Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1907-05-16
4 OF CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE
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may thank my wife and daughter, who
have no suspicion that you are no,
what you represent yourself to be. You
| hold q place in their hearts which you
have in some strange manner won.
They have invariably spoken well OF
you; they have invariably defended
your
| defended mcw she exclaimed, and
her voice expressed dignified remon-
strance. "FrOm what? From whom! y!
Who has dared to villify me, de-
fenseleSs woman, whose misf0rtunes
enttle her to respect? Not you, sir,
not you! DO not tell me that you have
done me such an inJustice!'
| "Mlle. Rosalie," l said, somewhat
confounded by the attitude she as,
sumed, II have learned that concern
ing you which, l will not disguise
from you, has instilled doubts into my
mind; have seen that which, You
must yourself admit, could not but
strengthen those doubts"
| "You saw me this afternoon" she
murmured, "in lone spot, embracing
q man"
"A man." added, who IS now work
ing for me in mcnal capacity
IL deny it!' she exclaimed, with in
dignation. mo labor is menial which
Is honest. Is it not a proof how great
| ly you are prejudced against me when
| YOU can commit yourself to such a
statement - you, whom / veneratc rs
| the persOnification of truth and JUS
tice? All, sir, confess that you were
wrong?"
"Yes," said, abashcd by the reproof.
II confess it-I was wrong. But neither
you nor he can deny that he is in my
employment under false colOrs."
IL do deny it, for myself and him.
He sought for honest labor, and OBJ
tained it. Is that crime"
NO"
"What else can you bring against
him? You have not spoken to him,
have scarcely seen him, and yet you,
the most just of men, would blast his
character. Vt is not for you, living in
the lap of luxury, with unlimited wealth
at your command, who have but to
wish to have-it is not for you TO know
to what hard straits necessity drives
man. 1t is not possible that you
should ever be Irivcn. as he and
l have been driven, to seek, in n lonely
lot and among strangers, for the sim
pie necessarics of life. 1t is not posi-
BILE that you should ever feel the
worlds cruel injustice as we have felt
! it; that the finger of shame and re-
proach should be pointed at you-a man
unstalned by crime or dishOnor! You
charitable, to those who are not as
! you are"
| Had q vision of the future risen be-
fore me at that moment should have
stood appalled,. AS it was, was pow
crfully affected by the appeal, and all
my doubts of her seemed to melt
away.
"Madcmoiselle, l said, "you have,
perhaps, reproved me with just cause.
But had known that you had a
| lover"
"A lover' she exclaimed, softly.
"Who dare say thatT'
"a lover" l continued, "whom for
months you have met in secret"
ut is false" she cried. "As am an
honest woman, it is false! Cruel, cruel,
that should be so misjudged! There
is but one man in the world whom
love, to whom my heart ia given, for
whom l would bear any hardship and
sacrifice; and TO him dare not, dare
not confess my love"
Again she seized my hand, and in n
fit of uncomfortable agitation pressed
it to her bosom, to her lips. And then
it was that l noticed, for the first
time, that she was but loosely attircd
in her dressing gown, which she must
have hastily thrown on, l suppose,
when she saw me from her bedroom
window and 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 supported her in my arms.
What was it that glided past? A
shadow, or, the form Of man, who,
with his eyes turned upon us for one
brief moment, sped swiftly on, and
was gone?
"What was that?" asked Mile. Rosa.
lie, in whisper, clnging closer to me
in alright.
II do not know" answered, in the
same key; and truly did not. 1t was
like a spiritual beguilement.
ut must have been fancy" said
Mile. Rosalie, "a shadow-an appari'
ton. Yes, yes-see!
A slight wind had risen, and the
branches Of the trees, gently sway.
ing, cast shadows around, which a
heated imagination could easily have
transformed into the shapes and forms
of living creatures. l breathed more
freely; what I had seen could have
heen nothing but freak of fancy.
ut is time that we should part, mad
'e,noiselle," l said, coldly. ut would
have been better had you spoken to me
in daylight"
I should not have had the courage"
t. ...l -.