ignant gleam in his great wicked eyes, which boded the unfortunate
prisoner no good.

For several weeks longer, Charles Stevens languished in prison. Cora,
her father and mother came to Salem and visited him. When Cora Waters
gazed on the young man, from whom she had parted a few weeks before in
the full vigor of his young life and strength, and saw him emaciated,
weak and pale, so that she scarcely knew him, she broke down and wept.
The two were left alone in the cell. Then Charles told her how uncertain
were his chances of life, and how impending his prospects of death. He
could not quit this life without telling her that he loved her, and that
he wished to live to make her his wife. Though that pleasure was forever
denied him, it would make his last days more agreeable to know that his
love was returned.

What answer could she make? She, whose fondest hope this had been, said
nothing; but, with heart overflowing, she threw her arms about the
prisoner and burst into tears. Had she won him only to lose him? Was he
to be snatched from her side at the very moment that she found him her
own?

"No, no, no! they shall not! they shall not!" she sobbed.

From that day, Cora shared the imprisonment of her lover, so far as the
jailer would permit. She added to his comfort and assured him that her
undying love would follow him to the grave. Their hopes rose and sank as
the day of trial drew near.

The fatal day came at last, and Charles was arraigned before the court
of oyer and terminer on charge of the murder of one Samuel Williams. He
plead not guilty and made every preparation for defense. It was like
fighting a masked battery; for they knew not what the evidence would be
against them. The trial opened, and Sarah Williams, to make the scene
more effective, came dressed in black and looking very pale. She was
called to the stand and, between tears and sobs, told her sad story of
how her loving husband had one day quarrelled with the defendant, and
the latter had threatened him. Was any one else present? Yes. John Bly
and Mr. Louder were both present when he threatened to kill her husband.
Charles Stevens remembered having a slight altercation when he was quite
a boy with Mr. Williams; but it was such a trivial matter that he had
forgotten it till now. Then she told that her loving husband feared he
would be slain by Charles Stevens, and that he went away to New York
city on a voyage, and that the same day Charles Stevens