Show JO Z 1 S W ly NS mk WIFE I 1 E DY by KATHLEEN NORRIS norri nm as ibis s CHAPTER XV continued 17 sometimes alone or with george the she lunched in the neighborhood of the 1 lall aril and went back to lt it immediately tier husband d twice she paw baw a abw 11 gys and was back in port washing day g ii j ton agn lo in time to read the paper to the old captain before dinner mary gary cutter cutler the doctors lovely daughter in law had bad taken it upon herself to befriend ellen arid and during these terrible days she had bad never failed ailed her and when the wal rial began y the she was always at ellens side george railed culled at the main alain street house 0 on n tile the i first brit morning arid and mary met them at the he courthouse ellen had never been in a court before but she said to he herself aiom riom that the jury box the wit igei stand even with her first quick glance george came in talking in nn under r tone one with ills his associate lie ile nodded reassuringly to ellen when lie went away again and disappeared through one of the doors behind the judges bench she saw ryan come in he had the air of a man w who ho had bad breakfasted uell nell and who was full fill of confidence ellen felt a wave of sheer hate shake tier her how flow free he was how bow comfortably really ready tor for the days forkl and gibbs its vium i COM come e in between two guards tills Is merely the paneling of the jury george hall had told them it may take several days its a long ft stupid pid bli cluess with a great stirring and murmur ang ln in the room gibbs came in olih a court officer lie he was pale but seemed ael tr self cor nor nervous ns as b he e came quickly to ills his sent seat at the end of one of the tables then lie saw ellen who was only ten feet fee I 1 a way away anti and who sent him a brave smile aliens heart was torn within her gibbs with that flint little new droop to lils his brond broad shoulders a spectacle for iala staring roomful full 1 ruse rose and she rose too dizzily the clock was on the stroke of ten tell and lili lil i honor came promptly and quietly through a door at the anek to liia ills large chair A blek i leaned over him film to murmur some wes nes sage labe he nodded quickly the clerk ml t out the case of the state ante s thomas gibbs josselyn was braller Bral led fur days daya the paneling of the jury r rd dragged ragged on and the long lone hours in the courtroom were wearisome slid aud un eventful then suddenly there was a full jury and the trial began ellen was dazed by the and the lie crosti cross questioning seemed to tit her i irrelevant george would ask sl nn an apparently unimportant enes tam and sit down the ill its attorney would vituld jump up with ant oller niler leading nowhere non here its as fur fair as ellen f f ald see between george and mere sas a running fire of hot words 5 fairn was amazed to see them f civilly to each other the moment court at luncheon she mild eagerly que question george as to if clr of af this point or that ahe trial lasted for only a dar less than three feehs ellen hall had moved tier blittle to glahs side bide and although they rarely spoke site glie knew he vos a as enuch comforted as she was by y this alit vm for two says days cruel and exhausting ft days anys she was on the stand mar mary y cutter and george lathro it were amazed at the courage and strength alt the she found for tile ordeal sho had I 1 i promised them she would not break brea k f down hut but she did for a moment when s tommys tommas nunie name was mentioned and 4 perhaps that moment when ill the arsen hensl 1 I live five mouth quivered and the blue eyes brimmed with ill tears wo was a as tavor favor IC able to gleibs cause as auy log logic to or d any eloquence could have been for it slowly became adent flint no eloquence and no logic could avail envall rt r 1 in defense of a man young brid rich binl i avid and handsome who had turnell from t this Is devoted little wife to another woman who had quarreled alth with tile the generous father r w who 0 was that t other oilier womans comans husband who find threatened t and brooded blooded over the lie quarrel PA day after day the net lightened v about him illen listening and at ching sometimes felt as if site she were in an oppressive oppress lre irena dream oh it could not be gibbs who was trapped nipped liere here it could not be tommys tommas father ibo ho was the chief figure in one of nf tile the sensational murder trials of t the be tiny day on the afternoon before the filial summing up when nil all the testimony was ai in anti and it remained only for tile the prisoners counsel find hie file district attorney to present to the jur jury y their ver anna of the case ellen was spending I 1 an n hour with gitile ills his of confinement and mental distress had affected ills his constitution and a poor OPPI Ife and wakeful nights flights had bed add eat to the misery of his situation 1 I jump from one extreme to the ther other ellen lie told fold her some I 1 think bring in a verdict a 5 of guilty plain and flat and tt aln n 4 sometimes I 1 let myself think that all S this hl has impressed them more favor arvor i abil bli tinn wi aban we fear you fit know inow ond and that ril rii walla out of tile the ft borant m a tree free man wibb my girl eln