The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1871-05-26

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seemed common justice, The legal
code of border life had been adhered
to; but for the last look at the mad
bride they could scarcely have recog.
nized how awful all this had been.
They lived on together, still speaking
often of poor Charley, and fancyinp
that in some other world he might
even know how well they had ne
yenged themselves upon his murderer.
And so five years past. And one
day the two went together into q cof.
fee-roOn kept by an old FrenChma
in the city of San Francisco, and be.
ing in low spirits, out of luck, and
with slender purses, were sitting dis
consoletly over their meals, when 3
hand came down on each shoulder
and voice cried: elil 20 sae.iiigaI
"Found at last! I've searched the
city for 9, you. Heaven bless you deal
1t was Charles Chester, handsome
and cheerful, and well-to do-looking-
Charles Chester, whose murderer they
believed themselys to have lynched
years before. = - q aiI8 ''''i''7ii
And this was the story he told them,
wondering at their pallid looks, and
awe-struck silence the while, ,,.,.,.-.
The money he had with him being
in gold, and heavy for his belt, he
placed it in his saddle-bags, and had
completed many miles of his journey,
when near new, but apparently de-
serted, dwelling, he saw q man lying,
groaning terribly. Dismounting, he
assisted him, and found that he was q
traveller who had been set upon by
ruffians, and robbed and wounded.
He had crawled to the house for assist
ance, but found it empty, and now lay
dying in the road. Charles Chester
had done his best for the poor fellow,
but without avail. He died in his arms
just as the sun went down; and by its
fading light he had dug grave on the
turf before the empty house, and there
buried him. There was no one within
sight, and his tears of attack upon
himself warned him to hurry on; but
when the last sad rites were over, and
he turned to remount his horse, it was
gone. The animal had escaped into
the woods, and with night coming on,
all search seemed hopeless. The
money in the saddle-bags rendered the
loss maddening one. He threaded
his way through the brush, calling
his steed by name, until total darkness
hid all objects; and atlast striking his
head violently against tree, he fell to
the ground insensible. When he came
to he found himself lying in wagon,
to which he had been conveyed by a
kindly German, who could speak no
English. In falling, he broke his arm,
and was very weak and ill. Before he
was able to communicate his story to
anyone all hope of recovering either
horse or money had deserted him. He
was in despair. He could not assist
his parents; to return to his friends
would be to throw himself upon their
bounty. This he would not do and
his struggles had been great at first,
but they were over now. He had done
" ell by the "old folks" and he had re-
turned to pay his debts, and resume
his friendship with his old friends.
He was with them he lived. The
farmer had doubtless told the trutl.
He did not even know why the turf
lad grown so green in the little yard,
and he had found the horse at large in
the woods, and knew nothing of the
rider; but the thing had been done,
and could not be undone-the deau
brought to life and the maniac's mind
restored, or the blood washed from
the murderers' hands.
OF course they told their story, and
of course they believed their friend
ship as warm as ever; but it mas not
so. They never met each other again
as of yore. The two could not forget
the man they had lynched to avenge
their friend, and doubted the propriety
of his returning alive and merry TO
trouble their consciences, which were
quiet enough as long as he seemed
dead. AS for Charles Chester, be
cleared the murdered mans memory
his neighbors, and saw the
white-faced woman, who
only shook her head, and mOaned,
and muttered when he spoke to heI;
and then he too, was content to say
goodbye to those who had done the
1eed-albeit for his sake. 4....-..5
So the three parted, each going his
own way; for thus it seemed easier to
forget the deed done by Judge Lynch
and his court on the day of the BRIDES
coming home.