Saturday Evening Mail, Volume 4, Number 47, Terre Haute, Vigo County, 23 May 1874 — Page 1

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Vol. 4.—No. 47-

E A I

A Paper

fok the

People,

[OriglnaL]

M1MUS CAROLINEUSIS. Out of tiie gloom of tbe apple tree, Out of tt* »»«m**rf

Majr,

Kiervsly,* it'» OfHWi. fctej

Each wrt'-ir.*te i-

rallve

,!h

The jtlao -t, nuui-i-a w*it thr .J, Of porta iqOBVef*, r,',»IW !••!1'

Through*' 005, ««•:-«rreft*»». T*iu*tH»nii»and douuK* In delltflous bobbkw, And fultitK ftwav on the odorous orpegfi Lost In the shade ot the

Heaving the gloom of the

api»-t*se»

*fr

The^iUher of bloom la th* an»oro«» spring, •Mk. rtfrffwt of VlWjC^ii th© fldtJtlBit of wlll|5» Aroond^hom inore blossoms of memory

Thanany the poetsof Brtltany«»«. —(E. 8. H.

A Life in the Balance.

BY CHARLES MOHMH,

Author of the "Diamond Bleeve Button. CHAPTER XVin. THB PAStMOMS OF THE tofwacr

Is not mankind naturally given to ban the unfortunate The placing a person in the position of criminal adds, somehow largelv to the probability of the imputed crime. To be suspected te,witli many, to be guilty to be imprisoned means to be worthy of imprisonment. Denbts grow rapidly in an atmosphere of mistrust.

Suspicion

becomes rcrtain-

ty, without new evidence of guilt, ro civo audionco to doubt is to risk pronouncing verdict. Men, in general, are not sifted with the power of ceeing round the corners of things. One side of the shield so fills up their field of vision, that they are apt to forget that it has

other side. It is deep night to the man who shuts his eyes persistently to the

""S^proof that the people of Salem had against Dr. Wilmer was not positive evidence. Yet it had grown by amaU increments into a mam of certainty in their minds. The sodden death of Hiss Gordon, tho improbability of her having formed a will already in Us ^y,°LL^e peculiar circumstance of this will being 111 his hand-writing his hasty departure and tho other features of the case, had disposed the public mind very unfavorablytowardhim. This fecBngxraaintensified by the shrewd oration of Mr. Josephs, and the new strength which reflection from without gives to beheu When one mind finds all other snimta fkithfnl mirrors of its own thought, how can it bo otherwise than have the color of ita opinion deepened The mas* °f JJ10 community was ready to believe the worst of the reputed cH inal be fore the post-mortem examination took l*a«e.

But when professors of high repnte for learning and ability had carefully invesstitrnted, aod pronottWw, witnottla shadow of dissent in their voices, that the deceased had died from prussic acid, what grounds for disbelief reiminod 7 The title of professor fc, to mankind at large, as high a grade of rank in the world of knowledge aa that of duke in the social world. The dictum ofprofosHora of medicine ou a question like this who could doubt Was there a lane or alley ia hnn«»n body gidtnovra to ttiein? Wan there it possibte mysteiy unsolvable by their carious instruments and their experienced eyes? Even those who felt dubious as to the opinion or

Doctor Bart ram, could not question tno decision of those two learned physicians, whose hospital pnwtifw »ost Uveinade them as familiar with all questions of life and death as the good townsfolk ff* *n^lum"",od

Ttie people of Salem believed Doctor

heightened by the flercenvcctTye ofa few of the more passionate Iqpintt, Mcama rage aad a tbiret for revenge, life for life, was the cry to thftr ftearte. Jp him who slayeth with poison or thr sword, let the sword of justice behls doom. The virtues ef the d»id loomed into their osual abnormal proportion. Miss (fonion'n character grew in their nww aporaetiitkm ofit, Th«ithte let, well-to-do, charitable lady, Who uevtrln her life had don© man or woman an ii\jury, should become the victim of a tnnrdcrer's base malice, seemed to them horrible beyond parallel WbjU aecurity was the# any llfc In tlM community if such dreadful deeds went untouchedoyjusti Andwhatprol^Win.v vn tbercofvbtidiiiM th» onrts? whispered tha inimical aplrita. Th .orta were simply beoomitur for torturing proof Of guilt doubt of sarUty or evidence of in enea. Ko trust In we »*. W* muii take Jt»#ice in thetr own tends, or else let crime ride rampant over the mnran"-. Judge I rnca was the only liabler Mntsth* jeganer^ed«ya»

