Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1897-09-01
CirCumStantial Evidence,

merely why the sweetest and lOvclicst
girl in town had married this dark stran-
ger, whom nobody liked, and whom she
mad not known more than six weeks IN al
1t was also how she came to Jilt Ben FL
roy, to whom she had been engaged al
most since she had worn long dresses, and
he had played with when they were both
.hildrcn.
Lorcna was not merely beautiful girl
she was as good as she was lovely. Not a
girl, you would think, To marry one
man for his money, or to jilt another for
he lack of it.
Only the day but one before she mar
ricd Steiner, Ben had held her in his
arms, and kissed from her lips the fond
est smiles that ever curved scarlet
mouth.
He would have sworn by her truth, and
strangled the lie in any mans throat who
dared insinuatc otherwise.
He was going away for few days alb
;ence-not more than week of the far
thest-and the two parted lingcrinely, as
though it had been for year.
Ben certainly ne YER dreamed that when
.hcy met again, his lips would almost le
ready to curse the loveliness he caresscd
now so rapturouSly.
When he came home she had been mar
ried to Hubert Steiner four days, and OF
all her friends, not one had a word To say
in her favor-not one had an excuse 10
said nothing; they were dumb with amaZ Ze-
mcnt.
\ few insinuated that Steiner was a
richer man than Ben. But they who hai
known i.orcna from childhood unscii-
ishneaS and high princi Tle-could not
credit that Stciner'S money had l.ecn any
temptation.
Bon was like man stricken with par
.ivs;- r-in@ they told him. He jut
dropped into chair, and neither stirred
nor spoke for hours.
The newly married pair went to house
keeping in Lawrence. in some style, and
there seemed no lack of money, whatever
else was wanting.
That something was wanting that money
could not buy, people began to guess,
when LOrcna Stcincr's roses went; AMI
she grew the shadow of herself within
three months after her wedding day.
Her old lover was terribly changed,
too; but he made little outward ado. Ec
and Steiner should have a settlement son G
day, he said, and he watched the pair
with strange eyes, and seemed to ponder
vet over his lost loves unfai;hfulnesS as
some problem difficult of solution.
one day, when Steiner was away-buf
he did not know or care for that-the pain
and puzzle got the better of him. and Ben
went to see IOrcna.
The poor fellow was half f-crazy-grown
morbid with nursing his grief-and dad not
know himself what he went for. He might
have had some vague notion of asking his
false love why she Tilted him, or he might
ha vc hungered so for the sound of her
sweet voice that he could lear il no
longer.
He was shown by very grand servant
into a very grand parlOr, and stood there,
staring gloomily at the fine things, till
I.Orcna came.
Il wonder if this is what she married
Steiner for?" he was saying to himself, n
The clidcd into the room, shrinkingly, her
face as white as her dress.
At sight of him she burst into tears.
ooh, Ben, what made you Gomez" she
cried, and was retrcating.
But he said coldly:
Il am going again instantly, Mrs. Stein
err and the cold anger of his voice
brought her back again, but trembling
like leaf, and looking so deathly
white that he thought she was going to
faint
She rallied, however. instantly, and
stood looking at him with pitcous eyes.
81 hope you are we'll, MIR. Elroy:" she
said, fatntly.
\ spasm of pain contracted Ren's
handsome pale face, and he turned to
leave her; but she followed him, speak in 6
husk lily, and extending her hands.
"Oh, Ben, don't go sol 1 can't bear
itv'
He stopped and stared at her, his
breath coming quick.
"Youl'' he said, passionately, yet with
scOrn. What have you to bear? Haven't
you got what you sold yourself for?''
lien, don't speak so to me!' she almost
1T was for your sake. oh!
why didn l die?'
Hen Elroy turned suddenly and led
her to a seat, remaining standing him
;elf.
.Now, then, Mrs. Steiner, will you Re
good enough he said, "tO tell me- what
you mean by saying that you Tilted me
for my own sake?'
She stole wild look at his stern face.
''Wtn you promise me to have no
words with him-with Mr.. Steiner
about it?''
Bon hesitated an instant, and then
said,
To himself he added:
II Will have no words with him; but if
he has taken her from me with a lie, l
will punish him so quick he shall not
know where his retributiOn comes from"
and he clcnched his teeth over the word
In a way that made Lorena regard him
81 will toll you nothing" she said. 81
thought of it,"
"Then 1 will strangle the truth out of
himr' Ben said, his face darkening. and
Lorena cried out sharply:
GLOW cruel you arerf
cam I?' he said, softening at the woe
,f that still loved voice. 81 forgot he was
dear to you"
"Do You think l feared for him alone?"
flashed Lorena, and hung her head. before
the words were we'll spoken
Ben caught his breath again.
me, Lorena-indeed you may. enfreat
you to tell me; Surely something is due
Lorcna did not lift her eyes, as she
said:
"Mr. Steiner told me how you we're in
volved, and he showed me some papers
which you had signed his name to. He
said he could send you to state prison"
Papers? signed his name? l am not
name to anything in my life!" cried Zen,
Never? oh, Bcn-Ben-Ben, I might
have known it What blind fool /
vast
my poor girl And you married him
to save me? Ny Godl how can keep my
You must, Ben! Go, now, for both our
sakes. / can hear no more"
And Ben went. He was seen by more
than one of the tOwnspeOple as he came,
late that afternoon, down the broad walk
tiiat len from hubert Ste1nerS handsome
house, and was blamed for going there in
his masters absence. 1t was noted, too,
that he looked grim and fOrbidding, and
that he frowned, instead of nodding, at
such acquaintance as he met.
That night Hubert Steiner was mur-
dered within sight of his own doorstone,
and the following morning Ben Elroy was
arrested for the murder.
1t was hard case. Everybody liked
naN. faxry thA l,,A
there were not six people in lawrence
who did not believe Ben had done tho
deed-even Lorena.
"Ben has killed him." she whispered,
and dropped into a swoon, from which sho
did not recover for hours.
But she never opened her lips again
about the matter. She just lay and {, 1od,
like broken flower, while the trial went
ON.