The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-07-30

"But it is of her I'm thinking, not
of you. 1t is the name you have COM
promised and can clear and should
clear, even at the expense Of your own
in fact, Mr.. Jerrold, must clear.
Now will you tell me where you were
and how you can prove it?"
II decline to say. l won't be cross
questioned by men who have no author
ity. Captain Chester said he would re-
fer it to the colonel, and when he asks
will answer-not until then.
81 ask i'll his name. / am authorized
by him, for he is not well enough to
meet the ordeal. "
"You say so, and l don't mean to
dispute your word, Captain Armitage,
but l have a right to demand some
proof. How am to know he author
lied you"
"He himself gave me this letter, in
your handwriting" said Armitage, and
opening the long envelope he held forth
the missive over which the poor old colo
mel had gone nearly wild. "'He found
it the morning they left-in her gar
den"
If Jerrold's face had been gray be-
fore, it was simply ghastly now He
reooiled from the sight after one fruit
less effort to grasp the letter, then raj
lied with unlocked for spirit:
"By heaven. Armitage, suppose l did
write that letter? What does it prove
but what Isay-that somebody has been
prying and spying into my affairs? How
came the colonel by it if not by fraud
or treachery?"
HE pickles! it up in the garden, l tell
you, among the rosebushcs, where she
where Miss RonwicB-had been but
a few moments before, and where it
might appear that she had dropped it. "
"She! That letter. What had she to
do with it? What right had she to read
it,"
Armitage stepped impulsively for
ward. A glad, glorious light was burst
ing upon his soul He could almost have
seized Jerrold's hand and thanked him,
but proofs, proofs were what he needed
1t was not his mind that was to be con-
vinced; it was society" that must be
satisfied Of her utter innocence, that it
might be able to say, "Well, / never for
q moment believed word of it," Link
by link the chain of circumstantial evil
dence must be destroyed, and this was
only one.
you mean that that letter was not
intended for Miss Renwicl?" he asked,
with eagerness he strove hard to repress.
1T was never meant for anybody, "
said Jerrold, the color coming back to
his face and courage to his eyes. THAT
letter was never sent by me to any wo
man. It's my writing, of course-I can't
deny that-b1t | never even meant it to
go. If it left that desk, it must have
been stolen. I've been hunting high and
low for it. l know that such a thing
lying around loose would be the cause
Of mischief. God! is that what all this
fuss is about?" And he looked warily,
yet with infinite anxiety, into his cap
tain's eyes.
"ThcrG is far more to it, as you well
Know, sir" was the stern answer. For
whom was this written if not for her?
1t won't do to half clear her name"
"Answcr me this, Captain Armitage.
Do you mean that that letter has COM
promised Miss Renwick; that it is she
whose name has been involved, and
shat it was of her that Chester meant to
speak?"
Certainly it was-and too
There was an instant's silence; then
JolTold began to laugh nervously:
"Oh, well, I fancy it isn't the first
time tho revercd and respected captain
has got away OFF the track. All the
same, | do not mean to overlook his
language to me, aud | may say right
now, Captain Armitage, that yours,
too, calls for an explanation.
"You shall have it in short order,
MIR. Jerrold, and the sooner you under
stand the situation the better. So far
as | am concerned, Miss Rcnwick need
ed no defender; but, thauIls TO your
mysterious and mwarrmted absence
from quarters two very unlucky nights,
and to other circumstances | have no
need to name, and to your penchant
for letter writing Of q most suggestive
character, it is Miss Renwick whose
name has been brought into question
here at this post and most prominently
so. In plain words, Mr.. Jerrold, you
who brought this trouble upon her by
your own misconduct must clear her,
no matter at whose expense, or''----
cor what?"
II mako no threats, | prefer that
you should make the proper oXplana-
tions from a proper sense of what is
due"
"And suppose l say that no man is
called upon to explain situation which
has been distorted and misrepresentod
by the evil imagination Of his fellows?"
'"Then l may have to wiring the truth
out Of you-and will; but, for her sake,
I want as little publicity as possible.
After this display on your part am
not bound to show you any considera-
tion whatever. Understand this, how
ever-the array Of evidence that you
were feloniously inside Colonel May
nard's quarters that night and at his
cottage window last night is of such a
character that court would convict
you unless your alibi was conclusive
Leave the service you certainly shall
unless this whole thing is cleared up"
II never was anywhere near Colonel
Maynard's either last night or the other
night was absent.
"You will have to prove it. Mere de-
mails won't help you in the face of such
evidence as wo have that you were there
the first time"
"What evidence?
"The photograph that was stolen
from Mrs Maynard between 2 and A
| = L.. l. 4