on p ZY ay arm rm tata ul voice ice broke buoi nd ellen burst into nto bitter sobbing lie put his hi s arms i about her and kissed the top of her soft hair look here dear he said after a while 1 I want to talk to you for a few minutes we ve dont know attend ahead of us and I 1 want to say title while I 1 have a chance they sat down on the bed side by side and he locked his arm about tier her one than thans I 1 want to say Is this said slowly 1 I a good hus band to tn you the last benr hut but it was only that I 1 was a fool ellen I 1 never was untrue to you even in my thoughts 1 I know it she said fervently raising her wet eyes to meet his oh gibbs my own sweetheart ll she burst out tier her eyes brimming again what you given me a little country girl who never had anything in tier her life until you come came along I 1 paris anti anil my boy and my little girl and your love gibbs flint made life seem a miracle to me 1 dont cry ellen he pleaded and she made herself be calm calin again theres one fine thing more I 1 wiant to say gibbs said ile he got up brill and walked about the little room ellen watching him 1 I want you to remember this and when you tell lell the boy about it tell him this too loo ive no reason to lie to you ellen and wl at im telling you I 1 I 1 say as if I 1 were aa a a dying man it mate be my last talk with you and I 1 think I 1 think of that flint when I 1 say it I 1 think of what you hove have done for me and of what you are to me by my mothers me memory nory ellen and by the memory of the little girl we named for or herl her I 1 nefer fired that shot I 1 never lind had my hand bond on oil that revolver in my eifel for a minute she stared at him without a chanse change of expression then lie he saw an extraordinary look almost of madness come into her eyes and saw law her breast rise with one great breath she made an effort to speak with dry lips and failed made a see second and succeeded Gibb gibbel sl she stammered in a whisper you you tier iier voice failed her and she made a gesture as if tor for air still clinging tightly to his arm which slie she had grasped when first he spoke you say you I 1 elten ellen len whispered with a sudden pitiful trembling of her lips but gibbs but gibbs why you tell me so before and suddenly she slipped to tier lier knees and he ml tier lier face stream ing ine with tears pressed against his hands oh my god I 1 thank he heard beard her sob bob oil my god I 1 thank thee A second later inter the she was upon her feet pressing against him film as she clasped his hands and looked with wet eyes into his face site she was trying to laugh through the sobs that racked her you do it my dar darling lingl site she said bald again and again you do it I 1 always knew that you 1 ill dut but ellen he is said holding her tightly and almost dazed by vehemence you think that I 1 did it dear no I 1 think so soil she said sobbing more quietly and interrupting herself to lough laugh bud and to press her wet face against ills his for one of her quick kisses but gibbs ive thirsted so to have you tell me just that 1 I needed your word to help niel met I 1 felt as if I 1 was all alone now now all he so different 1 1 I dont mind anything now I 1 1 she laughed again broke into quick tears and burled buried tier lier face against ills his shoulder join im so happy site she sobbed L LI l let iet me cry gibbs im arylne lie ile cause I 1 feel so much happier abruptly slie site topped stopped A bewildered look was in tier her eyes us its she drew herself away from him and faced him film still holding his arms slie site stared blankly nt at him for a moment then the clear brows met in a puzzled frow n 1 site she said in a uh whisper isper vibo ho did lit do it CHAPTER XVI who tit did 10 it the burned like a 8 fever in ellens veins rein anil and herl her passionate determination to answer it swept all lesser from her mind she could coad face ani thing now somebody other than Gi gabbs tills had tired fired that shot avid and she was gibbs wife and slie she was free to and hunt and study tile the fact surrounding aou oil old thomas josselynn JoNse Josse lyns death until somehow somewhere her hand tell ml upon the thread that should lend lead tier lier to tile truth her r simple it 11 pie faith that the truth must come to light helped them nil bit if we could find some slime one who saw gibbs on that walk that flint I 1 george said bald we will ellen assure assured him con fi dently gibbs she added tightening the be hand that lay over tier her own oin dont you feel it dont you know that you and I 1 will look back tit at this some colne time be as if a lark dark hideous dream I 1 know it and yet she halt bail t turned dizzy when na an officer coming quietly to the door cell announced that ilie jury half found a verdict site put tier lier liand hand on nil gibbs shoulder and raised tier her ashen face f for or his bis kiss they had uwe time fur for no words even if there had been words to say buy blindly ellen followed george to the courtroom with bulek efficiency the officials were their places the faithful newspaper men their dinners left to cool hurried in it was seven tile the cold february dark had closed down hours ago the courtroom was brightly lighted and warm ills honor who had also been dining came in ue