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Subscription $1 Per Year. Vol. XXIX. Roman Kirke, By in Robins. [Continued from last week.] At length the day of the trial came. When my lather and my¬ self reached the court house, great crowd, had collect“d, and while there was other court business to attend to, nothing else was much talked ot among the people, except this case of murder. I shall never forget the look on Roman’s face when they brought him in the court room, a pruoner. His strong man- hood seemed to stand out separate and individual; there was no air of bravado.no haughtiness of carriage, but simply the pleatant, honest and strightforward confident look of an innocent man who fears no evil. All eyes were turned to him, and many comments made, none un¬ favorable that 1 could hear. He caught my eye and bowed smiling. After many long and apparently useless preliminaries, the case was opened: we had no witnesses and could produce no evidence. Ro¬ man was allowed to make a state¬ ment which was in substance what he had told me the first day I was with him in jail. The prosecuting attorney asked him several ques¬ tions, which seemed to me to be very irregular. “Are you acquainted with Miss Ellen McRay?” 11 Yes” “Have you not met her several times clandestingly ?” “Yes” ••Did you ever have any trouble with Mr. Anderson on her ac- count ?” * i No” “When did you first become ac- quainted with Mr. Anderson?” 4 4 I was not acquainted with him.” “Did Miss Ellen McRay write this letter?” producing the the let¬ ter Roman had shown me, and which had been taken from his person when arrested. “Yes, I suppose so.” The prosecuting attorney here asked to be allowed to read the letter, and after much controversy oil both sides it was read and al- lowed as evidence, Roman was told to sit down. The first witness called was Ellen. “Miss McRay,” asked the prose¬ cutor, “when was the last time you met the prisoner previous to this murder?” “I do not remember the date, probably a month before he left for school the last time.” “Did you not meet him the day the murder wos committed?” * 4 No” “Have you written to him while he was away?” . 4 Yes” “How often? »1 •'Once” “Did you x^rite this letter?” “Yes” ‘‘Wcic via engaged lo mujiy 1 he prisoner?” “Yes” . 4 4 Does this letter contain a truth¬ ful condition of your affairs at the time of writing it?” “Yes “Did you see the prisoner at all after he returned from school? » J % % Not until he was arrested.” 4 % You can sit down.” My name was now called and I stepped forward. 4 4 Mr. Robbins the prisoner is your brother?” *. My adopted brother.” *« Do you know- anything of this The Toccoa Toccoa, 22 , 1902. affair ?” “Nothing but what has been brought out by other witnesses-” “Did you know Mr. Anderson?” 4 l 1 had met him” “Have you ever had any trouble with him ? 1 > “No” “Do you know of any trouble between the deceased and the prisoner?” Heavens and Eerth ! this ques¬ tion struck me dumb, I could not answer, my senses seemed to be leaving me, I remembered the at¬ tempt of Anderson to shoot Ro¬ man, what should I say? I hesita¬ ted and finally stammered. “I believe they they loved the samo girl.” “Did you ever see or do you now of anything between these men, Mr. Robins, that made you think the life of either was in danger from the other?” By degrees the whole scene on the hill was drawn from me, and finally in confusion and anger, 1 took my seat. “May it please your honor,” said the prosecutor, “we have one more witness, after this we will close.” Mr. Sam’l Adams was called 4 4 Mr. Adams, on the morning of the murder do you rember to have seen the prisoner any where ?’* 4 4 Yes. I saw him cross the valley and ascend the hill to the point where the body of the murdered man was found.” “Did he carry a weapon of any kind?” 4 4 Yes, a gun.” “Did you hear any report of a gun: 4 4 No” “Did you see him after this?’ 4 4 Yes, I saw him come back down the hill, cross the valley, and go up the hill on the other side.” “How long was this before the body was found?” 4 4 About half hour.” “Who found the body?” 4 4 I did.” “Was it warm or cold when you found it?” “Warm.” t. How did it appear the man had been killed?” “He had been shoot with a gun.” I noticed all through the trial that our attorney acted as if he was dumfounded ; he seemed to be hopeless, and when I spoke to him, he told me there was not the least shadow of chance. There was no more witnesses. A few minutes later Ellen McRay went over and spoke to him. I wag looking straight into her fact while she seemed to be listening toNomething he was saying, the color had gone and she was white ond ghastly. While I was looking she bent down again to hear something he was saying to her, u moment later she raised hcJ arms to heaven, uttered a piercing scream and fell limp and lifeless