TM W# lashinf themaelvw

tnto a dju._i-.as not have been wj two we**-' formed I Sii calm Id*-jgajmAkt-:r. i"., d»y*S Wi rk, their neighborhood TO grown into an in

trane-

nofto

ij. These

irekeej and w»ly u* Wvsir 1 !i»«ir of », had !•!•!*. pop*

whom the tffa of ever? had loiw®rany«"Htr£d, who iN r, 1 withone abeorbiM and Uj.. .:.

Uteu wurfece of every wwnmunity. ea^ 1.1: nking *I|W may nst nnd» ft meadow, si.oose it to_dev»aWi»ff tty.

The feet that ixytor Wilmer wea a whoTtrraddedwddwfcw* Ticti. htagullu Vh* «im|4e mm*

••nuw^

prisoner and his captor would by the afternoon •tage faHuomnr, and an undefined intention filled all mind* to be on hand to see his entrance, to make him quail under the fire of their righteous indignation, to put in their eyee that which was in their Warts aye, and if looks wens not eofflWh, to manifest their opprobrium in words.

The authorities of the town were becoming alarmed at tsentiment of the people. u,re was that large element of the passionate and unrcanonlnK which exists in most towns. There was that feeling among the jaespeeiable classes which would make them rather countenance than hinder violence. Who could tell how soon words might become blows? Something must be done. Their dutv as officers of the law imperatively demanded that the prisoner should be protected from mob violence. If ho was guiltv he should suffer. but only* by due process of law. It would be to their life-long disgrace to permit any unwarranted injury to happen to the accused. Duty commanded them to protect him by every available means. Moreover, their wider knowledge of public affairs predisposed them to ooolnese in eases of this kind, and a desire to await a verdict before settling in their minds the question of guilt or innooence.

thrill*, full Of

of carroUu* warble A throat fall of music and mott bloom, Drank onthod^eate, wptcy

A t.'• 1 p. ar t*^- I ito, And w*. -*wt».

The flcrcwt, Ofnwuurou* imu tand A shower of nn a r^v«*y rain. 'In-. mlu*ti"-r

-5, j,'

The constables of the tovrn were duly instructed, and a number Of special officers sworn in for tne occasion cool, resiolute men being chosen, persons respected by the inhabitants, and known to be of muscular strength and mental determination. These were to station themselves at the stage-honse, surround the prisoner, and repel every effort of the mob to 10 violence. mob to __

times of war, the opinions of a people change more rapidly in years than They do in decades of peace. We have seen how the slow growing dislike to Dr. Wilmer leaped suddenly into passionate hatred. There were but few persons in the town who did not now believe him guilty, or, at least, open to the gravest suspicion. Even his aunt, Mrs.

McBride, was silent, and wore a grieved look, as if overcome by serious doubts of his innocence. Laura, alone, OT almost alone, remained his firm adherent, indignantly repelling any whisper that told against h& fair feme, bitterly opposing all imputations, asserting her knowledge that he was incapable of wrong-doing, and the impossibility of «wioh a man committing so flagrant a crime. Her determined faith was not without effect upon her immediate friends but what could the opinion ot one person do with the belief of a community? A grain of proof would have had more effect than all the assertion of which she was capable. Poor girl! her efforts usually enaed in tearful exhaustion in the solitude of her own chamber.

