American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1868-11-14

Under Suspicion.

when the constable took poor Jan,
to the jail. He was boy scar,
turned of twenty: aud thongh l.
his mother that Says it, an honest,
lad or better son never lived. Ev,
since his fai her died, he laborpl ha,
aud faithful, and twas not in ii
: dram 81 ops he Spent his earnin.
either bnt he brought them home o
Z Saturday night, whenever it came.
and he used to lay the bright silvt
Il liars III my lap, aud then he'd 81,
with his canny smile:
"litre'S the money, mother. thn
will bny ns our Sunday dinner, am
all The good things for next week.
! ] had noticed for long time tia
jamie and Maggie Bryan were yer,
fond of each other, and I was Sors,
to notice it, for / knew the boy won!,
J. he wantingto get married some time
and Il nicer neater girl than Magai,
was not TO he found,
Twas mile from onr little cottao ot
TO where Maggie lived. and on Sun
day nights Jamie would cl0the him
sell in his best and wa K over there
and hen he came back, if cllancr,
to be MP, it did me good to look into
his hHpnr, contented face. as he
raked mp the smonldrrlug logs in the
fire place, /: Il took his seat by the
chimney corner. | conli, tell BY the
half dreamy look in his eyes, that
he saw Magsie's soft curls an. rcsy
cheeks in the flame, and that he
waS in love.
One Sunday night, however. when
he came home later than usual, there
was a tronhlnd, puzzled look on his
face, aud he didn't smile nor speak
any of his pleasant words, bnt lust
paced the floor in II nervous manner,
and seemed doubtful whether or not
To tell me something that bnrdened
him.
7 di'ln't question him. for I con
rlidrd that he hnd had quarrel
with Maggie and if twas II heart
wound that troubled him. talking
about it conld but open it the wider
He went tn bed very soon after h.
"amein. Twas about to do the same,
whom I heard lhr fire bells in the
ci'la"n ringing. I went to the door.
'nd looking ont. T saw a great fam
nT li"'t in tie direction of one of
he churches. I was clad 0nr cot
h"e was not Sifnatp1 in the heart
Vt the town. for these fires had he.
'onr very common OF late, antl the
'rwSnarcr said that there wns q
rang Of mon engaged in kind'nm
hem, and that uohody'S propprtv :
Fas safe. though it WIS not Il yelling 4
onS"s they burnt. Int barns, and
lur"hps and public hnil'linmS. !
A 81 1000 reward had hrnd off red Il
" III" arrest of the inrcn'laritS. d
ut. Whoever t'rv wnre,, they kept !,
lear of tho anthOrities.
I don't know how it hanprnrl. Z
Mt. rs I stood there at the door
Strning tn the bells they seemed u
) say ovorv time thnv c'armad.
Jamir Ri ley Jamie Ri ln' !" and I"
could rot resist assoriatinw my
ar boys name with some awfll
ime ~
J slept hut poorly that NIGHT. and "
'ir% awake very early in thp morn IN
q, heard Jamie come softly down g.
q stairs and 90 out at The door.
tier - tim" got M. and inst ~ | ~
y placed tho breakfast on the "e
l'r. jennie came il so
He lacked vPrv na'c. and he had "
appetite for his food.
| began to be frightened about -.
n XII
' 1lmi"," said T, "are you sick, or y
'at nils won ?" IN
' No. mother" he answered. am
sick. aud raunot tell you what III
miles me! %"
Thrn he rose from the ta',lp anil WI
ting on his hat. he started 10 tlln
tory where he worked. He took c"'
The lin nail in which always Iii'
red his lunch mt he did II rs if fht
lahit: nor did he Stopto inquire, ca,
was His custom. what it contained.
felt worried all dav. Some r'"
nhle seemed han~ing over us, but o'''
at it was couldn't guess. nv
II tie aitrrncon Maggie BRYAN !a'.
~ in 10 see me She was very ~
dv with the needle, and the folks nov
} lived in the big house on Wonder ne
Ind seut tnr hnr +, IL, Sn,nn.o,. wit
She WAS rrturni Ig and had l
ed to tell me how kind the lady I"i
been to her. and how much pay me
had received for her work. nft
.gie saw in a moment that | was III"
in good spirits and sn she ceased an
pleasant prattIc, aud asked in ii Sll
pus tone: q m
iasanytLing bad happened, Mrs. drei
VI fou seem s0rrowful to-day" vow
Irn I spoke out bodily: him
You have qrarrple,l with jamie, to $
: yon not Maggie! r. ii
Nay, nay. Mrs Rilev," she an SHE
ed. I" | quarrel with Jamie hrin
know love him dearly" from
I'D then the sweet girl b!ushed lear
Pr own confession. 1t
III may gnrss that TIA knowledge Jam
Z case my mind much. How byt,
could | account tor ,Ian,ie's p;.:e WAS
anl nervous mannrri \,
di'i not seem p',Ssibie to me that Milv
AL eoald have done any wrong tacta
hut | cnui,ln't inraet how the read
SEEMED To claug. ia mie hi ley, rush
ie lsi-ley.' aud when | reHn.m wheI