to
he powerful enough to precipitate him
into crime for her sake.
Give me diamonds like Madam's,
and I will marry you." she had said to
him not half an hour before the muir
der: and the diamonds had disappeared
and the gardener been caught almost
red-handed, yet Mr.. Eyre had refused
| for one moment to believe in the mans
guilt. all his energies being bent to the
| conviction Of the woman Clarke; and
! before setting out on that legthened
| journey, that extended to three years.
! he had the man and maid married in
/ his presence, and left them established
| in sole charge of the Red Hall, with
certain funds to be disposed of accord
| ing to his directions And, though
| keenly watched by the village, the
oddly matched pair had given rise to no
suspicion, and gradually people ceased
| to believe their guilt
| Of Mr.. Eyre nothing was known.
| He and Lord Lowell had gone abroad
within few days of each other and
were conjectured to be together, but
rs both preserved an unbroken silence,
sending home neither word nor sign of
/ ho fret nOSitiVp news