The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1898-11-29
"Go and ask the Judge. 4"

"Go and ask the judge"
"Then you refuse to tell me the
ruth"
81 do"
"Then It is not true that you partici.
pated in the burglary?" I demanded
suddenly.
He flushed crimson, then turned
deadly pale and stammered:
"I-you-I-did not say so."
"But am sure Of it," answered.
$50 sure that mean to see Barker and
find out what you really we're together
about. He can have no object in con-
cealing the truth now, and them
"Well?"
"Well. l shall beg an interview with
the judge and tell him what suspect. I"
"And what do you suspect?''
"That you were at Summerton park
at the time that the burglary was COM
mitted, but were in no wise engaged in
it in any way. You were there to see
that false woman, Beatrice Penrose that
was, the Countess of Summerton that
is"
"Well, then, look here, my friend, y
he replied, "think so if you like, say
so to others if you dare, but remember
this-whatever story you may get from
Barker shall be fatty contradicted by
me ON the first opportunity. 1t will be
only the word of one felon against the
word of another, he continued bitterly,
"and SO it will end. Better leave it as
it is. ;"
"And to screen her will you go to
the hulks?"
eyes"
"For 20 years?'
Forever if need be-"
"a woman who Tilted you'll"
"a woman whom-God help MEL
love in spite Of all"
And here his forced reserve gave
way, his long pent up emotions burst
forth, and he sank upon the prison seat,
buried his face in his hands and sobbed
like little child.
Six months afterward, when he had
tasted some Of the horrors of his eitua.
tion, / tried again, and again utterly
failed to make any impression on him.
At last the time arrived when, under
regulations of the prison, he should be
shipped off to some penal settlement
and, in despair of saving him by othe,
means, resolved to see Lady Summer
ton and appeal to her humanity, if she
had any, and implore her to save my
friend from himself.
She had left England shortly after
the trial, having evinced a preference
for foreign life, and was living in Paris
not upon the best of terms-so scanda
said-with her lord. (And serve hin
right, thought II
I sought for her in Paris and found
that in one of his Jealous fits he ha(
hurried her off to Lisbon. followed
on there, but found that they had lef
in his yacht for two years. cruise, ant
no one knew where they had gone
When returned to London, discover
ed that the convict ship, with Bob Leth
bridge on board, had sailed two day
before for South Australia. So far al
my efforts had been fruitless
One day, about two years after hi
exile, was very busy writing, when ,
lady in deep mourning was ushered int
my private room, and the first word
she said were:
"Oh, sir, something must be DONE
do pray tell me what to do for Bo-fo
Captain Lethbridge.' -
"Oaptain Lethbridge, replied sc
verely, for after the first moment c
surprise at being thus abruptly appeale
to I recognized my visitor. "Captai
Lethbridge, I said, "has been treate
as felon for nearly three years. It
somewhat late now, think, to inquir
what can be done for him."
"Oh, yes, yes" she cried, sit is &
it is so-but you do not know the lii
have been led. I would have change
places with him willingly. Look hert
and here" and she turned up her sleev
and drew back her hair, disclosing tw
deep scars, one on her arm and the otl
er on her temple.
"He struck me there for no cause {
ALL" she said bitterly. "He has ofte
struck me- If he had known about pot
Bob, be would have killed me-"
Then she told me her miserable stor,
1t appeared that, lacking courage to te
poor Bob of her falsehood and the al
preaching marriage into which she ha
been lured by the dazzle of oorone
she had written to him up to the tin
of his departure from India; that, ha'
ing landed at Plymouth, he had go1
straight to her fathers house and the
learned the truth; that, actuated by
mad desire to see her once more, he ha
betaken himself to Summerton parl
that, having seen her in the grount
and not daring for her own sake to a.
proach her. he wrote q wild, despera
letter, imploring her to see him on
more, if only to tell him that she WI
happy, and if she were not so-as
knew something of her husband-to
with him; that by i'll luck he intrustt
this letter for delivery to the man Ba
Ker, who was prowling about for b
own purposes; that he received fro
him her answer, in which she accord'
him last interview on the balcony
her boudoir; tt 1T she had parted wi
him there about l o'clock; that Il
alarm of robbers was not given uni
nearly 8, and that, up to the nome
, when she heard him sentenced as one
the burglars. she never suspected b
that he had departed and returned
his home. The fact was-asI afterwa
found-that while pressing her to
, | with him she had torn herself from
! side and retired without bidding hi
farewell and that he had waited, ho
, ing against hope that she would retur
till the alarm was given, and he W
captured as before described.
Well, to make a long story short
!, took her straight to the office of {
home secretary. and after a good dc
! Of bother free pardon was granted
George Mason-that Is to say,
majesty was praciously pleased to -.