ile hall had addressed this same jury in ills his kind I 1 wise voice rive five hours ago after ity buis ans furious tones he had seemed all temperance and justice to ellen ue ile had charred them that if there was a reasonable doubt as to whether the crime of murder in the first degree had been committed they were in duty bound to give the prisoner the benefit of that doubt and to find for duider in the second degree or manslaughter now the old it man looked benignly over his glasses at the twelve tired men who bo filed brick back into the box and ruen lilien looked from face to face with agonized surmise the blow fell with merciful quickness it was wall only a few minutes before the whole thing was over gibbs preserved the quiet dignity of manner that had marked him all through gli the trial if a sickening fear of the future swept over him lie gave no sign of it lie ile looked with concern toward ills his wife but ellen had mercifully lost consciousness and had quietly dropped against georges shoulder she recovered immediately and they saw gibbs again it a criminal now I 1 convicted of murder lc in the second degree all the freedom of their recent intercourse would be ended she had bad tore for seen that what else cite had she foreseen the indignities of shaven head and striped clothes the filth and ugliness of the prison the locked cell door the terrible atmosphere that surrounds men for whom there Is no place in the green world cut but she crime came up to him smiling we expected that sweetheart we it matter you do it and it will all come right si nil but she came up to him smiling we expected that sweetheart we some bome day try not to think of it now think of 0 tile the time to come just lift yourself out of oil all ld oil well nake make a n light of it george added immediately afterward lie he boak toak to ailt ellen awny away they went to tile port bort house and george came in to talk to tier lier aunt and grandfather E allen lien hardly sprite spoke q she he went to tile the door to say goodnight good night to him and thank him ile ie thought thou slit she looked ill nut but site she was in tier place in the courtroom a few days later when thomas gilius josselyn was to penal natural life for or tile the peculiarly biro dius clous crime of murdering lit his UMI father and romp somehow how one lives through it nil george cool re geihs said inter he behind bars now but astonishingly sorene and strong lie he was its nervously anxious to have the cenis of tile the next week over when lien he should he be t transferred erred to to tile the ilg prison III 1 I want you to take tommy ond arid get eft own y from froin tills this R rhen ellen hen he said fir lirely write me and send me uris oil bibbs I 1 ache lie whispered with willi 11 said len stop st plize of breath eath yes I 1 know 11 tie lie sald said quickly sym sympathetic for tier her distress iltis 1 I ail you must reme remember luber this it if I 1 cn clan thin 1 of you living quietly not nol too ton unil unhappy tIppy its going to bruce brace tile me im not any better than lats lots of nf oilier ilber fellos nho alto time been up nil nl it ellen and if us IS dollsy gilli ething n new ew comes to to wily why 11 wen we n ne 9 glad fall we hawil the music some decency dont you see now her away ge gerige 1 ge I 1 ilni like her it li tie he here 1 I little lime never spen seen a loan ns aa ibbs lina has george slid sail a phily ali y drove home 1 it I ix AX M ut bill always alib law hes got a new viewpoint now well now weve got to do our share we lose heart the game up yet ret by a good deal like gibbs ellen was impatient to have these few days day over she could not gauge her present strength for or the hideous ordeal of parting with him and of having tommy say goodby to his father tier her soul shrank from the mere thought and she dreaded a breakdown on her part or on gibbs i that should undo them all lizzle lizzie had written her every day of the pretty house they had found in bridgeport of the walks and talks she had with tommy and of joe and his now new work the little stories of tommy the assurance that he was well and happy the pictures of a well capped and wrapped tommy playing in a glitter of snow were an interest for gibbs as well nell as herself joe never wrote but both toe joe and lizzle lizzie brought tommy to port washington in answer to ellens wire a day after tile sentence sen lence had been pronounced noun ced tile child looked rosy and well and leaped into his mothers arms instantly distracted from his first embraces by her unfamiliar clothing why abuy all black things mother because grandpa Is dead sweetheart IG grandpa Gran dpn Is he be ejaculated re no pointed to the old captain in the adjoining room theres grand grandpa pal 1 dads father tom toia you tou remember grandpa josselyn with the gold glasses Is he dead said the child in a sweet incurious voice you start your stumps out here tom and rome and eat cat something aunt elsie said from the doorway how are arc you lizzle lizzie oh im fenel lizzle lizzie who looked bad said mildly Is she really ellen asked when the old woman had bod taken tommy and lizzle lizzie into the kitchen ive been wondering Acin dering tell me about lizzie ashes all right tie ile smiled ruefully ashes a sad little thing she cries and |