HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times, 1885-9-17, Page 6A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.,
Ry the Author of "Tun. FLOwan Giak,"
" "LOVSLY L& LY uCi sT," &0., &O.
CHAPTER L
She stood on the brow of the WU, a bright
spot in the sober landscape, one small brown
hand shading her eyes asahe glenoed expect-
aetly around, the other holding loosely by
one cherry-colonred string an old bat, the
hideous proportios* of which sbe had effec-
tually concealed by the garland of wheat
and ox -eyed daisies which she had twined
around it. A short hilted skirt of the same
bright hue as her ribbons just ahowed the
turn of her neat ankles encased in coarse
Meek -ribbed stockings. She wore a heavy
pair of boots of inferior workmanship, which
could not however conceal the fact that the
feet they enveloped were email and pretty.
The dying rays of the setting sun £ell aslant
her, bringing out in stronger relief the one
hit of colour which had so dark a setting in
the pine -wood that stretched beyond and
above her. The quaint velvet bodice that
had done duty so long was turning from
Meek to russet brown ; it was almost, in
fact, the same shade as the long tresses of
hair which fell in heavy masses below the
slim waist.
The girl and her eurroandlege formed a
pretty picture. So at least thought the young
man who just then vaulted over a utile and
came sauuteriug towards her. Apparently
it was he wboae advent had been expected,
for the watcher dropped her hand and wont
forward hastily to meet hits.
How long you have been! I thought you
wasn't routing," she said, with the pretty
petulance of a spoilt child.
"Did I ever break nay word, Dolly?" the
new -comer questioned aoftly, though he
winced a little at her faulty grammar. "Did
I ever say I would come and disappoint
you `:" he queried. again, an ebe did not
*peek.
" perhaps not," she admitted reluct-
antly; "only I have been waiting, and, oh,
the time seemed se long --so long 1"
He might have been touched by the now
ring of pain in her sweet tones, but that his
tboughti were wandering, an he heeded it
And now that I have come," he said,
with au effort bringing himself to the Area•
ant, "lot us kiss and be friends, as the
children say ;" and, suiting the action to the
words, be drew her towards him and pressed
his moustached lip on her shrinking once.
"What ! You do not care for my kisaoe any
longer?' be went an ; for there wan no mis-
taking the shiver that pseud over her as
he released her from his embrace. "Ab,
weir —with a "brag of his broad shoulders
"I suppose I must be prepared to bear that
there is a more favoured swain 1 Who is it,
Dolly ? Young Joe Smith, the gardener, or
Tom Larkins, your father's apprentioe 2
Come, which is it?" He put hie hind under
burr chin as he spoke, and tried to turn the
averted face towards him ; but oho steadily
resisted his efforts to do do so. "I think
you might tell me," he added in an aggrieved
tone, " if only for the sake of old times."
" Why of old times'" she questioned, in
a constrained voice, still 'without looking
round.
"Oh, well, you know we have been aw-
fully jolly together," he asserted a little
lamely—" quite chums in fact 1"
" And now we can be so no 'longer," the
girl rejoined, in a tone of bitterness which
did not escape him,
" I dM not say that"
"But you hinted at it. Ah, you think I
don't know !" she went on, flashing round
upon him, and speakinggnioklyenough now.
"Certainly I have been slow in finding out
what everbody else .seems to have known so
long !"
" I don't understand. Upon niy word,
Dolly, yon are very mysterious this evening,
and I should say a little cross, only—"
" Oh, you needn't apologise 1" Doily in-
terupted scornfully. "I don't want any
more fine speeches; I—I—" But here
her indignation gave way, and she buret in-
to a torrent of tears,
Captain Braithwaite glanced around cau-
tiously, and bit his lip with vexation. This
little girl, in whose company he had passed
so many pleasant hours and whom hitherto
he had found as gentle as a lamb, was be.
ginning to bore him, and indeed—which was
worse still—was likely to prove troublesome.