It was three o'clock in the afternoon of a sunny June day, that the stage from the afternoon express train came rattling and jarring into Salem, the smokiijcr animals being drawn up suddenly in ttont of the Ked Lion hotel, that of the town.

the stage-atation of the tc

But this quiet hostel, with its row of tail Lorn bard poplars in front its Ouaint, swinging sign, on which reared, nunpant. a ferocious, untranslatable animal, dubbed lion by courtesy its deep, shadowy porch, on which usually lounged a few drowsy sluggards of the town ita dusty and green vegetable gardeayJeyjAd, were to-day transformed by SpujeUhwonted magic. All Sslcm had tridenlly left its forge, bench and counter. Its field and parlor, and was gathered in a swarming multitude about the astonished house of entertainment. The porch was lined, irom end toeftd, with human feces, anxious, set, chumming fee&, that waited, with grave expectation, the entrance of the eoacb. The street in flout was tilled with a surging mob, a restless, uneasy mass men still wearing the aprons and blouses of the workshop: men with the pen of the occountant behind their ears or with the yardstick of the draper in their hands wdmea. some with children In their tuctwi and all the small-fry of the schools, who had made holiday for themselves that afternoon. It was a heated, excited mob, white with the flydust of the iwul, a lowering storm-

fiffOIli

UUV III

t^rrteol. It would tbatH*km«f niwt

liliuvi

ItTUtj

eyes, and spoke in their voices as they lilted, with fierce impatience, the 00m-

toA?thted??f'8Uddeftly

One of these midotbfrarrost,

v-}#n

TOSt

l» «oy» to .iW*.

im jn front of

the hotel, making the crowd fly to right end left in it» thundering approach, a bustling restlessness, that as yet was ng more, animated all present. Thi, coachman, by a significant gesture, as be leaped from his perch to tho rround, showed the character of his passengers. At this confirmation of their dssuea midden movement ran through •hs throng, that physical stir which «tn* the lafety valve of undue excitem#nt. A do*»n strong-handed, firmmen drew up cloeely around tho ...pttabittgWk the preestng crowd. ...... ne*t instant the door *a» opined, ftAd two men stepped to the ground, of these was the officer who had jthe other Doctor Wil-

lidw drtSiied and haggard xjwn in these few dam Years)

4ch

Such a tornadoateej* unoer

wi!1

through erwy Sore of toe*? naiiK*. i«e

MliliMfiaB miiiiMtafWftiii

he had

srrown in tnese lew aays. 1 earsseemed t.» have wrinkled his Ibce. which was of iMthly palor, *-»ve a flush of red in

4eek, while We wee wandered tvi'i! a1 reetlee% unseeing expressioii ., t»M» waiting throng. The shock of

mtm aerfoualy. It was^ notWng in the hostile looks of the peofle. He hardly a them in Ids jw-oe«ip«tton of

ftrt Uwy imd uncm M0t with the riveted, fierce attend^of bnadbreds of ttsfrjhnsdhr mym. As a tiger Is excited so the MMton of by the sight of blood, no tbs paarion of «^me^«od^My,Rse at alghtoftheir pwf. Without a nxmient's iieritation, the officer* had etaeod round the prisoner, and commenced a resolute march to* wan! carriage which had been pro* Tided, hot whk& had, by management.

ci it if mt1

tVSH-I.

-. ••,• V*

'#f '$* 4*-l 1 .,-a^v, «i At'

Lit

As if it were a signal for which the crowd had been waiting, an impulse surge of tho mass took place, pushing between the officers and the carriage, and forcing them back several steps. Instantly recovering, they pushed forward again through the sullon, compact body of people,1 who no longer yielded readily, and from whom a dangerous chorus of cries was beginning to rise. But the officers had been well chosen. They pushed vigorously forward, the people as yet opposing but a passive resistance. Tho foremost was almost within reach of tho carriage, when the lattor suddenly moved forward. As with one man had seized the drew him for-

impulse, one young man horse by the hoad, and ward out of tho bands of the hostler, while another leaped to the seat, seized the reins, and in a moment the carriage was driving rapidly down the street, the crowd opening reaaily to let it pass.

With a fierce shout they closed in again around the prisoner and his guard who were for tho time utterly lost as to what course to pursue. Ir. Wilmer had become thoroughly roused from his apathy, and stood upright In their midst, glancing with all his old haughtiness over the excited assembly, who were becrfnning to thirst for lus blood with a virulent hatred, that came more from the mutual enforcement of passion than from any exercise of reason. He stood with a dignified oase, ita old color again flushing his fece, his eyes full of contempt for his shouting foes.

