nd her nephew's disgrace and peril were supposed to
have been the cause of the rash act. But when it came to be discovered
that a robbery had been committed in the house, and it was stated by the
servant that a strange man had sought and obtained an interview with the
unfortunate old lady that evening, the public opinion took a different
turn, and the belief became general that she had been murdered by some
unknown miscreant, whose object was to plunder the house. No one
suspected that she had been slain to prevent her from giving favorable
testimony at the trial of her nephew Francis Sydney.

The diabolical outrage perpetrated upon the boy Clinton at the
masquerade ball soon became noised abroad, and gave rise to many
surmises, and much indignation; tho' no one as yet imagined that any
connection existed between that horrible affair and the brutal murder of
Mrs. Stevens.

After his conviction and condemnation to death, Sydney was placed in
irons, and treated with but little indulgence by the petty officials who
have charge of the Tombs. An application on his behalf was made to the
Governor, in the hope of either obtaining a pardon, or a commutation of
his sentence to imprisonment, but the executive functionary refused to
interfere, and Frank prepared for death.

The day before that fixed upon for his execution, a lady applied for
admission to the prisoner's cell, her request was granted, and Frank was
astonished by the entrance of Julia, his guilty and discarded wife!

Did she come to entreat his forgiveness for her crime, and to endeavor
to administer consolation and comfort to him in this his last extremity?

No, the remorseless and vindictive woman had come to exult over his
misfortunes, and triumph over his downfall!

'So, miserable wretch,' she said, in a tone of contempt--'You are at
last placed in a situation in which I can rejoice over your degradation
and shame! A convicted, chained murderer, to die to-morrow--ha, ha, ha!'
and she laughed with hellish glee.

'Accursed woman,' cried Frank, with indignation--'why have you come to
mock my misery? Have you the heart to rejoice over my awful and
undeserved fate?' and the poor young man, folding his arms, wept
bitterly, for his noble and manly nature was for the time overcome by
the horror of his situation.

'Yes, I have come to gloat upon your misery,' replied the vile,
unfeeling woman. 'To-morrow you will die upon the gallows, and your
memory will be hate