Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1857-07-30


l had kicked myself down, / picke'
myself up, and feeling for the door
found that it bad been opened dur
ing my absence. The bolt was Who'll
iy in the lock.
!, Somebody has been here, that
certainl' muttered, and just thel
| heard a groan inside. listened
! The groan was repeated. At once
called for help, and getting Ian
tern, entered the store with hal
J, dozen others. To our horror VIZ
found a poorly-dressed, middle-agel
man, lying n his back, close to {
counter, his face bruised and bloody
his forehead awfully gashed, aud his
dress torn; as We tore aside his shirt
We found deep wound in the region
of the heart. He was groanipg and
painting from the recent scuffle.
We raised him at once and asked
him what bad been the difficulty and
who had assailed him; but though
perfectly conscious, he refused 10 dis
close anything, even his own name,
and before We could remove him from
that solitary place, be gasped, bis
bead fell upon one side, and be lay a
corpse, in our arms!
! The investigation of the coroner 8
inquest produced nothing that could
give clue to the perpetrators; no.
body recognized the murdered man i,
and be was buried in nameiess
grave, at the city's expense.
This sad affair produced great ex-
ciseRent at that time, and you may
be sure that [ came in for full share
Of blame. | was called Incompetent,
stupid, a sleepy head : as if watch
man could be everywhere at once, and
knew everything that was going to
happen--and / believe two or three,
who had spite against me, were
ready 20 swear that / was drunk on
the occasion, and had shouted Fire!
when there wasn't any. Though
nothing was proved against me, |
threw up my occupation in disgust,
and confined myself wholly to a
Christian course of life-that is 10
work by daylight. and get natural
sleep at night; and three years after
wards negotiated for comforter in
the shape of a pretty wife, and be-
came as happy as a decent man can
be.
l was just making a living then,
My wife was affectionate, industri-
ous. and economical, and ] didn't real
ly wish to be any better off, when |
began to see, or thought so, that
she became melancholy at times and
/ suspected that she was sick Of her
bargain, and asked her about it.
Did you ever love anybody else?'
said /.
Yes said she sorrowfully.
| 'Ballo!' thinks /, I'm not going
to be so happy, after all Here's
another love come up, like the ghost
+, of a dog-in-the-manger, to steal away
the happiness it can't enjoy itself
Who was it9' says ], all in pucker,
'and why didn't you say so before?
1T was my brother, says Fssiole-
fully.
Your brother? O, that alters the
case.' But didn't 'tknow you ever bad
brother, and | don't see anything in
! that TO make you sad
She burst into tears. Queer crea-
lures, woman are.
IL yOu VIII fIoutSO ~ ioi S'fO hA0,
said she, 4 will tell you all
i don't know about that, ducky,
saysI 'Ifyou've been doing anything
very wrong
Perhaps you won't think SO, in
terrupted she, 'for it was all out Of
love for you, and fear that you would
not have me, that | didn't tell you
before we were married
| sOnt with it, then, and I'll see,
says /, a little roughly, 'and don't
keep me on tenter hooks.
DO you reMembsr--of course you
do-that about three years ago, q
woman came to you,-one dark muddy
night, in the street, and told you
that murder would be committed i
you did not watch certain store
number 96?'
] 'Ofcourse do, as you say, and the
truth flashed upon me at once
That unknown woman was my wife
Fl onf now she ack knowledpnd IT.