Look at him!" cried a fierce fellow, In leathern apron, who had pressed close up to the constables, "standing there as proud as if he was an honest man. Are we going to swallow this, boys? Are weJcoing to let a murderer browbeat

•'No! no!" was the answer. "Oo for him! Drag him out! To the nearest tree! The rope for tho murderer!"

Wo want no court law!" cried the blacksmith. "We can ebooso our own judge and jury, aud find our own hemp."

The situation was growing perilous in the extreme. This man had constituted himself a l«der. and «^wwdb«Jspoke added flame to the heated blood of those around. And yet he felt no special enmity against the prlsoner. It wM that iimateblood-thirstlnees which stirs in the souls of some persona, and affllates them with their savage ancestors, that spoko in his voice, lie was maddened wot by hatred, ^ut by the opportunity given to thO savage instinct within him.

Bwt, you noisy hounds 1* cried the prisoner, disdainfully, "Do you think to frighten tne with your cries? I have feoeda dosen batteries in my time, and em not to be scared by the tongues of ahoemakors and blacksmiths!

Tills speech was unwise under the circumstances, as anger Is ever unwise. His fieroe disdain of their passion SublVWldoncd them. WlthVwild surge they praasod on the small party in their midst, oleaohed fists beina raised in menaoe, and hands armed with •ticks. There was no evidence, howev •r. of any other weapon in the mob.

,s -.

e*flT

TERRE HAUTE. IND., SATURDAY EVENING, MAY 23,1874. gj

WITH A VIOOBOVS BLOW FROM THB SHOULDER, UK STRUCK THB MAN IX THB TBMFLB.

been loft about one hundred feet distant. The first step of the silent cavalcade seemed the signal for a murmur which rose in tha crowd, deepening quickly into almost a roar. The tiger was rousing ho had scented blood. The uproar was at first but a general stir of feot and tongues. Soon voices became distinguishable. Outcries came from back in tne crowd opprobious opithets, fierce threats, boyish echoes of tho deep-voic-ed cries of men. Still no movement was made, no word spoken hinting at interference with the law and the magistrates, who stood anxiously at the upper windows of the house, felt sure that their precautions had been sufficient, and that the law-abiding citizens of Salem would not interfere with the regular course of justice.

They thought so not without reason, for the officers were but ten feet distant from the carriage, to which they steadily advanced, pushing back-the thronging mass as they did so.

At this instant the firebrand was hurled into the combustible temper of the people, by a voice from the midst ofthe mob. "Shall the mCPderer escape? Shall we trust the poisoner to the law There is but one law that will cure murder! Lynch-lawis the^aw for us!" "The prisoner turned, quickly, and looked in the direction of the voice. It was the first symptoms of interest he had given. Something familiar in the tones had aroused him. He seemed to hear the voice of his enemy, disguised, but not sufficiently so to deceive his

eral that the whole throng went back in a compact body, until within about fifty

feet ofthe stage-coach, which stood un moved where it had stopped, two hostlers holding the horses by their bridles. At tills moment, a voice from one ofthe upper windows of the hotel shouted, as ifanimated by a sudden idea.

Back to the stage! It is your only chance. Use your clubs if tliey won give way!"

All eyes were turned toward this window, were stood Mr. Blandson, a justice of peace of the town, his head protruded from the window in his eager excitement, heedless ofthe fair mark he made for the missiles of the infuriated crowd.

The idea took at once with the officers, and with a quick, strong movement,they had accomplished half the distance to the stage before the mob had roused to any concert of action.

But now a hard fight began. Closing firmly round the prisoner, and drawing their clubs, they pushed resolutely forward, driven hither and thither by the surging mass, warding off blows with fists and sticks made both at the prisoner and at themselves, finally forced to use their clubs aggressively, which they did with a will, hurling more than one of their assailants to the ground with sore and bleeding heads. Nor came they off scot-free themselves from the assault. More than one of them was already bleeding, and blows were being rained more and more fiercely upon them. But they were gaining ground step by step. The density of the crowd hindered its acting offensively. Stones could not be thrown without more danger to friends than foes. Ten minutes of this hard struggle was employed in reaching the stage. Here, covered on one side by the horses and the vehicle they made more progress, and gained the door without further ii\jury than several cuts and bruises.

