The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1893-11-18

must save her. Alan, mad with shame
and despair, sent for Lady Rosedene,
who came with Col. Halle.
"You cannot allow such an injustice
as this" he said; 1T is too cruel! This
young lady is under your care, Lady
Rosedene. They shall trample my dead
body under foot before they touch
her!"
A voice rose from the crowd of
women:
she killed Lady Fraser because she
was jealous of her."
When Alan Branston heard the
words, they smote him like a sword.
The arm that had gathered her closely
to him fell by his side. She raised her
~despairing eyes to his face.
oh, my love, my love!!" she cried;
surely, If all the world fails ME, you
will not?"
Lady Rosedene's words bore fatal
witness against her young visitor.
Il never thought you meant it, Hya-
cinth," she said, although + believe
she drove you mad with jeslousy."
Il may have been mad" replied the
girl, calmly; Il do not remember
what l said; but l take heaven to wit
ness that l never injured Lady Fra
ser"
If you are innocent" said Col.
Halle, ''you will be able to prove it ut
the right time and in the right place"
He, for one, evidently believed in the
girls guilt.
The terrible scene was shortened .
Col. Halle, Under some pretext he
drew Alan away, and during his all
sence Hyacinth Vane was removed un-
der the charge Of the police officer.
The details Of the terrible tragedy at
Dene Hall were soon known all over
the land. The newspapers discussed it
fully; every illustrated paper had q
view of Dene Hall; every variety of
style was used in describing the trag-
edy-the pathetic, the sentimental, the
m%OnitOry; but one and all of the wri-
tiers agreed that 1t was the most awful
crime of modern times. How greedily
people read the story Of the handsome
young squire, who had SO truly loved
the young girl, although, man-like, he
had thought it nc treason to firt with
another woman. How they wondered
about the young girl, who was said to
have the face of a goddess. How they
talked of the brilliant woman who had
tried to lure the young lover away
1t was the old story, they said-love,
jealousy and madness. No one seemed
to- doubt Hyacinth's guilt-she must
have done the deed. So the public
read and talked, while at Dene Hall
the dreary tragedy moved on. There
was an inquest, and the verdict was
"willful murder" Then most of the
visitors left Dene Hall. Col. Halle, at
Lady Roscdene's request, remained.
The sGddest part of the tragedy was
to come. Alan Branston determined
that Francis Vane should not hear the
intelligence from any II but himself,
and he went over to see him. He lived
out of the world, this scholar who had
been so true to one love; but the mo-
ment his eyes fell on the young
squire's face he cried out:
There is something wrong with my
daughter
Alan tried to tell him gently, to break
the news to him softly; but from the
first moment in which he clearly un-
derstood, there was death in his face.
He spoke at last, but his words were
few.
My daughter is in prison, you tell
me, charged with the murder OF the
woman Of whom you made her jeal-
ous?' -:
"Alas. it is SOL" said Alan. II would
rather be dead myself than be telling
this to you"
And were I in your place l would
rather be dead than saying it."
y =
The tragedy was deepened when peo-
pie heard that Francis Vane, scholar
and gentleman. was found dead on his
wife's grave. There was a smile on
his face when they raised him, as
though he knew the truth.