SUFFERING IN SILENCE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 2400, 26 November 1887, Page 1 (Supplement)

SUFFERING IN SILENCE.

InA Okay was :m orphan living with h<-r Meter’s family in a Western village. The Illott-ons had welcomed her to b-r bom-, and her si-ter’s husband, H-rb-rt, had tried his b-st to mak- In r comfortable. In time his broth-r. Ralph, fell ill love with her, and it was d- <-i led that as soon a« tlie house he w i- building was completed the) - should be married. It. was about this time that a great trouble fell upon that peaceful household. Herbert. Illnttsuii had had sum- Iroiiblwith a notorious character named Tallin, and in time a hitter enmity grew up between them. lilotlson found his catth- dving off bv poison, and one da, wln-n he hj aid that Tallin hud shot, his pet don, .inn-, in malice, he took down his gnu from Hiwill, saying: “111 settle Tallin if 1 catch him.” Ralph felt alarmed, knowing his brother's temper, and soon followed him to see what happened. The next day, as the family were all silling down to breakfast, the Sheriff of the county appeared in the doorway and announced that he had come to arrest Ralph HlotLsun. The man Tallin had been murdered and something of Ralph’s near by. A curious pi] e that had been given him by Ida Gray, bis betrothed. “ -May I speak to my brother a inomen,” asked the prisoner, and the Sheriff, who disliked his task, readily consented to give the permission Ralph drew his brother aside and said : “ For Cod’s sake keep still about last night. You've got a family and I haven’t. 11l bear the pun- , islnneiit. “ But why should you. Neither one of ns should sillier for the crime. In a | few days yen will he a tree nun and there was no fear hi ids face. Ralph looked wondtu ingly at the other's face as he was led away. He had resolved that he would make no defence in the case, and maintained silence throughout his trial. The jury brought him in guilty, with a recommendation to mercy on account of his hitherto blameless character, and he was sentenced to imprisonment for life instead of hanging. When the prison walls closed about him, in all probability for the whole of his remaining days, it can be imagined that there was deep mourning within the family circle at the farm house, of which j he had been the light and adornment. Ida —-his betrothed bride—had one secret hidden within her heart which kept her from sinking entirely under the blow. To her alone had Ralph broken his resolute silence; but it was under a promise of secrecy which she would have died rather than ■ break. “ I will case my heart by telling I it to you, Ida, because, out of ail the ' world, you arc the one who has a right to { know the truth. lam as innocent as you j are, but I choose to suffer in place of the i real offender ; and if you are the loyal \ little woman I think yon to be. you will 1 abide unquestionably by my decision.'' I And Ida, raised by his confiding belief and trust in her to the lofty plane of selfabnegation upon which Ralph himself stood, made no outcry. She accepted the situation in the same light as Ralph, and if any suspicion as to the identity of the real sinner ever entered her mind, it would go no further. She, with the remainder of the aftlicted family, went on in the round of daily duties quietly and uncomplainingly.

Sheriff Kendall was not satisfied with the result of the ease, anti did his best to try ant’ find a way to help the prisoner. A few weeks after Ralph had entered his prison, a burglar in the neighbouring town was shot down one night. The Sheriff was given charge of the man’s effects. What was his delight to find in an old portmanteau a paper from which had been torn the gnn wads found near the spot of Tallin's murder, and the amber mouthpiece of the pipe. There was little delay in making out the papers to set Ralph free, and then Kendall went to him with the good news that the real murderer had been found, and that he was declared to be innocent, and no longer a prisoner. Ralph listened to him in a dazed sort of way at tir-t, and and then he astonished Kendall by exclaiming : “Then Herbert did not kill Tallin, after all ! How I have misjudged him f I, in my way, have been as unjust to him as my felfowmen have been to me." “ Then that was where the trouble lay, was it?" said Kendall. “ You sacrificed yourself for Herbert, did you Well, un one need tell me there is no brotherly atfecti m in the world after this. Hut come, we will go and carry our glad news to Herbert and to the rest." After the first rejoicings at Rdph’s return were over, he turned to his brother. “ Herbert, I 'he said, “I must make a confession before I rest contented. I thought you gave Tallin his death-blow. Will you forgive me for misjudging you so cruelly “ You have as much to forgive as 1 have, Ralph, for I thought you hud taken revenge upon film for killing .Inn i. And, instead, yon allowed yum.self to he stamped a criminal to shield the brother you thought guilty. How can I repay you, Ralph V ’• By cheering up and trying to look like yourself again, Herbert. You have grown ten years older since I have been in prison.” “ I shall grow young again now, Ralph. Tor I feel so happy and lighthearted at seeing you again that it takes me back to my boyish days.” “And, Ida, come here and listen to me. I want my faithful little girl to promise me one thing. Will she f" “ What is it, Ralph f” asked Ida, blushing and trembling at the wards, which she know by intuition were to follow. “ Let ns celebrate the happy day of my release by another event which is of as great impm tance to my happiness. Let us be manied as soon as we can summon the minister. Let this be our bridal day.” *• Be it as you will, Ralph, ’ s*iid M i. Aud tin y were married accurdii:gly, all their neighbours turning out to give eclat to the joyous event.