THE MEETING OF THE YOUNG PAIR
Though losses and crosses
Be lessons right severe,
There’s wit there, ye’ll get there,
Ye’ll find nae ither where.
_Robert Burns._
“Early on the next morning Joseph Wyvil brought his young sister to the
prison cell to see her husband.
“But notwithstanding the promise that the big brother had extorted from
each of the unhappy little pair, that they would control their feelings
and behave themselves, no sooner had Lil passed the grated door, entered
the cell, and caught sight of her poor Joe, than she flew towards him,
and the two fell into each other’s arms and sobbed aloud.
“Joseph Wyvil withdrew from the cell and left them together, taking his
seat on a bench in the corridor beside the turnkey.
“After the first paroxysm of sobbing, crying, caressing and pitying each
other had exhausted itself and them, they sat down on the edge of the
bed and began to talk and compare notes.
“And their conversation was something like this:
“‘When did you first hear of my trouble, Lil?’ inquired Joe.
“‘Oh, not until next day. Do you think if I had known it that night I
wouldn’t have walked all the way to the lock-up house and made them let
me in to stay with you?’
“‘Yes; but they wouldn’t have done it, Lil.’
“‘But I would have made them let me. I would have screamed and cried so
they would have been obliged to do it.’
“‘Poor little Lil!’
“‘But, you see, a man came and told me a passel of lies.’
“‘How was that, Lil?’
“‘Why, you see, we all at the farm sat up ever so late, waiting for you
to come home, and never thinking any harm, and never feeling uneasy,
because Mrs. Claxton said she reckoned as the old squire had died so
sudden, and everybody had been taken so by surprise, and everything must
be so upside down at the Hall, that maybe you had been called on to give
some assistance, like going of a message, or something.’
“‘Yes. Well, Lil?’
“‘So we were not anxious about you. But just about an hour after
midnight a man come to the house with a message from you, as you had
been detained by business, but would come to me as soon as you could,
and that I mustn’t wait up, but must go to bed. And I thought you were
at the Hall, as they said; and though I felt disappointed, and very
lonesome, I went to bed.’
“‘Poor little Lil!’
“‘And it was all lies, Joe—all lies!’
“‘No, it wasn’t, dear Lil; it was the truth. I was detained on business
(detained in the lock-up house, on charge of felony), and I did mean to
come to you as soon as ever I could. And it was I who sent that message
to you. I did it so you could get some sleep that night, dear Lil!’
“‘Oh, Joe!’
“‘But how did you hear the truth at last, my poor Lil?’
“‘From Joseph.’
“‘From Joseph!’
“‘Yes. You see, Mr. Claxton heard the whole truth from the man who came
the night before, though he never let on to me that he had heard it. And
he sent a telegram to Joseph that same night. How lucky we had told him
all about our brother, and where he lived! Well, I think Joseph must
have taken the very first train after receiving the telegram, for he
arrived the next afternoon.’
“‘Ah! after I had been committed for trial, and had set out for this
place.’
“Yes; I suppose so. Well, he reached the farm about five o’clock; and he
had so much self-control that I did not see that anything was wrong, but
only thought that he had taken pity on us at last, and had forgiven us
and come to say so. So, after he had kissed me a good many kisses, I
told him I was sorry Joe wasn’t home, but that Joe was over at the Hall,
where the old squire lay dead. That was what I thought, you know.’
“‘Yes.’
“‘Well, then he told me that you had gone to Carlisle on business
connected with the death of the old squire that would keep you there
some time; he thought it best to take me on there, too. Oh, how cunning
he was, Joe!’
“‘How wise and merciful, you mean, Lil.’
“‘Well, anyhow, I thanked him with all my heart. There wasn’t another
train that stopped at Orton that night, so we had to wait and take the
early one the next morning; and that we did. And oh, Joe! I heard the
people at the station, and on the train, too, talking about the highway
robbery and murder, and saying such a thing had not occurred in that
neighborhood within the memory of the oldest inhabitant; and talking
about a stranger by the name of John Weston, who was the ringleader of
it, and saying that he had been committed to prison the day before to
stand his trial at the next assizes. And oh, Joe! while I listened with
the greatest curiosity and interest to all that, I had not the least
idea that John Weston was you!’
“Here Lil lost her self-control again, threw herself into Joe’s arms,
and burst into a storm of sobs and tears, in which her boy-husband
joined her with all his might.
“When this tempest subsided, Lil, between gasps, resumed her discourse
by asking a question:
“‘What made you call yourself John Weston?’
“‘To save the family credit, and because I had as much right to that
name, or to any other, as to the one I wear.’
“‘Well, then, we got to this city yesterday noon, and went to a quiet
inn. And I wanted to be taken at once to see you, never dreaming of
where you were. But Joseph said you were engaged in business at the
time, and that we could have some luncheon first and then go to you. I
was half angry, but as I was hungry I agreed to take some coffee and
sandwiches. And after that, when I insisted on going to you, Joseph told
me you were in a little trouble. He didn’t mean to tell me how bad it
was, but just to prepare me to see you in prison; but somehow I seemed
to guess all at once that you were the John Weston they had been talking
about on the train, and though I never could believe anything bad of you
for one single minute, and didn’t then, Joe, yet somehow or other it
floored me quite and left me for dead like, for when I came to myself it
was dark, and there was a doctor and a nurse sitting by me. That was
night before last. I believe they gave me something to make me stupid
and sleepy, for I know I slept almost constantly day and night until
this morning, when they let me get up to come to you—oh, Joe!’
“‘Lil! Lil! Don’t cry any more! You will make yourself ill,’ pleaded
Joe.
“And Lil gasped, recovered and warded off a third attack.
“‘They all knew all about it before I knew a word. Mr. and Mrs. Claxton,
and afterwards Joseph, as well as everybody else, I reckon, heard of
your arrest and of your explanation of your presence with the party that
stopped the coach that night, and they all believed you told the truth,
Joe! Every one of them did, and of course I knew you did when Joseph
told me about it.’
“‘Oh, it is so comforting to think my own friends and neighbors believe
me,’ sighed Joe.
“The two would have talked much longer, no doubt, but Joseph Wyvil spoke
through the grating and told Joe that Mr. Rocke, his counsel, was
waiting in the corridor to speak to him.
“Then Lil took leave of Joe, promising to come back as often and to stay
as long as prison rules would allow.
“Joseph Wyvil showed Mr. Rocke into the cell and led Lil out, and took
her home to the quiet lodgings he had provided for her.
“After this, Lil went every morning to see her boy-husband, and was
permitted by the kindness of the governor to spend most of the day with
him.
“Mr. Rocke, the counsel, and Joseph Wyvil, the brother, did all they
could to keep up the spirits of the young pair, and succeeded better
than any outsider could have believed.