The Queen of The Isle OR SIBYL CAMPBELL'S LOVE

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume IV, Issue 1107, 30 September 1904, Page 4

The Queen of The Isle OR SIBYL CAMPBELL'S LOVE

Author of "Tho Heirc*? of Gleu Gowi

CHAPTER XXX (Continued,)

" Thoro is no uso my telling you tho State attorney's charge, You'll sco it in the papors, if yon have any curiosity on tho subject. All 1 need say Bay is, that it seemed to destroy every possible impression made on the minds o! the jury by tho youth, bounty and sex of tho prisoner, He spoke of tho pain it gave him to bo obliged to make this chargo against a woiran, whoso interesting appearand ho saw had already made a docp impression on tho minds of nil present; but ho trusted the gentleman of the jury would not allow themselves to be carried away by their feelings, and that appearances were often deceitful; and he made a long preamble about demons wearing the forms of angels of light, and of the crimes of other women, gentle and loving before, had been induced to cjmiuit in sudden paroxysms of jealously—as this crime had been—as ho was prepared to prove. lie spoke of tho well-known jealousy and vindiciiveness thai Ims ever characterised tho raco from which the prisoner had sprung. Then he drew a pathetic picture of the viclim, nnt'l overy woman present was sobbing as if her heart would broak. But when ho concluded by saying that tho murdered girl was the wife of prisoner's lover—married to him in secret, as ho would shortly prove—a thrill ran through every heart," " His wife!" cxolaimed Mrs. Brnntwcl) in dismay. "Yes, Mrs, Brantwell, his wife! and she was, too," said f tafford, sorrowfully. "When Willnrd Druuimoml-who al! this time had been standing motionless, his hat drawn over his brow-heard tho words, ho started, reeled and turned as deadly wkito as if ho had received a pistol shot through his heat t. Sybil lifted her wild, black eyes, and, reading in that look, that action, tho truth of tho word?, with a long, low cry dropped her faco in ber hands, with such a look of utter des* pair that every heart stood stilll, Captain Campbell sprang up as if some one had speared him, and would havo throtlied Drummond on the spot, I firmly believe, if a policeman had not interfered, and held him back, "Tho first witness called was an old Methodist minister, who deposed on his oath that ho had married Willnrd Drum-mond-to a young girl called Christina Tomllnson, about a year and a half previously, an nearly as ho could then recollect. They wero married after night, without atlondants; and tho brido seemed vory much frightened. He concluded by giving a description of her—which exactly {allied with that of litilo Christie. " Mrs Tom was then called, and allirmed that on the night in question Christie had gr-no lo Westport with Drummond, and when they relumed late at night, she found hor niece lying senseless in his wins, which circumstance he accounted for by plausible reason sho had now forgotten. Sho could notswear positively that hot' nieco and Miss Campbell wero bad friends, but sho did not think they wero on good term?. That on tho night of tho murder tho deceased had appeared out of flpirit', and, complaining of a headache, had retired early, That when sho awoko in the morning she found her gone, a thing which had never happened before. That sho had no suspicion of tho truth until Miss Campbell catno in and told her her nieco was murderd, Thereupon thoy had gone down to tho beach together, and sho had identified a handkerchief belonging to her neicc, marked with her nauio and deeply clotted with blood. That tho prisoner seemed deeply, almost wi'dly, agitated that, morning, which had stirpiised witness not a 1 tt'e at tho time, "Mrs, Tom was then dismissed, and Captain Campbell was called. Ho said that on tho evening of tho murder, being on the island, Christie had given him a noto for his sistor. That .Sybil had icon i violently agitated upon receiving it,j and wanted to go to tho island, j That ho urged her not to go, but she' had insisted; and upon telling her Carl Henley was over that evening, she had said sho would accompany him; and ho had then left the room, and be did not see her again for upward of a fortnight, "Carl Henley next took the stand, and after tho usual oath, stated that on tho evening of the murder ho had taken Sybil across to tho island. That in the boat she had talked wildly, though ho could not recollect what she had said. That she had left him when they reached tho shore, and run up tho rocks in the diroction of the Lodgo. That ho had returned to the cot* toge and shortly after went to bed, That about midnight, boing awakened by the violence of tho storm, ho had got up and distinctly heard a cry of Murder I' That a moment after he bad seen a woman Hying past, with long, black hair streaming behind her, 'jest like her,' he expressed himself, pointing to Sybil. Being cross-examined, ho swore positively to Boeing tho woman, whom ho said ho took, at the time, to be Sybil.

" Thero wero several other witnesses examined; and it all wont to show that Christie had not an enemy in tho world but Sybil, 4mong others, catao that infernal Ooiirtnoy, who adduced several circumstances which seemed to have weight with tho bench; that Sybil's agitation on receiving tho nolo wis so palpatio ho began to havo misgivings on tho spot; that when he beheld her tho following day after coming from the island, sho seemed as if remorse (or some crime preyod upon her, Then the court was adjourned, and the prisoner removed, " Next day it was the same. There wos ■littlenowovidonco aga'nst Sybil; but it •'deemed clear to all thai, tho jury hadmado up their minds as to her guilt; and that her youth and beauty only aggravated her crime. ,

*'Then tliodefence wrs tnkon up; ami Mr, P— made ft very good speech, and did nil he could lo disabuse the minds of tlio jury; but it wns iiko bailing the Air. (is 'convincing men against Uioirwill, 1 they were clearly of their opinion still when he censed, do did all ho could, but that was too little to savo Sybil. "ThoSlato attorney aroso again, and sot aside all V —'s arguments, in a cool, contvuptuoiis manner that carried con. viction to tlio minds of the spectators. And then tlio j'idge aroso to sum up Iho avidcDCo and charge the jury. Id his mind (hero seemed not Iho faintest shadow of a doubl as to tho guilt of tho prisoner, I cannot remember what he said, but I know, despito \m gray hairs, I felt a demoniacal deairo nil tho time he was speaking to knock him down, Thon the jury began to deliberate, and during their brief absence Iho silonco of death reigned 1:1 Iho courtroom, Every eye was bent upon Sybil; but aflct hearing of Willard's murriapo, sho novor lifted her head. It was as if the heaviest blow that could possibly befall had pimsod, and life or death mattered nothing to her now. " The jury were not nbst nt ton minutes ero they returned. Thissudden ontranco was ominous; but tbeir grave stern faces wero mora ominous still. Tho foroman arose with tho others and every breath seemed suspends),

"Gentlemon of tho jury, hovo you agreed upon your verdict?' asked the judge,

BY MAY AGNES FLEMING

>r," "Tho Unseen Bridegroom," do

"' Wo havo your honor,' responded the foreman.

" How sny you then ? Is tho prisonor guilty or not guilty of tho charge, "' Guilty I' was tho response, "At the word thero arose a cry that thrilled through ovory heart and Willard Drummond liko a man possessed of a demon tied from iho house, A dreadful silence followed, and then tho judge arose and in a voico that trembled said: '" Prisoner, arise, and receive tha sentence of tho law,' (To b$ continued