The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-02-10

One day just before I left the hospital
] was told that a lady had called TO see
me ] wondered who my guest could be-.
and was startled and oVerpoWered when
my sweet little Laura walked into the
room. She told me that she had only just
heard OF my illness, and hurried 10 see
me against her fathers express COM
. mands.
But / have made Up my mind 70 defy
him. she said. Il cannot bear The n So
cry 10 which he subjects me. As soon
as ever you are well enough Z viii marry
you Jasper And now please tell me how
you came 70 give yourself that nasty gun
wound2"
I was relieved to ind that Laura did not
know the ignOminious manner in which I
had come 10 deaths door. / resolved that
she should never know. Her presence was
Ike new wine 10 me. Contrary TO the
surgeons eXpectatfons,I got better, and we
were married exactly month ago. !
thought then that perfect happiness was
mine. but alas, my brilliant hopes were
. short-lived- The wound ia my left lung
soon broke out afresh. and ! am told that
my days are numbered. Ia short. Staple
ton has murderedme. You know now why l
have sent for you. Derweut. can this
scoundrel be arrested on the charge Of at
tempted murder. and brought before a
jury of his countrymen TO receive the pun
ishment which he has earned"
Lawson raised himself slightly in bed as
he asked this question. The rage. passion
and despair which filled him were album
dainty evident in his shining eyes and
trembling lips.
You ask me a difficult question" I
said. Lie still, pray; / will give you my
opinion in a moment"
/ thought hard and then spoke
The case is very peculiar I said, land
admits, fear, of no legal interpreta-
Ion p .mNa H..ae -
was undoubtedly morally guilty OF serl-
Gus crime. and, If you die, he Will really
be murderer, hut the question we have
now to decide in this Is StapletOn guilty
in law? He never suggested to White to
use a deadly weapon-he trusted entirely
To the fiery character he knew TO be
Whites, and TO chance. He wanted to
get rid of you-chance favored him.
White. in all innocence, fired at you, be-
lieVing you to be burglar I fear l must
reluctantly come to the conclusion that
there is no crime known to the law Of
which Stapleton could he convicted. 7
will, however. carefully further consider
the matter"
Poor Lawson's face was like death when
l said these words to him.
! looked at him attentively.
why don't you get well?" I said, land
so defy Stapleton in the best possible
way?"
"How can with this bullet in my lung?"
Il am certain 1t can be extracted. What
surgeons have you consubed?"
Lawson mentioned the names OF the
medical men who had attended him.
You ought to see De Mountfort He is
undoubtedly a cleverer surgeon than
either of those who have attended you
l wish you would induce your own medi-
cal man to have a consultation with him.
In these days of surgical skill, a case like
yours ought not to be hopeless.
Il wish / could think So, replied the
poor fellow, in a hoarse whisper.
do take my advice" ] pleaded. "The
best possible way OF outwitting Stapleton
is to live He tried to compass your
death. Dsappoint him. Send for De
Mountfort."
Soon afterwards I took my leave.
Long that night did I ponder over the
queer case which Lawson had described
to me. / found, as feared, that my first
opinion remained absolutely mistaken
and to this day 1 fail to see that the viii
liam Stapleton brought himself in any
way within the clutches of our criminal
law.
This state Of things might have been
truly serious for poor Mrs. Lawson had
/ her husband died, but fortunately for her
and him the critical operation which
alone would save his life, was success
fully performed a day or two later He
is now quite well, and he and his wife are
some of my most intimate friends.
Stapleton has disappeared from Lon.
don society.