He had come prepared to -day to tell her
that it was desirable that their acquaintance
should cease,that circumstances had occurred
that rendered it expedient that gossiping
tongues should not have it in their power to
s:onnect his name with hers ; and, before he
could explain anything, or soften the news
that he had come to break to her, she had
made a seen•.
What would she do when she heard the
truth ? That reflection rather disconcerted
the gallant Captain ; and he determined to
defer his tidings -perhaps in the meantime
she might learn it from some one else, and
so a great deal of unpleasantness would lie
saved him. He was delighted at the idea.
Yes ; such things were best left to chance,
'and, after all, what was there to tell ? Why
should it be necessary to confide his private
affairs to this little rustic beauty ? What
eonld his future conduct signify to Dolly
Jarvis, the 'blacksmith's daughter? Ah,
what indeed? Only with the living present,
then had he aught to do ; as for theP ast,
a wider man man than he had said, "Let the
dead past bury its dead."
So he knelt down by, the girle side -for
she had thrown herself upon the ground,
and, leaning her arm on a felled tree, had
hidden her face upon it—and, stretching out
slim white hand, placed it caressingly on
the tumbled ghesnut locks,
"Little Doll, look np 1"he whispered soft-
ly.. "Child,. do not grieve so ; there is real-
„ly nothing which need make you no unhap-
py.; Whatever you may'dhink, always re-
member I have not changed in. my affection
for you. Come"---ooaxingly—"let me see
your bright eyes laugh again 1"
Obediently, though rather shame-facedly,.
she raised her tearstained face --a very April
face it was now, smiles and tears striving for.
the mastery.
"It was very foolish of me," she sail at
last a little nervously. "1 wan afraid yon
were getting tiredof me. I--I—got tired
of waiting, I suppose, and—and I heard there
were visitors at the Hell" —tide in a. lower
pain -stricken voice—"and I thought maybe
you preferred their company to mine."
," Which wasn't true, you see," Captain
Braithwaite returned cheerily, "for I left
them all to come to you."
minded, I've heard say; perhaps her daugh-
ter takes after her in that wise."
"Umph ! 'Igh-minded, yon gall it, do
you ?" cried Meg Smith, with a scornful
toss of her tawny lecke. " I should call it
low -minded to go gallivanting about with
young man who means no good 1"
Stop, Meg 1" the elder woman said,
pausing in her occupation, of weighing out
some soap for the buxom lase who, with her
sleeves turned up to her elbows, was lean-
ing against the counter of the little general
shop presided over by Widow Lane. " It's
a serious charge to make against the ehild.
You forget ahe has no mother, and, if ebe
is a little thoughtless, well, we cannot blame
her much."
"011, of course not 1"sniffed Meg. "Eaery'
"Did you really 1" she asked, her eyes one takes her part just because she happens
fiaahiug now with joy ; then more aoberly— i to think herself better -looking than others
and her father is fool enough to let her deck
herself out in all kinds of fripperies, Even
Joe took her part when Sue was talking
about her at dinner, and I'm sure gibe's be-
haved bad enough to him, and then father
put in a word, and I know whathe'd say
if one of his gale was caught along with
their betters a love -making 1 An for that, I
dare say old Adam will kick up a fine fuss.
when he hears how Dolly Is carrying on."
"I tall yon what, Meg; I wouldn't 'niter -
fere In this ?natter, if I were you," advised
He had forgotten for a moment that be ! the widow. "It's little good will come in
was apeeking to an an Uneducated rustic,
instead of a society belle, and he felt half
vexed at her for her ignorance and with.
himaelf that he had not remembered it.
"Penance," be answered gravely, "" le do-
ing something one dose not like as a punish
mint for wroug•doing, and with the hope
of afterwards being forgiven. Now don't
you think you aught to do penance for doubt•
ing my affeetion for you before I reinstate
you in my favor?"
