Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1903-06-13

sXHO WAS GUILTU&
3 A VICTIM OF cIRcOMsTANTlAL EVIDENCE g
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above all this. BE merciful. be charita-
BILE, to those who are not as you are"
Had q vision of the future risen before
me at that moment should have stood
appalled,. As II was. was powerfully
affected by the appeal, and all my doubts
of her seemed to melt away.
"Mademoiselle." I said, you have per-
haps reproved me with just cause. But
had I known that you had lover
ut Is false.' she cried. AS I am an
honest woman. Il Is false! Cruel. cruel,
that l should be so misjudged! There ID
but one man In the world whom I love,
to whom my heart Ii given. for whom
would bear any hardship and sacrifice
and TO him dare not, I dare not confess
my love-"
Again she seized my hand. and In a III
Of uncomfortable agitation pressed It to
her bosom. to her lips. And then 1t was
that ] noticed. for the first time, mat she
was> but loosely attired In her dressing
gown. which she must have hastily
thrown on, suppose. when she saw me
from her bedroom window aud fastened
out to make her confession.
AS she held my hand to her lips she
was seized with sudden faintness. would
have fallen to the ground had not sup
ported her In my arms. What was II
that glided past usY A shadow. or the
form Of man, who. with his eyes turn.
cd upon us for one brief moment, sped
swiftly on. and was gone?
What was that" asked Mile. Ro.
sale. In whisper. clnging closer to me
In alright.
a slight wind had risen, and the
branches Of the trees. gently swaying.
cast shadows around. which heated i'm
agination could easily have transformed
into the shapes and forms Of living crea-
lures. l brcathed more freely; what !
had seen could have been nothing but n
freak Of fancy.
1T Is time that we should part, ma.
dcmoisclle." l snid, coldly. ut would
have been better had You spoken to me-
In daylight"
II should not have had the courage
she said. you must not leave me till
you hear who this man Ii who Ii falsely
represented as my lover. l feel that you
are not alone In this belief; l feel tina,
another shares It,"
YES" I said, thinking Of Samuel
Fleetwood. my belief II shared by an.
other"
"Will you tell mo who that other isT
"No: I do not think have the right
but II Is u man."
will you see him again. sirY'
Il shall see him, almost to Il certainty
Tomorrow"
TELL him then. sir. from me. that the
person he sus pects Is my lover, and whom
you saw me embracing this afternoon,
Is my brother"
Your brother! 1t is simple. natural
explanations; but what reason was there
for secrecy. for concealnent? p
II was fearful Of giving you grounds
to suppose that l had deceived you. sir.
I did deceive you, but 1t was an uncon-
scious. an innocent deceit. When you
first received me In your house I said I
was an orphan. without a relative In the
world. Indeed, indeed. sir, l believed
that to be the unhappy truth. My par.
ents were dead, and the only brother
had was killed on the rainparts when
the Germans besicgcd Paris. lie wa,
but u lad ut the time. and when they told
me he was dead had no reason 10 doubt
them. But instead Of having been kill.
I'd. he was only wounded and taken pris.
oner: and when he was released he went
to America, intending to make his for
tune there and return and throw It In
my lap. He wrote to me, but I did not
receive his letters. In America he was
unfortunate. Trustful by nature. he was
robbed and deceived; and, without a pen.
ny In his pocket, he made his way to
England, little dreaming that I was IN
this country. His sad wanderings, Ill.
rccted by fate, brought him here-here
where ] had the happiness Of finding a
home and sympathixing friends. We me,
by accident; my astonishment was great
It was as II he had risen from his grave.
What was | to doY ! had sOlemnly as
sured your good wife and daughter that
I was utterly. entirely friendless. I had
not the courage to undeceive you; but
after what you witnessed, sir, this NJ.
ternOOn, l could no longer remain silent.
My honor. my good fame. was ut stake,
and II must be vindicated--f0r what else
have ! left to nerve and support me
In the trials may yet have to endure?
could not wait till tomorrow. About
to seek my couch, I saw you from my
bedroom window, and, blessing the
chance. ] hurried down to make my con.
fession. Forgive me, sir; forgive me!
and afSure me that have regained my
place In your esteem. Tell me you do no,
despise me-"
III your story 10 true" I said, you
are to be pitied, not despised." I saw
no reason to doubt her further. Two
angels, my wife and daughter. had full
faith In her; why should not II In what
she had related there was not a haw,
there was nothing contrary to reason or
opposed to the ordinary course Of human
motives.
''Say that you pardon me. sir" she
pleaded. land give me your hand a. q
token Of forgiveness" gave her my
hand. and she murmured, II am happy
! am happy"
The window Of my wifes bedroom wal
thrown up, and, by the aid Of the ligh,
within the chamber ! saw the figure OF
my wife, clad In white. looking out upon
the grounds. had been absent longer
than she hnd expected, and she was anx.
iOus about me. "Richard" she softly
called; her voice was low and sweet, and
fell distinctly upon my ears.
Hush" whispered Mile. Rosalie,
crOuching behind me. "DO not speak--
do not move! She must not see mew
1t was perhaps foolish on my part to
obey her, but was dimly conscious that
an Injurious construction might be plac.
ell upon the circumstance of Mile. RO-
sale and being together at that time of
night; therefore held my tongue. For
u space Of nearly u minute my wife stood