Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1896-05-30
Ink he didn't do IT," said

stephen.
IL am as sure that he did not as I ca
be Of anything which | have nor seen wit
my OWL eyes" Julia answered. And
they had convicted him aud hanged hin
they would still not haveN convinced m
that he did IT,. should always have be
lieved In him. she added, quite warmly
But why
Because ! believed in him. He wa
not capable Of numbering anybody. &c
say nothing Of numbering his best friend
without the smallest reason for doing So
You are q good friend. juicy" said
Stephen Howard, smiling at her, "and
think may take it for granted that II
ever | am accused of muir"
Which God forbid, :" put in Bob Mark
ham, with sudden earnestness.
Thank you, Bob" said Stephen-"but,'
continuing 10 his wife, II may take il fol-
granted that you will believe in ME and
stick to me
Julia smiled back at him. "Yes, think
you may" she answered; II SHOULD believe
In You whatever might happen to you.
whatever You were accused Of"
That's good hearing" put in Bob, but
Stephen Howard said nothing. only looked
at his wife with such q world Of love and
trust In his brave eyes that instinctively
Julia's guilty thoughts sped back 10 that
little cloud aud her own dropped before
the glory OF bis in a kind OF shame, Of
which, nevertheless, she was a little proud.
Ii was Mrs. Bob who broke the silence.
~ believe that poor soul will get off. but
do you know the hardest part OF IL all 10
me is that Il Is her own sisters who are
giving the strongest evidence against her.
all the evidence there Is, in fact. never
can underst and that. never had a sis
ter. so that | don't know how sisters feel
to each other, hut I don't think I should
60 and help TO tie the rope round her neck
whatever she had done
We'll, / have a sister" Julia exclaimed.
still q little moved by that look Of Steph-
ems. land | know that il / had actually
seen her murder somebody. I would still
do my best TO get her of. I should be
sorry, OF course. hurt, grieved-but I would
n help to hang my W sister. No, l
don't think IL ought to be expected OF any
one. don't indeed"
.aThen you would be wrong" said Boz
Markham. drily.
Il shouldn't care" persisted Julia,
promptly.
"But the Law would very soon make you
care-you wonld find yourself IN the dock
too as an accessory after the ACT"
II would rather be that than peach on
nv own sister" Julia said. with deter.
mina.lon. and IL the Law did pounce down
on me, everybody outside the law would
side with me.'
"Yes. that is true" put In MrA Bob,
quietly, SOU would be the heroine OF the
day even IL yon did get q term OF hard
labor"
Stephen shuddered. II don't know II
you are aware of It," hs said. "but You
have got into q most gruesome subject OF
conversation. I don't know whether Julis
has ever been tried for murder either a.
q principal or as an accessory, but ! Be
lieve not-of the others l Am tolerably
sure. Aud ! hope that none OF rs will
ever fBd ourselves In that distressing sit.
uation either with cause or without Il.
But until that contingency does arise ]
really do not see that we need harrow u
selves by deciding what we should OF
should not do"
"And / think that It IS time that we
went OF to the theatre" said Mrs. Bob,
wisely.
They all got mp then and Julia slipped
her hand under her husbands arm ~
they left the table. "Ohi Stevie." she
said, II am 70 glad you said thst-do you
know | wa getting quite nervous. I BE-
gan to feel a. II I was actually already In
the dock. did. really"
stephen Howard squeezed the little
hand within his arm. "Old Bob 10 q good
sort" he said tendsrly, 'bnt his idea Of
humer 10 very ~deAss-snd you might cut
MUD dwsp o. 4. my darling"
aNS,s shs ~, II 49, and then she