"I will do anything to the world you
wish," abe eaid, cleaning her hands, and re-
garding hint with earueet wistful eyes.
At the al ht of the pretty tremulous lips,
the soft gazelle -like °yea, a faint foaling of
compunction atirrod the worldling for the
first tuna. How aha treated him, and how
basely he was about to betray that treat 1
He mored un..asily,
"Yon take my words always too serionaly,
little one," he said, endeavoring to speak
lightly, but avoiding her direct gaze.
"' However, instead of doing penance, imp-
rove yon make me a promise instead?"
"What ie it?" the asked, "You know I
eau do so little for you," she went on sadly.
"I'm not like your fine folk at the hall."
"Well, what I am golog to ask I hope
you will not find difficult to perform. It is
thla—promise mo that you will not believe
anything that you may hear Bald against
me, Ta°re will bo plenty of people to
whisper evil tbinga about me to yon by-and-
by; bat you must not believe them."
"Of course not," ebe said indignantly;
"but"—healtatingly--" why should they
say anything bad about you 1"
"Oh, I hardly know! But in a Attie place
like this there is so mnoh gossip, and people
talk about theirneighbors' affairs simply be-
cause they havenothing better to do,"
"At any rate, I would not believe any
thing wrong about you," the girl deolared
confidently.
"And, Dolly, whatevorhappons, you will
always try to think well of me ; you will
remember that, whatever I do that may
seem to you unkind, it will be because I am
obliged to do it, because I shall have no
choice in the matter ; and, above all, do not
forget that, notwithstanding appearances
may be against me, I loved you --ay, a
thousand times better than any one else in
the world
He had not meant to be a villain—five
minutes ago he wouldnothave spoken'thus;
he could not understand himself why he felt
this sudden desire to stand well in this sim-
ple child's eyes, why he, whose praises were
sung by high-born dames, whose society was
courted by the mothers of fashionable
daughters, should care to shine in the eyes
of one of the people—a plebeian—a black-
smith'a daughter ; nevertheless it was a lam,
that Dolly's soft shy voice, Dolly's sweet
sad oyes, had never proved more attractive,
her charms had never seemed so great as at
this moment, when he was on the point of
renouncing her for ever.
A great fear, terrible even in Its vague-
ness, seized upon Dolly. Why did he speak
so strangely ? What had he done, what was
he going to do? Why did he regard her
with that wholly loving yet half pitying
manner? Ah, well, he loved her—loved
her even better than the proud beautiful
girls he met every day at the Hall ! Had he
not said eo ? After that, what mattered any-
thing ? The sun might cease to shine, the
stars might fall, nothing could affect her
now. She was bewildered, entranced. Her
lowly birth, which placed her so far beneath
him, her father's humble calling, her own
lank of education—all—all would be bridged
over by that one word "love."
she came nearer to him ; he felt her sweet
breath fan his Aevered brow, one little hand
stole timidly up to his neck, the glamour of
her youth and beauty and innocence was up-
on him, He looked up ; their eyes met,
his full of fire and passion, hers timid and
half` veiled by the white lids which strove
vainly to conceal the tale that was told too
well.
She drew a long quiverering t sigh. The
spell was broken. He was but human; he
had come to bid her farewell, he remained
to console her.
"It was very wrong of me to doubt yon;
please forgive me,"
A. better man tbau the Captain would
have been moved by the simplicity of the
girl ; but he was only glad to see that a
storm was `for the present averted.
" I'm not Se acre that yon deserve forgive -
noes," he said gaily. "Snpposa I regmre
you to do penance before I grant you par
don."
"Penance 1" ahe repeated, puzzled,
"What is that?"
setting father and daughter by the ears ;
and, an I said before, the lass leto be pitied,
having no mother to counsel her."