-A sw .--i r/ilp

iTnlif'i ii iiniSfti

The horses were frightened by the upfoar, and plunged so fiercely as to drive back the people in dread, and to need the utmost efforts of the hostlers to prevent their breaking loose and rushing violently forward.

Still holding back the crowd, of which the blacksmith above mentioned was one of the nearest and most determined members, the door was Hung open, and the prisoner pushed up the steps into the coach. At this instant a pistol bullet, fired from the outer edge, of the throng, whizzed past Dr. Wilmer shoulder, and buried itself in the side of

^He turned resolutely and faced the mob that seemed thirsting for his life, as if he dared their utmost. Just then, tho blacksmith, infuriated at the thought of the victim escaping, with a fieroe blow hurled to the ground the constable before him, and with one rapid bound reached toe lowered steps of the coach, holding to the side with one hand while with the other he grasped for the pris-

But the event was scarcely such as he had anticipated. Dr. Wilmer was too well versed in athletic sports, and too self-possessed, to yield liglltly to the attack of this muscular adversary. Stooping in the low vehicle, with a vigorous blow from the shoulder, he struck the man In the temple with tho force of an athlete. The fellow was torn loose from the stage and horled headlong to the road .falling upou the hard ground with a violonoe that effectually cured him ol any further interference.

At tho same moment, the bead constable of the town, a powerful, determined fellow, had leaped to tho driver's seat end grasped the reins. Two of the ofinto the vehicle with the ftcem sprang into tne venxue wun sn« prisoner, shutting the door behind them The others exerted themselves to keep back the disappointed crowd. On the aide toward tho house no attack had been made the mow respectable portion of the populaoe being there assem-

bl"

The movement was so fieroe and gen-

Now, boys, let them go!" cried the driver, grasping the reins firmly with one hand, while he drew a revolver from his pocket with the other. You know me, my men The man who attempts to touch these horses get* a bullet for his pains and 1 never miss my aim. Let thorn go!"

The hostlers looked at the frightened boress and sprang back. With a wild lunge and bound forwiml that severely rled the traces, they dragged the heavy ntage as If it were a feather, rushing With the force of a catapult through the throng, that fell hurriedly back on either aide, in fear of this perilous progress.

In a minute they had left tne crowd behind, and were rare-ring rapidly through the deserted streets of the town. The county jail lay at the other extremi ty 9! $al$iU| but it was reached in a

iiliii

i&qsafc?

(mw* I.

«,*JS 4^

very few minutes, and ty Co the nrieoner secured behind the dlanking chains and strong looks of the prison doors. -*k

-H»? «r„j

7Jr CHAPTER xr^l AWAIT1HO A TIUAti. The people of Salem were thoroughly ashamed of themselves. That they, a quiet, law abiding community, should have become the victims ofa wild frerncy—a passion,which, while it fasted, was virtual madness- seemed Impossible to them in theiir calmer momenta. Such violence Is twoessarily followed by a re-ac-tion. For days their outbreak of savage fury was succeeded by an unwonted calm, in which the jpnblic opinion of their intended victim verged into a more favorable view of his case. His defiant bearing, which at the moment had infuriated them, neemed now a presumptive evidence of innocence. Ouilt certainly would have cowered before the Indignation of a community.

This more lenient feeling was, however, but partial and temporary. Many of the citizens, particularly those fierce spirits who had been foremost in the attack, retained all their bitterness of sentiment. The contusions and broken heads which many of them had bore from the affray added to this determined hostility. They were not likely to forgive their enemy with their wounds yet smarting. There was no special anger against the officers for

their part in the affair. These were acknowledged to have done their duty. All the hostility of feeling was reserved for the main cause of their outbreak^ though none but the blacksmith could blame him personally for their bruises. This sentiment of anger was a leaven which, working on the predisposed mind of tho community, would inevitably rekindle their diminished hostility to the accused.

