Ashwoods Sacrifice

Tiiere were fcwo mgn who loved Maggie Lee; and a Droén happens, r-lio did not na (Jera tand the dlctatea of her own lii-art and morried tinwrong 011e. Nat lmt whai Philip Hallworth loved lier. IovihI him too : Hut her aifection was put to a nevero test when alter aerea yeara f wedded life, tflie iound herself amd child in a cottage, wtldl tlicy once called home, now reduced almost to four bare walls, a hard landlord piossiiiff for rent, an empty larder, ttoree whöle I without tood and 110 hope of immediate emptoyment for her husbaud. Oae day, wMo lounging about in lúe usual vagabond style, lio saw a í-tranger vrho lial trit'd to ford the rivcr carrled awaj bg the cnrreot. Halhvortii Juaiped in, for he bad jiienty ÓÍ pluck, ftftbcftjgft h' was rcn rally too lazy to exerctee it, and after a fearful wiruiKle, ha brought liis man to land. The latter, as soon as Ik; was able to speak, infornu'd liis preservéf t li.it he wtm rivh aad noUe, and (bat he ivouid reward iiim handBomely for hte courage. He went away and was lioard irf no more. But tliat was (jaite enoujiii íor l'hiliii. For weks etter tiiis be Uved on golden dreams, ajld poor Jlaggie and little Jeniiie, thelr daugbter, had to do tlie Kam'. Hut golden dieams are not very Bubst;uitial tihlngu to Uve on ; henee the mfcsery of their home (a mockery of the name) which I have endeavored to portray. Meautinue James Asliwxd, the game keeper, iChe taan whom Maggie jiad rejected, lived in respectability anl single WessednesB. He was powerlesB to aid her and he loved her with ai great aod Biilent nffection ■wtueh he would not ha ve confeeeed to any mam- hardly even to himself. It was a bleak nágbt Ín October. rain and hail pattered agalnst itoe brokea wííndows. The very cot1alB rocked oud the w'uxd moancd oniinouBly in ithe ciimneys. There was no fire in the grate, and a candle flutterjjjg in a battered laadleatjck only made the oceupantu of the room look even more haggard than they really were, Suddenly tfliere wan a shan) kuockSng át tile door. Philip opened it amd a little old gentleman in a wide Snverness, wttti his umbrella turned niiBide out, w;is alraost blown into his anus. ■ i';ui I bare a few minut8 'rest and .-'hvlti-r hei-c ?" lio aaked. The old gentlenuan was wet through and t]ici-c was l)in srant opportunlty there of drylug clothes. However, Majrgie took Mm to their bedroom. He bad gonw apparel u his bag, he saïd. He would put the tilinga on, ajnd, with ,their pcrmission, walt tlll the storm ,wn over. Tljere were ,tvo roma upstairs. The place was in a vcry dllapldated condition, aad tiivrc were chlnka in the tuin ]iarttiini quite wide cnough to see tlwough. Tliere were two liungry, wolfish eyes Micic. peertag in- the cyes of Fhiilip HxUlwortb - aml lic saw ;i Btrange ' siglit. ,The old man wMle i -haiijjinj; his clothes was taking out a nuinlver ot little Unen bags. He opened oue and examJhed the tontents. It was full if uold cdtom- sovereigns. The sight had made, Philip eick. He went to the wlndow lelow and looked out. A moment later the old gentleman came down. "Well," he said, "I see the weather hae cleared. I must be going now. i '.uld yon come with me a little way and put me on the rlgtrt path for Sir Charles' house ?" Ph.ilil) panaed and took up a gun f rom the corner. ■Whai is iliai?" Maggle asked. "Aabnrood'a gun. I must return St to Mm." She said no more ; she guessed the rest. They must live, and, atter all, poaching was not the moet unpardonable of crimes. Later on that night the gamekeeper, Jamets Ashwood, was out upou liis rounds. He was a lonely man, but on moanUgbt nighte, when au thinga were qniet, lic was espectaUy sad. .siKiiicniy be heard the report of a g-uu. It meméd nimost aé tbough the ghot had whirrert by hini. At iirst lic thougiit it must be poathers, but then he heard a groan and on exdamation. bc Rearctd in all iirtrtionti. At tost, breaking throogb gomé thick buKlic, hc startcil bock in horror, for he had lound what it was Tliere was the body of an olcl man ir an Inverneee ctoek ïyinjr quito stil and (load, t lie fraeh, dewy grass sulllet by the blood that had flowed from his breast . As'hwoxi heard a cracking íoum among tlie brambl5. He looketl up iind saiv a man a íew yards off, run ning away. As he tAirned hite head a inonaen JierecogTiSied Philip Hallworth. Grea heavens ! he saw it all now. The first gray streaks of the cheer lees October morning were dawning 5n the east as Philip Hallworth crep home into his cottage. Maggie wa there, waiting up for him. "What is the matter ?" she said, Simr. ftw lu; looked wild and huggard. Ai-i' you jll ?" ■Ifs iiothnir. Ilunger and exhaustoii kavc bnmgiit you somc money, and mort' will come." "Yooi have brought som money, 'ii liji. Whei-i' did you get it ?' ' tue old man gave it to me for niy u-oiihlc." And lii Xluntí down a eoveroign on ttue tallo; lmt there was no joy in ïis tont-, a.nd lie tnrned away from her as he sioke. 