The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1869-07-01

cion OF murder"
."Murdcr p echoed Rachel, turning as
white as the wall "Merciful Heaven whom
on earth should 1 murder p et'
"Come, none O. that, said them man Of office;
"you know as well as we do that it's old Mr.
Ray. When did you do it, and what have
you done with the body p
"Mr. Ray" slowly repeated Rachel. "But
why should you suspect me 7"
"sThere's reason enough" spoke up one Of
the accompanying neighbors. "Wasn't you
always guarrelin' ? And didn't Adoniram
JenEes hear you say, with his own ears, that
you'd be revenged on the poor old man, only
the night before he disappeared?"
''Stop," said Rachel, with her trembling
khana to her forehead, siet me remember. =
Yes yes, I did say that; but never meant
aught but an idle word.''' ~ f,;,,
dts easy sayin' so, said Adoniram with
"a shrug Of his shoulders shut where's old
Jacob /? That's the question. Come, Bach
ell Miner, you may as well confess, 1! , sll.
II cannot" cried Rachel, TREMENDOUSLY ~
am as innocent Of this crime, if crime there
be, as the babe unborn. But he is not dead;
he will surely be back oncaday. Only wait !,
s'We'vc waited just about long enough
said the constable, gruAly "and you're my
prisoner. So come along the quiet the bet
ter" .sa ...gs sa.f
Hubert will be on tonight, won't hep
questioned Adoniram.
eyes, if he got the telegram" answered
another. s.Hello what's np?" So
For Rachel had sunk on chair, with a
slight agonized cry, as the words reached her
ear. Hubert Ray to come home, and find
her under arrest And on supicion Of
having murdered his father Ia Oh, could it
all be an awful dream .5. M sys,3
cit is impossible it cant be-" she walled
wildly. ooh, let me go. He will come
back again. You will see how unfoundcd
all your fears have been. Let me go ~
And With q sohbing. moan, she tainted
away.
p sIt's better so,' said the constable, phleg-
matically. owed a-had a scene if she had
her senses. Women ha'n't no elf-control.s
Lend hand, Adoniram, and we'll get her in
the wagon. Time enough to bring her to-
afterwards" a.s f." ST.
When Rachel Miner returned to her senses,
she lay on warm pallet in one of the most
decent rooms in the village clock up" with
the keepers wife deluging her forehead in
burnt vinegar and hartshorn, and tender
face bending over her own. i ie9a
.'sHHbart p .f7
eyes, Rachel, it. is I. Lie still, darling
don't look 50 terrified p 49
FsBut, Hubert, do you know" g
II know it all, Rachel-and know too
that you are as innocent as a lilly-b my
poor, outraged darling. It will all come
right in time. Ny poor fathers murderers
mast be traced, and you will stand forth in
the sight Of the world as pure as you really |
are"
She sank back on her pillows, while a 4
look Of unutterable peace came over her pale |
%- .4} f@42a ~ 3eF-
II don't mind it any longer, Hubert" she
softly. sIet them all call me
guilty, as long as you believe in my limo
cence r 4@ 5s3f ig I91
~ The village of Weeksdale had its nine days |
wonder the stream Of gossip was at high |
tide now! That Hubert Ray should persist |
ia the Innocence of the girl who undoubtedly |
had killed his father-that he should not |
even break their marriage engagement--sure-
y the idle tongue of ,rumor needed no more
delicious morsel than this
''Rachel murder my 'fathcrlp he cried,
sontemptuously. fys'ssWhy, Rachel never hurt
50 much as a butterfly in her lite.Y2 e .,zssa
swell, then, who did it p persisted Adon7
ram Jenkes. II heerd herself say she'd be
fevcnscd on him, only the night afore he dis
appeared" asSsa,
III MAS an Idle wora-a foolish word,
saia Hubert, with slight cloud on his frank,
open brow, but she never meant it. I would
stake my own life on Rachel's innocence 'ss<'
The itime9of trial drew near, and still no
light shone in upon the dark and troubled
mystery and a day OF two before the sitting
IF the COURT Adoniram lJenkes stopped his
TX team once again before Farmer Rays
door. Old Goody Parker, who Hkcpt an eye
% things" was out in the hen yard, gather
ing her apron full Of eggs, and Adoniram |
went straight into the kitchen. q -.
The fire was burning brightly on the hearth,
and there, before its rudy glimmer with |
sFatf and bundle beside him, and worn shoes |
III dusty with the tokens Of travel, sat old |
Jacob Ray il his wanted chair. - ':.1.3 -
Adoniram Jenkes uttered choked sort of |
,ry. He was not asupcrstitions,a yet. at that
moment he fully believed that he saw before |
him the ghost of the murdered man. g 80 |
u ssNhatl ye acroakin' att" demanded 'Ja-
:ob,1 in his ordinary abrupt mood. lew here's
Rachel2 What's old Goody Parker doin' in
my hen yard2 Why syouspeak, instead
. standin' starin' there Pr III slafy4 aI ia9o
s:Well,sI am beat,o, said Adoniram, dab
bling at his forehead with the crown of his
hat. $50 you ain't murdered, :arter all.n2eut
~; Murdered ] No, but I've come as near it
as a man need Gomez 1a.a % 5sa s759oys1ad
& And old Jacob Ray told the tale of ahow,
trudging to.town in the early morning to de-
posit in some bank ahpard Of ready money
he had oontriYed to accumulate, he had been
knocked down and robbed by ruf6ans, who,
scenting the money had dogged him some dis
lance, and howehis, body, the life totally sex-
tiuct as they believed, no doubt; had been left
on the beach, hidden under pale of over
hanging rocks, when the frststide would bear
il off, toaea like some useless bitof driftwooda
- But a. craft bound to Havanny picked me
up with it's boat, just'as I was lifted off the
the sand by the incomin, tide went ON old
Jacob, .EhileaAdoniran, listened with wide
open eyes and mouth, a"and somehow there
was a bit o. life left in the old hunk yet; land
aforei sgc'd got down fur, i come to. And
the frstport We1stoppod at, Iaconle off again,