Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1909-11-18
Court she looked vsry kindly o. ssr

Court she looked WIZ kindly ~ ST.
Thomas. All this might he true, and
Sir Thomas might fiatter himself that
he had won her favor; but, knowing
A:abella well, I did not credit her
with any sincere desire to be kind to
Sir Thomas Vernon, although she
might make him think 30, for her own
purposes. I suspected, however, a
motive far deeper, in any matter con-
nected with Sir Thomas Vernon. Over
ton was the next heir after Giles; Sir
Thomas vas extremely rickety. and
not likely to be long-lived; and II. by
merely telling what had happened,
Lady Arabella could safe her resent.
ment, which was deep and furious,
against Giles. and ut the same time
greatly benefit Overton, I think she
would not have weighed Giles life at
a penny. My Daphne, whose faith In
human nature was angelic, in her be-
lief In ultimate good. prayed and be-
sought Arabella to leave the country
before the trial came off; but Ara.
bella only said contemptuously:
"You are a child and a chit. Giles
Vernon contemplated doing me the
greatest wrong n man ran do a womnn
Do you think | shall let him go I'm.
punished? II so. how little do you
know Arabella Stormont!"
Then |, from loyalty to Giles, and
not from any hope l had from Lady
Arabella, went to her and made my
appeal. She heard all my prayers
without the slightest sign OF relenting,
playing with her lap-dog the while. At
last, I said to her:
Tell me. at least, who Is to be bene.
flied by the conviction Of Giles Yer
non? Not you, certainly; for you will
be loathed and Stunned by all"
"The person dearest to mo in the
world" she replied; 1.-THE person ! love
better than my life or my soul" and
then, as If she had admitted o much,
she stopped. turned pale, and seemed
altogether disconnected. She had. in
truth, admitted too much. The person
she had ever loved better than her
soul was Philip Overton.
l had the self.possession to leave
her then. and went of by myself to
think owe the strange motive which
had been revealed to me Arabella's
infatuation for Overton had always
been abnormal, touched with u%nreason.
And could fate have woven n closer
web around Giles Vernon than In ma
king him fall so madly in love with
Arabella StOrmont?
Giles had promptly surrendered him.
self, rightly Judging a trial better than
being a fugitive from justice and a de.
serter from the naval service. He re.
paired to York. after having duly re.
ported to the admiralty, and was Jailed
Immediately, and indicted.
The Hawkshaws, my Daphne and I
remained in Scarborough during the
two dreadful months that passed be
fore the trial came of. Sir Peter
easily got leave from the admiralty
for me, hoping, MOI only that my testi
mony, but the example OF the felicity
in which Daphne and I lived, might not
be without it's effect upon the jury that
tried Giles.
Offers of money to assist in his de
Tense came from many quarters and
from several ladics-two in especial
her grace of Auchestcr and Mrs
Trenchard. Lady Hawkshaw, however
claimed the privilege of bearing the
expenses OF the trial nj of her private
fortune, which was large. Sir Peter
and she had II hot and heavy, he de
string to contribute; and for one Of
the few times In his life, he carried
his point against her. Two great bar
risters were to be brought from Lon
don to assist Giles in his defense, be
sides anothe- one in York itself.