Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-06-10

ISOLATED with this crime Had he been
guilty-had our separation come
through his crime and not through
my own. l should have been prepared
for such contingency. and not over
whelmed by il.
And were you not prepared"
NO, before &C
The gesture accompanying this oath
was a grand one, convincing in its
fervor, its majesty and power.
But facts are stubborn things, and
while most Of those present were still
thrilling under the effect Of this oath,
the dry voice of District Attcrney An
drews was heard for the first time, in
these words:
Why, then. did you, on the night Of
Bela's death, stop on your way across
the bridge to look back upon Dark
Hollow and cry in the bitterest tones
which escape human lips. Oliver! Oil
vert You were heard to speak
this name, Judge Ostrander," he
hastily put it, IS the miserable father
raised his hand in ineffctual protest.
a man was lurking in the darkness
behind you, who both saw and heard
you He may not be the most pre-
| possessing Of witness, but we cannot
discredit his story"
Mr.. Andrews, you have no children.
To the man who has, make my last
| appeal Mr.. Renfrew, you know the
human heart both e-s a father and a
pastor. Do you find anything unnatural
in a guilty soul bemoaning its loss
rather than its sin, in the spot which
recalled both to his overwhelmed
spirit?"
mo"
The word came sharply, and 1t
| sounded decisive; but the ones which
| followed from Mr.. Andrews were no
less so.
That Is not enough. We want evi'
dence, actual evidence, that you are
not playing the part your son ascribes
to you"
The judges eyes glared, then sud.
| denly and incomprehensively softened
till the quick fear that his mind as well
as his memory had gone astray, Van.
ished in feeling none of them could
have characterized, but which gave to
them all an expression Of awe.
Il have such evidence" announced
/ the Judge. Come"
Turning, he stepped into the hall
Oliver, with Bonded head and dis
couraged mien, quickly followed
AlansOn Black and the others. cast
ing startled and inQuiring looks al
each other, brought up the rear. Deb
orah Scoville IVES nowhere to be seen
At the door of his own room, the
judge paused, and with his hand OF
the curtain, remarked with unexpected
| cOmposure: You have all wondered
and others with you, why for the last
ten years have kept the gates of my
house shut against every conner.
am going to show you"
And with no further word or look
scarcely even giving attention to Oil
ver's ,anguished presence, he led then
into the study and from there on t
that inner door known and talked o.
through the town as the door of mys
terry. This he slowly opened with the
key he took from his pocket; then
pausing with the knob in his hand, ht
said:
In the years which ara past, bu
two persons beside myself have
crossed this threshold, and these only
under my eye. Its secret was for N!
own breast. Judge what my remorst
has been; judge the power of my ow1
secret self-condemnation by what yol
see here" g.
And, entering, he reached up, ant
pulled aside the carpet he had strung
up over one end Of the room, disclosing
amid number of Ioosened boards, the
barred cell Of a condemned convict,
This was my bed, gentlemen, til
a stranger coming into my home, made
such an acknowledgment of my sin i'm
possible!"