"Oh, I sbe'nt say anything to old Adam 1
I'd as soon go into a lions' den aa put him
out, .le'a not the sweetest customer to
deal with when We angry, as we all know,
However, he's sure to hear about Dolly
aoouer or later, and then I'd not stand in her
shoes for a peuwton. Oh, that's the soap, .is
it?? Thank you, and good ntorning."
Hardly had Meg reached the door when
another person entered. Thio time it was
a young fellow of about nineteen or twenty.
His naturally fair complexion waft tanned
by expoaure to the sun and air. Without
being positively haudsome, he had a frank
pleasing expression, more attraotvo than
mere beauty, and that made him a general
favorite. His bine eyeshad a merry twink-
le in them, and his ,gaze was clear and direct.
Au booed manly youth was Tons. Larkins,
OM of Nataro's gentlemen.
To -day, however, there wase little frown
on hit usually placid brow as be approached
Dame Lane's counter and asked, In estrange
half-b•eitattng manner, for nothing more
formidable than a ball of ebring, 'Then,
while the widow severed one froma number
hanging on a hook, the uneasy look deepen.,
ed in hie eyes, and he fumbled nervously in
his pocket for quite a minute before ho pro.
anted a throepeuny'pieos.
",A, nice morning, Mr. Larkins ; it's to
be hoped the weather will pink up a bit
now," the dame remarked, cheerily, as she
handed him the string and counted out
his cheap". " We've had about enough
rata. l'm thinking, for the present."
"Yee _='uo," Tom said confusedly, not
having beard one word of the widow's sent -
*moo, his thoughts being 000npbed in won-
dering how he should explain the motive
of his vieit, the string only having been a
pretext for obtaining a few minutes' chat
with the old dame.
Mrs. Lane looked athim sharply over the
top of her ape:neoles; it was so unlike Tom
to be confuted; then she spoke briskly.
"You've got something on your mind,
Tom, that you want to toll me. Out with
it 1 If I can do anything for you, you know
I will." Then more gravely—" You've not
been getting into any trouble with old Adam,
I hope?"
"No—oh, no ; its not about myself I want
to speak 1" declared the lad. "It's—it's
about Dolly."
"Ah g,
It was a very comprehensive "ah" ; and
Tom glanced up quickly.
"I see," he said sorrowfully ; you have
heard too."
"Yes ; but I don't believe half what peo-
ple say," responded the widow, who herself
was as fond of a little gossip as most folk,
though she never indulged in ill-natured
scandal. " Dolly is a good girl—I will main-
tain that—and she has done nothing worse
then aot a little thoughtlessly—depend upon
that, Tom."
The lad's countenance brightened as he
seized the good dame's hand and pressed it
gratefully between his own brown palms.
" Thank you for saying that," he mur-
mured. They are all so hard upon her—and
Meg Smith's worst of all—just because Dolly
le the best -looking lass in the villageand be-
cause Adam can afford to keep her at home
and let her dress better than the othera
they hate her, and would do her all the harm
they could, poor girl—and she so sweet and
gentle as well as pretty ! It isn't her fault
if—if the quality do take notice of her.
Meg's only spiteful because Dolly doesn't
care for her brother Joe. As if Dolly
couldn't pick and choose whom she will 1",
"I doubt me Meg has another cause for
grievance," remarked the widow slyly ; and
poor Tom coloured to the roots of his curly
hair. "I'm not surprised at all the lasses
getting a little jealous," went on the old
woman. "It's rather hard on them that all
their sweethearts', should leave them to run
after Dolly."
" But Dolly doesn't want them 1" de-
clared Tom stoutly.
"I didn't say she did," rejoined the
widow soothingly, for the young apprentice
was beginning to show signs of irritability..
" And I don't believe she cares a fig
about the Captain either, notwithstanding
Meg's jeers. She's more sense than to listen
to any of his soft speeches, knowing he is
as good as married already."
" Oh ? Then Dolly, does know about
Miss Mainwaring ? I thought p'raps she
mightn't lave heard."