To him, immured within the close walls of a prison, what the people of Salem might think

was,

just now, a mat

ter of no moment. The exciting soene through which he had passed had done him good. The deep depression into which the sudden and dreadful charge of murder had thrown him needed some such sharp corrective as this. His awakening into anger, his encounter with the ruffianlv assailants, cured, for the time, this depression, and placed him in a fitter mood to meet the requirements of his situation.

He lacked one great element of success in judicial proceedings. He was

Seprived

enniless. The operations of bis toe had him of fdl his capital, while his income from his profession had been, as vet, too small to more than meet his expenses. He had friends in the city whom he felt sure would supply him with funds, but he hesitated to apply to them. As for his aunt, Mrs. McBride, he knew her too well to think of asking her for money. She was not wealthy, though in comfortable circumstances, and what sympathy she had would most likely be in words. She was, in reality, selfish and mercenary,

and

i0Laura

wmmmm

§§l .si-

though she

might possibly respond, under the present circumstances, to a request of assistants, he feai-cd that her response would be utterly inadequate to his

"^Besides, though he knew that matters looked dark against him, his innate hopefulness encouraged him to believe that his innocence would rise transparentln any fair investigation. On a consideration of the whole circumstances tho charge against him appeared more and more unjust and unrounded, and lie felt now that he would rather court than distrust an impartial trial. He had not yet learned all the criminating evidence that would be brought against him, had not heard even of tiie postmortem examination, having been too much cast down by the depressing influence of the chargo to question or listen to the remarks of his captor. He thus grew to feel confident of a triumphant acquittal, and neglected to take tho necessary measures to procure

Meanwhile his enemy, Mr. Josephs, was busily at work arranging evidence against him. He had secured in advance tho best legal talent in the town, and was determined to leave no stone unturned to convict the prisoner of murder. One of his main efforts was to deepen the public fooling against the accused, and for this he relied mainly on tho influence of the newspapert, which were abundantly supplied with articles unfevorable to the prisoner.

The newspapers of Salem had from the first been inimical to Doctor WUmer, and several sharp articles published in them had done much toward intensifying the public animosity. They had probably oeen, in great measure, responsible for the attempted outrage Josephs took caro that this unfriendly tone should be continued, and that the people should bo exasperated to the utmost pitch, being well aware that popular sentiment has much to do with th« action of juries, If even should no* Influence judges.

The papers throughout the cpnnN? took their tone from the Salem Horald and Argus. The accused warn everywhere adjudged guilty in advance of trial: and the &tlom populace felt strengthened in their convictions on aeeing them reproduced in the country at lame, unaware that Oils general tone was but an echo of their previous opin-

McBride was almost rfone in

her steadfast adherence to her fWth In her cousin's innocence. Even her mother was unsettled in her opinion, and

sympathy for the accused or of belief ha his ihnooonce. Evidently she wasftU1.12 into line with the public opinion. But Lanm cued not a whit for the evidenoe. Her conviction was settled and unrhansel ng that her cousin was incapable of crime. Her knowledge ef his whole character and history taught her that a mercenary motive was alien to his disposition. She knew well Ids ravengenu

Price Five Cents*

feeling against Joeephs, but knew as well that he, of all men, would be the l«st to murder the woman who loved him in order to lr\)urs the man who hated him. Aa foe the dictum of the uiedical professors, which had so strongly influenced the opinion of the townsfolk, she simply set It aside, and declined to take it into consideration.

She almost ceased visiting the aense ofa division of feeling between herself and friends rendering their Intercourse unpleasant, even though the subject was not broached. But she made up for this lack by constant visits to the prison, determined that what comfort her society and trust in his innaoence might

She

ive to her oousin should not be lacking. arranged, teo, that he should be supplied, daily, with good meals from a neighboring restaurant, In place of the somewhat meagre prison-fere. All, indeed, that her warm devotion and enthusiastic temperament could do to sustain and animate her cousin was done, and it Is surprising what power in this direction one devoted and determined individual can display.

