A Manr Story.

A Manr Story .

( FOUNDED Ul'ON FACT . ) " Truth is the highest good a man niav keep , "

§ HE Court-house in the old Castle of Kuslien was crowded with eager faces . ' Never within anyone ' s memory had a trial created such a sensation as that of John Cornaish and Kate Kenrade , now being tried for the murder of the wife of John Cornaish . It was many years since a trial for murder hud taken place in the Isle of Man , and , as such , this one would naturally create a large amount of interest , and the appearance of at least one of the prisoners increased

that interest to a painful extent , anil enlisted tlie sympathy ol every heart in the Court that day .

Kate Kenrade was barely seventeen years , and scarcely looked so old . Hei face was one of extreme beauty , and of almost childish innocence . To connect it with a crime so horrible as murder , and that by poison , seemed impossible . And vet for such a crime sho was now being tried , nnd every scrap of evidence

pointed to her guilt . For her partner in the crime there was little sympathy . John Cornaish ( a man of forty , with a tall , powerful frame , and an evil expression on his handsome face ) doubtless deserved the sentence he would receive ; but with the girl it was different . Surely she would not share his fate ! And yet the evidence was straight and clear , and she had pleaded guilty .

Their sentence would soon bo known now , for here were the jury returning to give their verdict . The silence of awed expectation fell upon the Court , as one by one thc twelve men resumed their seats . Every face was upturned in eager listening attitude , every heart was beating with one sentiment , awaitingtho painful interest of the next moment .

The Foreman of the Jury stood up : "Doth prisoners guilty ! " Then the Deemster delivered a short exhortation , and the sentence— "John Cornaish and Kate Kenrade , yon are condemned to be hung by the neck until you are dead , and mav God have mercy on your souls . "

Up to this time the girl at Ihe dock had seemed unconscious of what was passing around her , and of nil the faces there , hers had been thc most impassive ; hut when the Deemster pronounced her own name with the sentence , she seemed suddenly to nwake as from a dream . Gazing wildly round on the sea of sympathising faces , and amid the awed hush that succeeded ( he judge ' s speech , her voice rang out in wild notes of misery that for ninny a day haunted the minds of those that heard them .

I have deserved it' . Hut my child- oh ' . what will become ot my innocent baby ? " Another moment n merciful unconsciousness had overtaken her , and she was carried out of the Court . In a short time the crowd had dispersed , and the prisoners were back in ( heir cells there awaiting their doom . Many kind hearts ninid the dispersing throng would gladly have answered I he young mother's agonised cry , and among ( hem was one who responded nil hour loss of

lime . Mr . and Mrs . Staunton had been some weeks m Castletown , aud had , with many others , been deeply interested in ihe trial ; they had been in Court during the scene described , and a half-formed resolution to lake Ibis child of misery and sin—horn in prison while the mother awaited her senleiice—and adopt it for their own , had by the heart rending cry of ( he prisoner become a fixed resolution in the mind of Mrs . Staunton . Thev were n rich and childless couple , and had

often thought of adopting a child . Now , lo their minds , this on- seemed sent lo I hem by that sfrnngo Unknown Destiny thai brings good out . of evil , and they , being simple God-fearing folk , accepted the charge us one entrusted to them , not doubting that with God ' s help ihis waif should be saved , mid determining In should never know the fate of his father and mot her or the shameful seerel ol his birth .

11 . More than thirty years had passed since the events just related when , on a wild evening in March , n large schooner was seen trying to make for Castletown Hay . Many fears had been entertained for her safety early in ihe day , for she had been seen to bear signals of distress . Now a lifeboat hud been launched .

and with the help of a pilot she had been brought , sorely battered , into port . A crowd was collected on the pier to welcome' their deliverance , and amongst them was a girl of uliimt twenty , who had been eagerly watching ever sineejhe lifeboat hud gone out , for in it were her father and brother ; and her face was one of ihe lirst for them to see ns they rounded the pier . Hastily jumping on shore , and regardless of the crowd , who were pressing forward with congratulations , Tom

A Manr Story.