CHAPTER 'II.
"It is ae true as you stand there, believe
it or not. Our Sue see'd her. I know'd no
good. 'ud come of her fine airs. Thinks her-
self too good to mix with such as us."
" Ay, ay, 'tis a sad pity 1" the other wo-
man said, with a shake of her head, " Her
mother was a good sort, though a trifle high -
" Of course she has --everybody has in
the village," Tom says irrelevantly, " She's
expected at the Hall to -Morrow ; I met one
of the under -grooms just' now, and he told
me so—he was energising a horse ready for
er to. ride. The wedding is to be in the
spriug."
(rij' Bn oonTiNu En.)
TOURNAi ISN IN THE WEST,
Graphic Story of Bill ?lye's First Experience
in the West.
"My first experience in journalism was
in a Western town in which I was a total'.
stranger. I went there with 35 cents, but I
had it conoealeci in the linings of my clothes
so that no one would have suspected it if
they met me. I had no friends, and Ino-
ticed that when. I got off the train the band
was not there to meet me. I gots chance to
work on a morning paper. It used to go to
press before dark, so I had my evenings to
myself, and I always liked that part of it
first rate. l: worked, on that paper a year,
and might have continued if the proprietors
had not changed it to an evening paper.
Then a company incorporated itself and.
started a paper of which I took charge, The
paper was published in the loft of a livery
stable. That is the reason they called it a
stock company. You could corns up the.
atairs to the office, or you could twist the
tail of the .iron -gray mule and take the ele-
vator.
"It wasn't ranch of a paper, but It octet
$16,000 a year to run it, and it carne out six
daps in the week, no met -ter what the
weather was, We took the Associated
Press news by telegraph part of the time,
and part of the time we relied on a Dopy
of the Chyenue teeming papers, wbioh we
got of the conductor on the early freight.
We got a great many special telegrams
from Washington in that way, and when
the freight train was in late I had to guess
at what Congress woe doing, and fix up a
column of telegraph the beet I could. There
was a rival evening paper there, and
some times it would scud a smart boy down
to the train and get our special telegrams,
and sometimes the oonduotor would go e"way
on a plonks and take our Cheyenne paper
with him.
" Sometimea the Indians would send. us
in an item. It was moat generally in the
obituary line. With the Sioux onthe north
and the peaceful Utes on the month, we were
pretty sure of some kind of news during the
summer, The parks mato be complied by
white men winters and Indians summers.
Sumner was really the pleaeanteat time to
go into the park., but the Indiana had been
in the habit of going there at that Season,
and they were So clantah that the white men
couldn't have muoh fun with them, so they
decined that they would not go there in the
summer.. Several of our beet subsoribers
were killed by the, peaceful Utee,
VARIOUS TOfOS.
Robert Browningagain thinks of visit
8 mB,
this country, although' he is 73.
An Indiana editor complains that times
are so hard he can't even oolleot hie thougbtee
Six thousand letters of Peter the Great
have remained wider suppression, The
Emperor of Russia now permits the publica-
tion of a selection.
The castle of B■da, a home of Hungarian
monarchy for centuries, is to be completely
rebuilt by the Emperor Francis Joseph at a
cost of . 3,250,0Q0,
The bead of the Roman Catholic missions
in China reports that ten thousand native
oounerte have been masseered- within ten
years. Five white miiesionariea have been
boat.
Prince Leopold, the only eon of the late
Prince Frederick Charles of Germany, has
started on a long tour in. the Eaat. The pea
session of $4,000,000 enables him to do as he
pleases.
Officers of the Chi'i navy talk a great
deal about the autleipeted time when they
may sack San Francisco, and their idea is
said seriously to be that a project of that
kind is quite feasible,
"We had a tieing young horse -thief in
Wyoming inthose days whe got into jail.
by some freak of jnatiee, and it was so odd
for a horse -thief to get in jail that I alluded
to it editorially, This boreo-thief had dis-
tinguished himself from the gammon, -vulgar
horse -thieves of his time by wearing a large
mouth, a kind of full-dress, eight-daymouth.
