Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1897-12-11

aIt 5C1aAtuS y - A~fo -@A -
months been turned"
"Ross, you have heard falsely. Do
MOI be Sc cold, SO stern TO little
Rita. Hayo you not kiss fer me- -
Ny fearful tone had melted him.
A great wsve Of tenderness swept
over his face.
BE almost bad lis arm unfclded
to receive me and let me sob out my
confession On bis heart, when bis
glance fell on the bracelet clasping
ny arm. Again the tiger in hin
leaped at bay.
"And what IS this ?'he said fierce
ly "This token Of falsehood you
dare Gauns in ny sight. It is like
a woman. They would murder with
smile. Do yen know that too
could murder? Yes, your very
youth, your very beauty, I could
crush az flower beneath my heel.
Take or that hauble and fling it into
the sea y
81 cannot,. Ross" / said. 1t is
locked. he has the key"
sCurse hin Y be muttered 9Then
it IS to him / must look. lie has
locked ii, but by the heavens above
I viii unlock it, if to get the key /
have to strangle him.
And, leaving ne stunned, hope
Less, vretched, where I stood, he
strobe away.
AZ / lay wakeful, pale and repent
ant, next morning, my mother en-
tered my room with AZ awful pallor
on her face. ] think before she open
Cd her lips knew ell, knew that
Ross-roy lover, my promised hus-
band-was q murderer, and shat my
soul must stand with his at the bar
Of God to answer for the deed.
The two men had met the night
before-one reused to frenzy, the
other refusing to answer to threats
when reason might have prevailed.
There was blow, an answering
blow, q scuffle as to the possession
Of 8 tiny golden key. Ross had
gained it, when, throwing his oppo-
nent from him he had struggled one
moment on the edge of the cliff, then
fallen heavily into the sea beneath.
From his prison cell Ross sent me
the key. With a dull, heavy misery
I unlocked the golden thing which
had wrought such evil, and sat down
to live through the dark days of my
lovers trial. 1t was very short, and
each hour was bringing it to it's
close.
There could be little doubt of the
verdict. He had murdered one man
~ had murdered two
On the last day of his trial I rous-
ed from my apathy to write him the
whole answering truth.
81 took it as my wedding gift,'
Ross said in closing. "You may
believe me now, since all my life is
wrecked, nor have ] saved from it
even your love-"
The jury were out celebrating.
Ross life was in their handle.
This was the one ever present tor
turing thought when q great shout
broke the oppressive stiffness. What
could it mean2 / knew not and
dared not hope, until-until the mes
seDger Of the glad tidings came to
us.
The trial had come to an unfor-
seen termination.
The grave had given up its dead.
Rush Arden s fall Ind not killed
him, but picked up by passing
boat, he had returned to wreak the
noble revenge Of striking off his en-
emy's fetters.
All this I heard as in dream,
then the waves Of Inconsistencies
engulfed me and / knew no more.
For long weeks / lived over in de-
lirium the tragic scenes which had
SO lately encompassed me, but when
life and reason were restored, the
flush. not only Of health, but happi-
ness, came back to my cheek with
the low whispered words with which
Ross told me of his forgiveness