Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1857-07-10

a deep wound in the region of his heart.
He was groaning and painting from the
recent scuffle.
We raised him at once and asked him
what had been the difficulty and who had
assailed him; but though perfectly con-
scious, he refused to disclose anything
even his own name, and before we could
remove him from that solitary place, he
gasped, his head fell upon one side, and
he lay a corpse, in our arms
The investigation of the coroner's in
quest produced nothing that could give a
clue to the perpetrators nobody recog-
nized the murdered man, and he was
buried in nameless grave, at the city's
expense.
This sad affair produced great excite
ment at that time, and you may be sure
that came in for full share of blame.
l was called incompetent, stupid, sleepy
head-as if a watchman could be every
where at once, and knew everything that
was going to happen-and believe two
or three, who had spite against me,
were ready to swear that l was drunk
on the occasion, and had shouted Fire p
when there wasn'tany. Though nothing
was proved against me, threw up my
occupation in disgust, and confined my
self wholly to Christian course of life
that is to work by daylight, and get
natural sleep at night and three years
afterwards l negotiated for a comforter
in the shape of a pretty wife, and became
as happy as decent man can be.
l was just making living then. My
wife was afectionate, industrious and
economical, and didn't really wish tc
be any better off; when 1 began to see
: or thought SO, that she became melan
choly at times and I suspected that she
5 was sick of her bargain, and asked hel
about it.
: Did you ever love anybody else ?
/ said 1.
t Yes said she, sorrowfully.
q Halo! y thinkstF'Tm not going to b.
: so happy after all. Here's another Low
e come up, like the ghost of dog-in-the
e manger, to steal away the happiness
d can't enjoy itself. Who was t?' says
J all in a pucker, "and why didn't you sa
5, so before p
n 1" 1t was my brother" says she, dole
e fully.
n Your brother? ? o, that alters IL
e case. But didn't know you ever ha
y brother, and I don't see anything
Of that to make you sad"
She burst into tears. Queer creatu-,
women are.
id Ifyou will promise to forgive me
e, said she, " I will tell you ALL
"I don't know about that, ducky
/, says I. "Ifyou've been doing anythir
st. very wrong
d" Perhaps you won't think so, )" inte
ID, rupted she, ''for it was all out Of love f
of you, and fear that you would not ha
,e- me, that 1 didn't tell you before we we
or married"
zee Out with it, then, and I'll see," sa
ed "a little roughly, "and don't keep 1
Elf, on tender hooks"
Don't you remember-of course y
do-that about three years ago, a WON
l, came to you, one dark muddy night,
1t the street, and told you that murC
would be committed if you did not wa
hit certain store-number SO ?"
pie "Of course 1 do, as you say" and
ing truth flashed upon me at once. [
for unknown woman was my wife, and I
his she acknowledged it.
his " Heavens p' said I. agbast at the
the formation, and looked at her SO that
de- turned pale and nearly tainted.
hey Don't kill me with your looks"
she, crying bitterly. II did all for
xed best, and you shall know all.
my You can imagine that neither she n
lder felt very pleasantly about that tim,
One thought of mine was, for a sec
!, / that l had married a murderess, Oh
1g a least an accomplice of guilt and I
ch I even her very beauty, for she is HI
:ked some, seemed loathsome to me. v
if she had been bad character fl
hout knew nothing of her relations more
ling she had told me and then the
cked proverb rang in my ears, "Marry in /
and and repent at leisure p'
been You must know" said she, in
bolt same musical voice which had first
tracted my notice on the night Of
GER murder, "that on the day before that
card rid affair, my brother came home
,roan New York. He had been to sea, SO
holm dared nearly all his uonax, IN that