lo the floor. A great com- motion followed this scene; s h e was carried ints an adjoining room and several ladies present went with her. Quiet was again restor¬ ed. After a sho.t delay caused by some techincal points of law the Judge began to charge the jury. “Gentlemen of the jury” he be- gan. “Stop, stop!” cried some from the door of the room in which Eljan had been carried. All eyes were turned in that direction. El¬ len stood in the doorway support¬ ed by two ladies pale, drawn and “Good Will to All Men.’ haggard, her hair had become loosened and hung in tangled mases about her face. Some one went up to the Judge and whispered to him a few minutes. He rapped for order and at once the quietness of the grave seemed to fill the room. “Gentlemen,, he said, “this has been a case of more than usual in¬ terest to me, more especially as this young mantis known to me personally, and the very fact that the defense has been unable to pro¬ duce a single witness, has thrown a subtle mystery into these pro¬ ceedings, which I am sure you must all feel is very unusual and peculiar. I am just informed that we are to have a very important relation,and while I know it is out of the usual line, still, the seriousness of this case I am satisfied will warrent.ine in taking this unusual step ; j shall again open this case and call a witness for the defense. “Miss McRay please come forward.” Poor girl, she moved up to the Clerk’s desk leaning on the arm of Roman s attorney, a lady support¬ ing her on either side : she was duly sworn. “Miss McRay” said the Judge in a gentle tone, “Tell us what you know of this affair.” “Roman did not kill Mr. Ander¬ son.” She spoke timidly, holding her head down. 4 4 How do you know Miss Ellen ?” ‘*1 was present when he was killed.” The most profovnd silence pre- vaded the room, all necks were craned forward to see the beautiful face and catch her words,sympathy for her was seemingly borne on the air. “Who did it Miss Ellen?” asked Roman’s attorney. Sheftlooked at him in a frighten ed way, the tears standing in her eyes in large drops, her face again bant forward, she did not speak. “Please answered the question, Miss Eller.,” said the Tudge quietly. She again raised her face and looked at the Judge, then turning she lookedjat the attorney, placing her hands before her face she burst into a passion of weeping. “My father, Oh, my God, it was my father!” she moaned. Several minutes elapsed before she could control her feelings. “Please relate to us, Miss Ellen, exactly how this happened,” asked the attorney. Her self control seemed to come back to her; looking straight at the Tudge her fair face showing the pain of the fire through which she was passing she said : “I went to the top of the hill to meet Roman; I had written him to come and I knew he would come; I had only been there a few min¬ utes when Mr. Anderson came and stood besides me; he had a gun in his hadds. A few minutes after tiiis my father came also, he seem ed angry about a something. and uc- cused Mr. ^Anderson ot being an escaped crimnai, and took a letter from his pocket which he handed him. Mr. Anderson did not reply but struck my father, they then be¬ gan to fight, the gun was leaning against a eree, Mr. Anderson took it up and struck my father on the head, he fell insensible and I thought he was dead. I ran to the house end got soma water and re¬ turned as quickl) as I could, when I got back my father just returning to conciousness. I bathed his face and head where it was cut; a few minutes later he got up on his feet Successor to Toccoa Times and Toccoa Nevs. and looked around in a bewildered way, the next moment he snatched up the gun which was lying on the ground and putting it in Mr. An¬ derson’s face and fired; Oh, my God! his whole face was blown away. I fled to the house in horror ; I have seen that face ever since, 1 shall see it all my life. God help my father, he is dying,ho has never recovered from that blow on his head.” She sank to the floor as 9he spoke, and was carried back into the room from which she had come. At once a commotion began among the people, and but for the prompt ac.tion of the Judge I think they would have cheered. The Judge again commenced to charge the jury, and when they re¬ turned from their room after a few moments consultation, Roman was free. We soon got Ellen into our carriage, and an hour later we were at her home. Ms. McRay was not arrested, his condition was such he could not be moved, and a week latter he died. Ellen’s mother had died when she was a child, and now she was the last of the family. Roman and her were married a week after her father’s death. The end. Heaven. George H. Hepworth's Sunday Sermon iu the New York Herald. Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neith¬ er have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.