The Potteries Examiner : — 1878-11-30 (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England)

MOO. Ws • great pity, however, that It should have returned in such a serious fashion, but a, jury may perhaps look upon its. a ease of culpable homicide. Good morning, Miss 'Engem.," and he was And that wee the way Mark's old sins were likely to rise up in judgment against him in men's minds, was the bitter thought which took poesession of Alison. True repentance was to be accepted with suspicion as quite unnatural. A return to evil courses waa to believed in without the least difficulty as being quite natural. and the circumatanoe for which everybody was on the outlook. She resented the injustice of the proceeding with the whole strength of her nature, but part of her resentment was reserved for herself. Had she not at once claimed for the missionary the thoughtfulnessand kinoliness by which the gardens had been obtained for the miners, to the utter exclusion of the possibility that Mark night have been the person to obtain the favour? She saw how easy it was to accept the popular estimate of character or action where there was no great interest to possess a truer opinion, and her heart was sore for Mark. And with the sorrow for the young man there was mixed a great contempt for the missionary, who had goietly appropriated her praise for an action to whieh he bad not the slightest claim. If a lingering feeling of tenderness for Smith had still lurked in a carper of her heart, this 114 disclosure of his meanness had effectualiy ejected it. flee lover might fall under the tempts i ns to which a frank joyous nature is specially liable and still he loved ; but for one in whom selfidusesa was joined to meanness and deceit she could only feel contempt. And now her thought woe, what was to come over Mark? He was altogether alone, there was no one who was likely to be into ested in his behalf, and the whole power of the Crown would—upon the assumption of his guilt, be engaged to crush him. He must not be left to perish without such effort being made in his interest as the circumstances would admit of, and If—as she feared—it turned out that no one else was likely to lift a finger hi his behalf, it would be her task to set in. motion the machinery for his defence. It might be regard"d as unseemly—and she had no doubt she would lay hemelf open to disparaging remarks— but she saw how easily Mark, despite his innocence— of which she was firmly convinced—might drift towards a felon's doom, unless his cause was taken promptly in hand, and the idea that In her hands Mark's life was in all Fobsbility placed was sufficient to make her disregard all mere prudential considortaione, and decide at once upon following what die had no doubt was the path of her duty. Through all the school wet k of that day the one feeling that Mark's life was in jeopardy never left her, and how she got through the daily routine she could have given no account of. "Mask is in jail; Mark is charged with a tenible crime ; Mark is innocent; when shall I get taking a etep towards proving his guiltlessness ?"—beyond such thoughts she could not get. She was scam ly conscious of the children's presence—she was utterly unconscious what leasing they said and what tasks she set them, for the one fact in the world to her was that Mark Slain was charged with murder. At length the school was over and she wee free to begin her self.appointed work. She scarcely knew bow to begin, but her feet seemed to carry her very witch of their own accord to Bauldy's dwellirg, and fueling herself there she went in, (7b be continued.)