Be very aeidom smiled, but when he did he
had to hold the top of his headon with both
hands. I remember that I spoke of him in
the paper, forgetting that he might criticise
me when he got out of jail. When he did
get out again, he stated that ho would shoot
me on sight, but friendandvised me not to
have hie blood on my hands, and i took their
advice so I haven't a particle of fila blood on
my handa. For two or three months I didn't
know but he would drop into my office any
minute and criticise me, but one day a friend
toldthat he had been hanged in Montana,
then I began to mingle in society again,
and didn't have to get in my goal with a
double-barrel shotgun any more. After that
I was always conservative in regard to horse
thieves until we got the report of the vigi-
lance committee.
YOUNG CANADA.
Th ex- Empress Eugenie lemaking a round
of Europeen watering: please as the Comn•
teas do Plerrefonda. The detective police of
Carisbed, learning that the assumed title
was fictitious, reportedheras an adventurans.
Six of the clergymen who :made a recent
bicycle tour of Canada travelled a hundred
miles in a day. The same dtatauce has been
covered by professional riders in ten hours,
but on a axnooth track with the lightest of
wheels.
The £ortieeetious surrounding Paris be
vane the lurking places of vagabonds and
eooundrela, whom the military are now driv-
ing out, at the same time destroying the
wooda and ahauties 'which sheltered them,
and from which they saleied forth to rob.
Twelve mounds of incinerated humau.
bents have been dug up in Franca, at a
point wbioh makes it likely that they are
the romaine of Gauls -Roman warriors,: who,
in the time of Hannibal, fell in defending
the Phone against that General', passage.
Big tassels were put by a Memphis wo-
man on the ears of her homy, and a broad
ribbon bow on hie tall, In order to decorate
him to her entisfaotioa for equestrian neo •
butbeliked theadornnieutsollttle that be ran
away and threw her oil', uoarly killing her.
The causes of a separation between a hus-
band and wife wore that she haduntil after
marriage concealed from him the fact that
her handsome tenth were fable, and that he
negloosed to tell her that be atoned in his
sleep. They could not agree to set one fault
against the other.
An acute grammarian beoame excited by
the incorrect Emglleh of a preacher, and,
accosting him at the clone of a partionlarly
faulty sermon, offered to pay for his tution
by a private instructor. The minister took
the propoaltion angrily, and denounced ita
its maker in terms forcible, but at the same
ttme flluatrativof of his need of the lessons.
What is known as the Priory, on high
ground at Stanmore, nearharrow, England,
has been turned into a hotel, and a coach
runs there daily from Charing Crows. The
Priory was oocupied early in the century by
the first Marquis of Aberoorn, who lived
there in grand style, and entertained all the
celebrities of the period. Be had a peep
hole whence he surveyed new guests, and if
they were women and ugly he absented him-
self. It is recorded that he did so with Jane
Porter (authoress of "Thaddeus of War-
eing', ' then the rage) and her sister. The
present Duke of Abercorn used the place
awhile, and then let it to Queen Adelaide,
who died there. After that he sold it,
cense from a wound that he
received in the street as he was
locality at which a row was in pro;
is asserted that proal has been obtatne'
t Travelers' Insurance company that he
was also indemnified for a shooting accident
which overtook him in New York, About
ten months ago, after several years of a
wandering life in,Washington, California and
the weal, Spear. a returned toPhiladelphia city
and went to live with Frederick Morris, a
distant relative, who gives the incidents as
follows : On Christmas morning, about 4
o'clock, hire niorr s was awakened by a knock
at his room door, and Spears shouted
"There's burglars in the house, Fred. Get
np 1" Before Morris could reach the door
to open it a pistol shot resounded through
the house, and, going down -stairs, he found
his relative lying on the floor, with a bullet
wound in Ma right side just below the ribs,
A revolver lay beside the wounded man.