—II. Corinthians, ii., 9, From each successive elevation which we laboriously reach we get a wider horizon. In Jthe valley where we made our start we could see but little and that not quiet distinctly, but as we climb higher we not only get a wider view, but more light. A strange thing happened to us. What we thought true when we were in the lowlands we found to be untrue when we climbed high enough to see more, and to see i f more clearly. We discovered that on certain subjects our opinions were constantly changing, The truth did not change, and never will, but our opinion of what the truth is underwent a change with the accession of every group of new facts. The earth, for example, was per¬ fectly flat, and it was the center of the universe. What science we possessed proved this conclusively, and he was made of queer stuff who could entertain a doubt on that subject. But the years passed, a wider knowledge broke in upon 11s, and we were compelled to sur¬ render our beliefs and take on new ones. The earth not only became round, but it swung away from the center of the universe and became an insignificant orb in an obscuse corner. f But in nothing have we made such advances or thrown aside so many cherished convictions as in the matter of religion. Especially is this tr x ue of our conception of the future life. It would be as impos sible to accept the motions of our fathers on this subject as to wear the ciothes of our childhood. We have a belief which is more ration¬ al than theirs and more in accord¬ ance with the universal law. Their idea of heaven was more like a fairy tale than a historic fact. They found but little comfort in it, tor at death there was a break in the home circle which could not be mended until the faraway day of No. 29 resurrection had come and gone. Between heaven and earth thdte was no highway of communica¬ tion, and the future was a long and pitiful blank, without a ray of joy¬ ous or cheering sunshine. As one said to ine who represented the old faith : “My child and I have part¬ ed. The relation of parent and daughter has been severed. As a redeemed ungel she will not know me." I could not wonder that his heart was wellnigh broken, for she was his ail, and he would have freely given his life for her. His tears came, his breast heaved with anguish, and, though he was as noble a Christain as ever breathed, he was without consolationjand had to be content with that kind of resignation which closely resembles despair. Our farthers believed that and their churchyards were the gloomiest spots on earth, acres ot green with hopes, but arid and parched. We have a larger view than that. We plant flowers on graves. Our faith is bright as the landscape at noonday, add if there is a shadow it is made by a passing cloud and does not linger. We have a new Scripture, or a Scripture with new light thrown uponjit. Death is no longer a dread spector, but a solem event which ushers the unforgetting soul into the nearer presence of a Father who has prepared a borne for us, and will bring us and our loved ones together again. We have dispelled the gloom connected with thoughts of death . We say good night with a tear, but with a certainty of saying good morning with a smile. In all our creed nothing has changed so much or blessed us with as much good cheer as our con¬ ception of heaven. It is not the place of harps and songs, for the sturdy souls which pass life’s boundary shall be sturdy still, the heroic shall find opportunity for heroism, and the work of God,done by His faithful servants, shall still go on as it went on here. We shall have life more abundantly, active, .virile, noble life. Heaven is the •on»ecrated toiler’s home, and the un'gnished task of today shall be taken up to-morrow. Death may call us before the hours of labors are over, but eternity will furnish us with hours enough to pursue our work until it is completed So it makes little difference whether we are here are there. We are ourselves wherever we are, our holy ambitions are|not quenched, the flame of love is not extinguish ed Jand memory still holds dear those who were dear tout on earth. So we put aside the childish things of the past and put on the gar¬ ments of a lofty and immortal man¬ hood. Heaven will bring us and our loved ones together once more and in that blessed life which glids our declining years as the setting sun glids the clouds of the west we shall gradually realize those things which the heart of man cannot conceive. Love God, and there is no danger either here or elsewhere. Be true, faithful, loyal, and yon will hear welcoming voices when you stand on the border land. Dr, Davis’ Nervine. Will cure Indigestion, Constipa¬ tion, Biliiousness, Nervousness and 3 eneral Debility. For sale by all drtggists. 9-27-oiyr. Watch Estill win hands down next week.