The Argosy — page 28: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

220 ‘THE ARGOSY. lay stretched upon the floor, her head resting upon her arm, a sweet smile upon her beautiful features, and a pool of blood beneath and around her which had flowed from a horrid wound in her breast. | ‘‘I can never describe the pain, the terror, and the agony of the next half hour. I pressed my hand to her cheek, still fair and lovely even in death. It was cold. I looked anxiously at my watch. It was half past two. A thrill of terror at my awful situation frightened me into caution. Like a criminal I crept stealthily to the door and turned the key. My brain was rent by a confusion of terrible fancies. Who had done this awful deed? My eyes caught the glitter of a shining weapon on the floor. I picked it up nervously. It was myown. I could not believe my senses, and instinctively thrust my hand into my hip pocket, to find it empty. ‘Then in that awful moment a thought more maddening than all the rest found shape within my seething, bursting brain |! “Qh, God ! God! Spare me that!’ I cried in heart rent agony. ‘Do not let me think I killed her! Lydia! Lydia! If the soul that loved me so madly in life loves me still, come back—back from the shades of death and tell me—tell me Iam innocent! Lydia! Lydia!’ ; ““T know I swooned at the awful thought, but when reason once again asserted its control of me, my real self was stunned by the appalling sense of the danger in which I stood. I would have fled from the judgment of the world. | ‘“T felt the dreadful force of the evidence against me, and feared the law. I cannot explain this crime. You must judge it as best youcan. Failing in her last effort to win me from allegiance to my friend and brother, she may have committed the deed herself with my pistol while I was insensible upon the floor. Crazed by her faithless conduct. toward him, her husband may have sought her out and wreaked his threatened vengeance upon her. It is not for me to say. If I killed her, I had no motive for it, and it was done while I was under the influence of the drug she gave me, for what pur- pose will never be known. No living man dare say I murdered her! Only God in his infinite wisdom may judge of her death. . I can only repeat that, guilty or not guilty, Iam innocent of crime in His sight, and as you hope one day to pass in judgment before His stern face, find your verdict ac- cording to your conscience.’’ For several moments after he ceased speaking, the room was as silent as the halls of death. No one stirred. No one seemed to breathe. The judge finally broke the charmed silence of the court. ‘Do you wish to sum up?’’ he asked in a subdued tone, glancing toward me. ‘‘T have nothing further to submit, your honor,’’ I said simply. ‘‘I am willing to let the case go to the jury.’’ The judge glanced inquiringly toward the district attorney. Asin duty bound, the latter rose and asked that the jury be instructed to cast aside all sentimental considerations and theories, and deal with the circum- stances in the evidence as presented against the prisoner. He then sat down. ‘ . 5 comicbooks:com ~ Peer