Spears watt perfectly conscious, and declar-
ed he had bean shot by the fleeing burglar,
Morris picked up the revolver and express
ed astonishment that the burglar should-
have
houldhave thrown the weapon away. No evi-
dences of forcible entry could be found any-
where about the place. The police were
oallod in and heard the story, but after
considerable iaveatigaation dismissed it as
absurd and improbable. Night watchmen,
who had been cn the *treat in front of the
building at the moment of the shooting
swore positivsly that uobody( emerged from
the front door, through which Spears had
declared that the would-be murderer made
hie escape. The accident Insurance, how-
ever, yielded about 53a per week,
Mary (aged 7, bat dignified)—"Johnny, I
am surprised that you should say 'too pre-
vious.' It's naughty." Johnny (aged 6, but
precocious)—"What should I say ?" Mary
(loftily)—"Say 'take time by the bangs.' "
"Say," said the editor's smart little son,
as he entered a store, "do you keep knives?"
"Oh,yea," respondedthestorekeeper; "we've
kept them for years." "Well," returned
the boy, starting for the door, "you ought
to advertise, and' then you wouldn't keep
'em so long."
Ethel used to play e. good deal in the Sab-
bath -school class. One day she had been
very quiet. She sat np prim, and behaved
herself so nicely that after the recitation
was over the teacher remarked : "Ethel, my
dear, yon were a very good little girl to-
day." "Yes'm, I couldn't help being good.
I dot a of neck !"
"Now, Willie," said a coaxing mother,
"I don't like to take medicine any more
than you do ; but I just make up my mind
to do it and then do it." The child looked
up through his tears and replied : "And,
mother, I just make up my mind that I won't
and then 1 don't,
"Why, Johnny!" exclaimed mamma,
"arn't you ashamed of yourself, going about
with a dirty face ?" "'No, I ain't," replied
Johnny, with conscious pride in the integri-
ty of his intentions ; "you'd like to have
me taken fora dade, wouldn't you ?"
In speaking of the eJunior Class in the'
University this year the professor said :
" The Junior Claes will embraoe seventeen
young ladies." " It will?" exclaimed the
young man addressed. " Great Scott 1.
then I shall, join the Junior Clase."
Color blindness might be a blessing in case
a bad artist is obliged to look constantly at
his own pictures.
A O1iOEkL SENTEEGE.
lT islet Erns Two Lives and Brains Two
others
The court of pardons, of New Jersey, re-
cently granted over 100 pardons. Among
those released was John Toomey of Newark
who had eervod live yearn of a fifteen years,
sentence for assault and battery. The cir.
ctimstanoes of his conviction occasioned
great exoltement in Newark five years ago
and many attempts to have him pardoned
were made.. lie was 111 years old when be
aoudad the Twelfth Ward public school.
The neighborhood ie not the moat refined
in the city, and the bay watt thrown In with
rough companions. Ms father was a hard.
working laborer and had saved a little money
to buy a home. Ono of the teachers in the
school was very unpopular. Ito was a Ger-
man and hadfrequent civarrola with the
Imelda of the scholars, One night in a
Ionelyiooality of the ward he wan way -laid
and beaten by three boys. Bin injuries
were, not severs, but, as .he Wet a watch
in the affray, ho had young Toomey ar•
rested on the charge of highway robbery.
The boy acknowledged that be was present
when the teacher was beaten, but he de-
nied that be took any part in the ataault.
The boy's father spent all the money he had
saved. In his son's defonos, but to no avail
He was convicted in the court of Common
Pleas, and Judge Luitigw McCarthy sew
tensed him to 15 yearn'"limed labor in the ,
Stats prison.