Some sustaining force was needful, for several months passed before the case was ready for trial, and the long imprisonment told seriously upon his strength and enduranoe. He grew depreased, pale, and haggard again, in spite of her assumed cheerfulness. Teaman of vital temperament, accustomed all his life to activity and free social intercourse, this long, monotonous confinement, with the pressure of a serious doubt as to the future, was hard to bear. It was impossible to prevent such a doubt disturbing his first feeling of encouragement, particularly when the result of the medical Investigation became known to him. His knowledge of medicine taught him that there were good grounds for their opinion, and though he knew that they were mistaken in their prumic acid theory, he could not perceive by what means he would be able to disprove it. In feet, he had not studied as fully as the esse demanded the action of narcotic poisons, and Imagined tho evidence of that symptoms to be stronger than it really was. One other thought arose in his mind. Could poison really have been administered by some other person, or have been taken by herself? This idea, howevor, he dismissed at once as insufficient, and assumed the belief that the professors had made an error in their diagnosis.

The time fixed for the judicial investigation was approaching, and he had, as yet neglected to provide himself with counseL The disapprobation of his cousin Laura was extreme on learning of this unwise delay.

Can it be," she said, with unwonted sharpness of tone, "that you are anxious to commit suicide One might imagine that you had never lived in a civilized community, where lawyers are often superior to proof^and law justice. Robert Wilmer,* how will you explain such madness!"

Don't be hard on me, cousin," he replied, in a somewhat querulous tone. "I know that I have been remiss, and ought to have known better but I had reasons for it." "What are they? What possible excuse can you give

He answered by giving the reasons which have been already mentioned, basing his neglect on his confidence of acquittal in the first instance, and In tho belief that it was useless to contend against the overwhelming evidence which had latterly come upon him. His penniless condition, and of applying to his friends, was also mentioned as one main cause of his delay.

Laura listened with a mind that rapidly caught conclusions from his words. She had gained much experience of the world in these few months past and this, with her native insight into human nature, gave her a quickness and justness er opinion seemingly at variance with her volatile temperament. Sho perceived, now, what he was not aware ot that tne monotony of his confinement aBd the constant brooding over one depressing thought, had affected his taf powers. He was no longer tho

men quick, sho

energetic, impulsive man

had lately known, but a vacillating, queruhioa invalid, sick of purpose, if not of body. Misfortune bad weakened him more than she had dreamed in so short a time. He was idly depending on chance, wheie labor and provision were absolutely needed.

My dear oousin," she said. In a kinder tone, "what could you have been thinking of! Are you going to let a question of money stand against your flfe? There are plenty of lawyers who would gladly take your esse for the name of It. Of course you will have to pay for first-class counsel, but leave that to me." »1 will not leave it to you. I Will not be a burden on my friends or relatives."

A burden Robert 1 Do you imagine that I could think so? No more, now. You have been derelict of duty, and I must see to It that you have a good lawyer." '44 HIS

Not a word toofc." she interrupted. "You have sa?d all that to necessary. Leave It to me."

She was crone before he oouki answer. Not a minute was lost i*b« quest for counsel for ber cousin. But she was destined to disappointment. Tie few lawyers of reputation in the town had all Seen retained by the other side not, as she felt sure, that they would be needed on the trial, but simply to prevent the prisoner from being skilfully defended. She was obliged to accept a voung man who had the name of being well nsad In the law, but who bad but little experience, and had never managed a case so important aa this that was now offered him.

Much surprise had been feH in the legal quarter at this remissness of the accused in felling to provide himself with counseL Mr. -Johnson, the young man in question, eagerly accepted the responsible duty offered him, confident in his own ability, and sure that he could gain largely In reputation from managing so Important a trial. He had been

inclined

to believe Doctor Wilmer

guilty, but Doctor Wilmer, as his client, could not be guilty. It would not do to leave either Ws tongue or his mind open to such an admission. He grew speedily enthusiastic in his case, and displayed his knowledge of the law and his hone of procuring an acquittal so fluently wi his talk, that Laura went away much encouraged. Poor girl I she needed it.

A roneral s^

of condem

nation thst hacl latterly filled the spdal [OQzrriKtrKD 0* *nr FAOB.)