Gorry took hold of his sister ' s arm , and whispered some words into her ear . Nan ' s face was an expressive one as she listened . Her clear grey eyes showed intelligence and quick perception , and her firm , though sensitive , mouth told sympathy , as she readily acceded to her brother ' s request . " Tho poor fellow—take him homo at once , and I'll go and make ready for him—its no matter if it is a fever he ' s got—we um'fc ( he ones to he afoared of that , any more than of the sea . " " The schooner is so full of water , it isn't fit for him to be in . "

Not a likely thing you'd leave him there , and him so bad—it isn't fit for rats , let alone a sick man . " Without wasting more words , Nan ran tpn ' ckly off the quay , and along the shore on fo the brows , above which stood a white-washed house , where she lived with her father and brother . They were farmers , in a small way , with their own bit of land , which they attended to in tho winter ; while in the summer tho men

went ( o the herring-fishing , as is so often tho case in tho Isle of Man . It was a happy little household ; no men in the fleet were more respected than Claudie Gorry and his son Tom , nnd ninny were the deeds of during thnt were told of them—many the lives that the old man had saved . No girl had a happier home than Nan . and certainly none made a brighter , more industrious house-wife . A handsome girl too , with a stately carriage , such as was often seen when girls

prided themselves on being able to carry pails of water from tho well on their heads , and many a young fisherman would have been glad to " make up " to her ; but Nan cared for none of them , she was too happy at home she told them all . Wherever there was sickness or trouble , she was always ready to help , and in sorrow , no visitor was so welcome as Nan Gorry , with her kindly eyes , her ready

hand , and her wise head . When father and son had got on board thc schooner " Dart , " and found the captain lying unconscious in his berth , which was half filled with water , they determined , after a short consultation , to tnl * o him home to their house , knowing that no one would attend to him so well as Nan . And to " the Howe" he was taken , knowing nothing of the fate that had so nearly overtaken him at sea , or of the kindly hands that wore ready to help on land .

III . For three weeks Captain Staunton lay between life and dentil at tho Howe farm . The fight was hard ; but life conquered , with the aid of youth , and Nan ' s cure . It was a month now since he had been brought there on that wild evening in March . A genial April had succeeded its blenk predecessor . The sun wns shining , the birds singing , and all nature . seemed to rejoice as for the first time

the invalid wns well enough to come downstairs . A tall , gnunt man he looked , as , helped by Tom Gorry , he came to take a seat in the old oak arm-choir in the ingle nook of the comfortable kitchen . Nan heard them coming , and went forward to welcome his lirst nppenrnnee amongst them . It was quite a festive oeccus ' im . and ihe tea-table ready sprend with home-mnde enkes , decorated with

yellow lilies , was a pleasant sight to the man who for weeks had been confined to a sick room . His face expressed contentment and happiness , notwithstanding his being wasted by much recent suffering . He could not have been a handsome man even in health , now he might be considered almost ; plain ; but for a certain grave , thoughtful expression , which , added to a pleasing voice , made one soon forget the irregular features , and deep set small eyes .

Nan wns n pleasant sight this spring evening , as she presided at the tea-table , round which snf her f ' nther , brother , nnd the invalid she had tended so carefully . As she looked at him , it was bard to realise that a month ago she had not known ihe man-he had taken up so much of her time and thoughts lately that she almost felt as if he were one of her own family and wns ns free from any shyness in his presence as with her own brother . It si ruck her now for the first time

1 lint he was an entire stranger to them as regarded his life before thnt night of n month ago . Hut such was the confidence she felt in him nnd such the frank sisterly regard , that she would hnve staked her life on his worthiness , and felt for him n friendship which years might have ripened . All she knew of his Conner life were n few words lie had said during the last week—he wns an orphan and

had never known any parents hut his adopted ones , who had died many years before . The sailors who had come in the "Dart" had gone back to Kngland after some days , knowing that it would be a considerable time before tho schooner was rendv for sea , as she had been considerably injured in the gale and could inn be repaired iiulil Cnptnin Staunton was well enough to give orders , ns he wns sole owner himself .

That evening , when the tea was cleared away , the lamp lighted , the men smoking their pipes over n cheerful turf lire on the hearth , nnd Nan ' s lingers busy with her knitting , the stranger fell a sense of well-being nnd of comfort hitherto unknown to him . Here was real home life which he had never before experienced . His iiiiucl went back over the lonelv years of his past life , and he

thought how different miirht his future lie if he could keep Nan with him always . He was startled from his icverie by Clnndie ( lorry ' s voice asking if he remembered being carried ashore ihe night of the storm . The conversation going from that lo other things , Tom asked if he had ever been in the Isle of Mini ? A bewildered look came over Staunton ' s face , and he gave no veplv . On the

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