The severity or the sentence was a ter-
rible blow to the boy's parents. Many pro-
minent citizens, claiming that it was unjust,
started a petition for his pardon. Years
passed and his parents almost broke down
udder affliction. The Meer aged fast and
the mother was heartbroken. Every cent
they had had saved was spent and their
little daughter Maggie, a girl of 15, had to
go to work. Slowly Mra. Toomey declined
in health until about a year ago she died.
Her death was more than her husband
could bear, and he died three months after-
wards.
Iu the State prison the boy contracted a
cold which developed into consumption.
When his mother died, the prison physi
pian thought his condition too critical to ap-
prise him of his mother's demise, and he
lived in ignorance of it. He was not told
of hie father's death and lived on in hope
of regaining his liberty.
His little sister was left alone in the
world, but she struggled bravely on, fighting
poverty and seeking her brother's pardon.
She visited prominent officials. They all
sympathized with her, but could not help
her. Finally, Wm. E. O'Connor, interested
himself in the case. Wm.' P. B. Chick,
the teacher who was assaulted, made a
statement that he did not believe that Toom-
ey struck him and the pardon was granted.
The ravages of diseases were indelibly
stamped on the young man's features. He
was met at the Pennsylvania railroad depot
by his sister Maggie. The meeting was
very affectionate, and in his joy the brother
did not notice tie black clothes of his sis-'
ter. Pull of hope, he chatted as he walked
toward the humble home he had not seen
for five years. Aa he crossed the threshold
he exclaimed :—
"Where is mother?"
With a terrible load at her breast his
sister summoned up all her resolution, and
with swimming eyes she gently said :
"She is dead,"
"And father?" gasped the young man.
With a cry the young man staggered,
against the wall and fell. His last words'`
were ;
""Ah, my God ! This is terrible."
Terrified, his sister ran, for a physician
Water brought the young man to, conscious
nese, but his eyes glared like those of a
wild animal.
";They are not dead 1" he cried ,• "it's
lie. You can't take me back to, prison."
Physicians pronounced him totally insan
and he was locked up until the proper papa
can be prepared to send him to the Inean
Asylum. His sister is nearly overcome wi
grief, and much sympathy is expressed f
her. The young man is not expected to 1
long as he is wasting away from consu
tion.
When it became known that Mr. Ruskin
was lyingeeriouslyill at Brentwood, on Con-
iston Lake, great sympathy was expressed
by the people of the district. Inquiries
came from all parts of the United Kingdom,.
and even from abroad, as soon as the illness
was announced. So numerous have these in-
quiries become that it has been foundodesir-
able to issue periodical bulletins, the first of
which was issued shortly before noon next
day, and gave the welcome intelligence that,
although the condition of Mr. Ruskin was
critical, there was a slight improvement.
Mr, Ruskin has suffered from similiar ill-
nesses before, but the present one ismuch the
worst. For a great part of the time he has
been unconscious, and it wail with great diffi.
oulty that even the slightest nourishment
could be administered.
A NEW CRIME.
IIow a Man Sought to get his Accident In.
snraace.
It is now reasonably certain that a new
species of crime has been developed in the
country. The explosion on the excursion
steamer S. M. Felton has been traced to
the act of Adriance Spears, who carried a
large line of accident insurance. His pre-
sumed intention was to disable himself seri-
ously, so that he might enjoy the income
of $150 per week which his policies would
have produced. He was killed, however,
and the loss of $35,000 on the life of an
apparent day laborer has so startled the
oompaniea' that they have united to fight
the claim. No progress was made in fath-
oming the motive of the man until his pre-
vious history was inquired into. Detect-
ives now
etect-ivesnow claim to know all about the de-
ceased. They say that, fifteen years ago,
hewas mysteriously shot- accidentally,
as it was ' declared -- while handling a
pistol, and ' his receipts from . several
accident policies sufficed to support him
handsomely. On his recovery, he went to
San Francisco, where, it is alleged, he drew
a comfortable income during his oonvales-
t