The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1869-04-07
CANTON, STARK COUNTY, OHIO, APRIL T. 1869.

limSelIi ne was not aIralU OF the
dark towards were unknown in his
young days.
Squire COran went to his room to
| prepare for his journey. Boosting
/ never strengthens ones own courage,
and he took great care that his pistol
| was in good order. At another time,
Notwithstanding the reality of the
danger, he would not have taken the
pistol, but now he loaded it with
| deadly precision, and laid it carefully
in his great cost gOcket.
Emma ran to call her brother TO
say good bye, but she found his door
locked, and could get no answer.
'tLet him alone," said her grand
father-"Let him alone; example is
better than precept," and SO he rode
away.
There was only cloudy moon, but
the stout hearted traveller knew his
road, and was a little likely to miss
his way on the moor as is street
Arab in London. His thoughts went
his indignation with Hugh slowly
faded awRy, when, just as q cloud
ebscured the moon, he heard the
/ snort of q spurfed horse, shadow
fell on his path, hand suddenly
caught his bride, and a pistol was
pointed at his head.
Your money or your life !"
The words were spoken quickly in
q disguised but sgitated voice. There
" as jasG light enough to see the high
! wayman was q slight built man, of
no apparent physical force, yet the
Squire remembered his vain bUast Is
he felt how completely he was in the
strIpling's power. There was a mo-
ment's silence. The Squire's hand
was in his great coat pocket. Did the
rObber think he was getting his purse?
Did the Squire know he was search
ing for his pistol?
The higLWayman spoke again in
the same strange voice, which seemed
full of smOthered passion and grief
81 have heard you would never yield
| TO single man." The Squire's blood
boiled at the implied taunf, but yet
the pistol was terribly near his head,
and he felt that in such case neither
strength nor courage can always win
victory.
"Nor would I yield to you," he
said-he knew not what prompted
him-''not to you alone, but to that
other fellow looking over your shpul-
der"
The robber startled shudderingly,
and turned. Swift as lightning the
| Squire aimed his own pistol and fired.
For moment the moorland SEEM
ed illumined, out of the f1eRdish
brightness came a light, sharp, almost
girl like shrek. A second more all
was dark and quiet, and the Squire
realized he stood alone in the moon
| light with q dead man at his feet.
A stern man was Latymer C0raE, of
Coran, and he was not to be brought
to pause IN his journey, because he
| had chanced to slay thief Nor was
! IL the awe and horror of blOodshed
| which blanched and flushed his cheeks
as he rode on. No, his rigid justice
decided that the man deserved his
death, only 1t was not meet that such
as he should have betrayed an honor
able gentleman to deceit. For he
| knew he had verified his boast, and
saved himself by liei
That haunted him as he stood by
the grim chamber of Wrottel Clock
house, and saw the last of his old
friend, the county magistrate. He
dispatched no one TO the dead rObber,
time enough for that when he return
! ed in the morning.
Then he took the officers of justice
with him, and they, respecting his
| position, and the depression In which
| he seemed plunged, walked quietly
! side by side, q little way behind his
horse. At last they reached the SPOT
| where the. deadly deed had taken
| place. To their establishment, a lit
tie group Of people were gathered
/ about, and as they drew near they
| heard the sound of lamentations, and
the Squire saw his own livery servant
one of them holding the bride OF the
fiderless horse. They turn startled,
white faces to him, as he rode up,
and were silent.
"What is the matter?" he deman.
ded imperiouslY.
'tOh, he Gamma be dead ! the bonnie
laddieP subbed an old Scotch groom.
''Some one has shot Nh. Hugh"
said two or three at once.
1T must have been q duel, said
some one, .'ttor the young master has
his own pistol with him."
The Squire pushed his horse thro'
the crowd. On the blood stained hea
ther lay his antagonist of the night
before, his own grandson, the back of
his head completely shattered, and
stains Of blood on his boyish face
The Steward knelt by the corpse, dis
engaging the pistol from the stiff
grasp of the dead. He looked at IL
with wondering, bewildered eyes,
and said, SIT has never been loaded ~
Then the old Squire understood It
all, he understood that his beastful,
provoking words had aggravated
Hugh to put his courage to the test,
In hope of convincing him there Is no
trial of bravery between an honest
mau and rObber. And the Squire un.
derstood also that had that unloadsd
pistol been what it seemed, he, the
honorable Coran Of Coran, had only
escaped g lie.
'si did It 70 he said, gIoomily, and
the two deferential officers Of Justice
came and stood on either side Of Lat
ymer Coran, and his own servants
fell back IN horror and dismay. Alas,
for the twice bereaved women waiting
and weeping, and as yet hoping, in
the proud old castle towers
Latymer COFan was spared the tg-
nominy Of 8 trlal--h6 did not even
live to hear that the coroner's jury re-
turned q verdict of "misadventure."
The stout old heart was broken.
Hugh's funeral was delayed but g
day, that his grandfather and he 1.-the
last of the Corans," might be buried
together. Their names, the murder
er and murdered, were written on one
tablet. Not word was told of their
ancient and honorable lineage, nor of
the tragedy in which both lives clo-
sed-only their names and ages, the
old man and the boy, and the text
Fathers, provoke not your children
to anger"