8he looked at liim curiousiy. "What eould 1m tho matter wit li htm. There was a toad knock at the door ■and lw? Jumped as thotigh he had been shot. He etood there trembling, and it was Magjgie wlio went to open it. Michwel Marsden. .the village bailii'f, stood without. What, both on ye np already ?" ha sa.W. 4iHave ye 'erd tlhe news ? There's bin a oUl gent in a Invernas ound murdered and robbed in the vood." "The man who cani!' here for sheler !" -rd MaOglCn ■■Sir ("liarles 'ave bin on the s]int. .11' the ]ml;ve an' all the ret o" it, lmt I tliaughts ye'd Like to "ave the irst news, 'Allwwtli, as ye're intersted in the matter." 'Interested !" the other exflainieil. -L-i 11 - turnini; p.-ile. V;is he susiieeted already? "What do yon mean. ODdbnel, what do you mean V' 'Ye remember ,that ehap whoee lile e saved eome time agona ?" Yes." "Wéti, it neme tliat he wan a lord or sometJiing or other. Th is old genl-nian wlio'se bin killed is a lawyer, nd by eome papers fouod on 'im it íjeems be 'ad L1 ,000 in gold aaid notes k ,be deltvered to you for saving lus ordehip's life. He'd got instructions to go to Sir Charles Hazeltone firet ndjnquire about you. Well, 'e's been robbed o' the 'ole bloomia' lot !" PhiMip stiaggered and sank upon a hair, his head buried in his hands. All that moiiey that he had purjured hiiB soul to galn, hiB own- his all. He thougiht he mufst go mad ; and o add to the horror of the situation tihLy faneied he was lanienting the osa of the money, and both his wife amd Marsden ,tried to console him. Hallwortli was lost Se thought- orrüble, maddening thoughts. He vas unconscíous of what more the aiiliff Jiad to say, and when he looked p. Marsden had left the cottage. He went over to his wife. "Magote," be unid, very quiotly, and vould luave taken her hand, but he nddonly refrained ; he had bec-ome a liing terrible, even to himsclf. -'Maggie, James AsJiwood munt bc saved. can do it, and I will." "You, riulip ! How ? What do you usan ?" "Do not a.sk me !" At th.lis moment the doorway, which ad been left open. was darkencd by a tall, manly form. It was .James sliwood, the jramekeoiier. But hte was ciosely followed by tWO otlners - Marsden asain and a constale, aa-3io elapped a hand upon his toulder, saying : Mames Ashwood, 1 arrest you for he murder of Samuel Treinlett." "Very well,"' lie nnsweivd. calinly, but I rfvould be glad to know upon li:t eviiVcnoe ,the warrant has been jBBued." 'Tfaargao was (oaod nai tb spot," Mareden put jt. Well. Marsden," ,Ulie gamekeeper said, "I &ee that appeara.nees are gaJnst me. Is there anytiung eise ?" "Tliey've tried ,to prove you had no money yesterday, ,but I know better, and I know wlmt ye did with it. Ye paid the rent of tlüs 'onse with every penny ye 'ad, and that 111 swear to !" 'You did tfli'e ?" Hallworth exilaimed. "Yes, but what does it matter ? Come, you must do your duty. Tnke me with you." "No," Maggio interposetl, Bpeaklng n an eager wbteper to her husband. "Pliilip, you said you conld save liiin. If yon can, do so now." "Do you WiUb that I should, Mnggie ?" ■Ves." l heu I wlHl !" a.nd there as a Bet parpóse Ib liis tace- a look of wild despaiir. "But you must leav us for a íew moments. Go ; sood-by." ■viiy do yon say good-by ?" sha iskcd in a startled tone, as slic moved toward ,tllc st;i i-rase door. "Becauat re musí part for a Bbori whüe. l'ntil we meet aain, ïoodl,y." He pui lus, hand toward hers, bot agatn drew it back buddering. sadly h: turiK'd and quitted the room. It waa all a terrible uiystery to her. There was only one course open to htm - the roward's way out of his dUHcoltlea ; but one eould almost dare to cali it justifiable in Buch a liorrible aitmation as his. TliO othere nover aioticed liim as he Btood by .the door, take a email vial from his pocket nd drain lts contente. Then lie carne to the middle of ie room and called tlie men to him. His lace was livid and con-vtilsed. "Ashwood," he eaid, "I don't want the innocent to euííer for the guilty It vras I who committed Uiis crime.' 'Yon, Hnllworth," í-ried Marsden. "One word vhile I eajl st.ill speak. lele ÍS t'lu; money. I iliil it íor her and t'lue ehild's. All the time it was mine, and the punlghment receñid ilion ni.v ivn lu'.-id. Asliwuod. Bee to ber iiuiniii-ss and píxaniee n tbat lie s1k11 never- never know- " I wiil !" ie other solenÉnly said. Hallwortïi spoke no more. They trlied to support JiJm, but lic brokt: (rom tfaem. One convulsión, one gasp, and tfaen UI was over. Masgiv, huaring hH-an.üv BOUndS, ruslied dovn tlie utair. Thy would iiiave kept her froni the eigbt that awaited lier there, but th.y wcre too hvU awd ,witli a Wild cry öhe sank forward in a swoon. Two strong ,irms oaug-lit her- tli(fe Oí James Ashwood, the man who wouHl liave t-uiíered punishment ind dtagrácé íor lier sake- those anus wMch through life now were destined to ehield her from all harm.