His Other Wife: A Novel — page 271: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

MORAL LEPROSY. 263 general statement of the crime with which he was charged, appeared in the daily papers, but by whose authority was not known beyond the sanctum of the editors. Dispas- sionately as the paragraphs were written, there seemed to lurk so.cold-blooded and horrible a significance in every line of the brief but tragic narrative, that it fell upon the community like the shock of some newly-perpetrated out- rage, The secret mistrust which many had harbored against the accused, and the open enmity of others, now broke out into loud execrations. Not one of all who heard or read the strange account of Rachel Croft’s mournful fate, proposed interment, and subsequent resuscitation, and the dreary history of her poor life up to the moment of her apparition before-her husband and zs other wife, could take with him or her from the narrative one sentiment of pity for the selfish villain who thus had repaid her wild worship, and doomed her to years of pain more dreadful than the fate he had designed for her. Thus was the public sentiment made to prejudge the © criminal, and all compassion alienated from the prisoner. Of the nature and form of the evidence to be brought forward in the trial there was, of course, no mention made in the publication of the facts therein stated.. At the close of it appeared this paragraph: ‘‘Tt is affirmed that Messrs. Pearson, of Alabama, and Fields, of this city, are to appear for the accused. Our venerable fellow-citizen, the Nestor of our Bar, Mr. El- Comichoo Sa (E(0) m