The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1872-10-12
a New Trades Union story.
1.-THE OTHER SIDE"
BY A. NJ. FORAN,
President 81 The Coopers international Union
CHAPTER Ill

spread for supper A cheerful fire spark
led and dancingly glowed on the hearth.
The illuminator Of other days, the newt
able candle, threw faint light on animate
and inanimate. The old dark, time stain
ed, oak -paneled walls and ceiling gave the
room sombre appearance, which was
more than relieved by the ashen floor Of
almost alabaster Wilderness, and the radi-
ant floods of golden light emitted from the
old fashioned hearth.
Master Richard occasionally ran to the
window, mounted chair and peered into
the murky outer darkness. Mrs Arbyght's
face wore "A sohcitous, anxious, expectant
look. Her quick ear caught the slightest
sound. Still he, for whom they lovingly
waited, came not. The old pillar-hke
New England clock, in the adjoining room,
struck ten, eleven and twelve, as the hours
rolled slowly, very slowly away. Still he
came not. The clock struck one the fire
was dying out on the hearth. Near the
table sat Mrs. Arbyght, pale and sad ; her
lips quiveringly moved as If IN prayer.
The sleeping baby was in her arms, and
upon the little unconscious dreamer her
eyes rested almost constantly, showing by
the depth of the gaze how close her heart
Richard had climbed into a great carved
uaken armchair, and i'll deep sleep remain
ed oblivious to all external surroundings
The clock struck two. Mrs. Arbyght's
head inclined upon her breast Exhaust
ed nature could hold out no longer she
dropped into Il titfu! sleep.
Three hours later, i'll the grayish dawn
Of morning, three men returned from Sill
verville. after night of bacchanalian de
baucheries; stopped on the very spot on
which Richard Arbyght was murdered, to
debate some vexed question that arose dur
ing the nights reVelries, and on which they
were unable to agree. While dlsputing
and arguing. their attention was directed
to the blood on the road, and other mark
ed evidences of the previous night strug-
gle In examining the traces Of the con
tiict the body Of the murdered man vas
discovered and recognized A short con
sultatiOn was held. 1t was resolved that
one should guard the body, another should
endeayor to secure a conveyance Of some
kind to bring 1t home, and the other
should 90 ahead and break the Intelligence
to the stricken, bereayed wife. The man
who was left to guard the body noticed, as
soon as the others had left, the open diary
i'll the hand Of the murdered man he
stopped and picked it up rather quickly.
| In doing So, however, a leaf renamed in
the clenched hand wrenched from the book
This leaf. with no little effort, he recover
ed he glanced over it hastily, then NUT
tered audibly Surely the blood Of the
murdered cries to heaven for vengeance ;
you are tracked, my good fellow, and will
pay dearly for this. Suddenly new
thought seemed to be born within him he
glanced eagerly around, and as he heard a
wagon approaching, he thrust the torn leaf
into his vest pocket.
The party to whom was deputed the
task Of securing vehicle to convey the
/ body home, met a man with an ordinary
Unc-horse market wagon, going to Silver
VILE, whom he easily persuaded to under
I take the charitable task. The body was
carefully placed iii the wagon, and with
heavy hearts they started for the old farm
house They soon overlook the third
rarty, who had started ahead, and they all
went on together
With a sudden start, Mrs Arbyght
awuke from horrid dream, i'll which she
saw her husband, pale as death, flying
from person whom she recollected having
sen ON several occasions, and who now
appeared to be closely pursuing her hus-
band with a menacing look. In his right
hand she saw a pistol, she thought, or
dreamed she rushed to the door to let her
husband in, when his pursuer fired, and
Richard fell dead at her feet Horribly
frightened she awoke Large drops Of
perspiration stood upon her face she
gazed wildly around the rising sun was
streaming into the room the candle was
Just expiring in pickering glimmer the
fire was out, otherwise the room was Just
as when she went asleep. The sound Of
approaching wheels broke upon her ear
she starts a cold tremor ran through her
frame Fhe sound came nearer, and
nearer, but every gyration Of the wheels
seem to roll an ever increasing weight
upon her heart. The wheels stopped The
sound ceased She rose to her feet The
door swung open, and four men entered,
bearing the most of all she valued on earth
between them. She staggered forward in
voluntarily dropped the baby, threw her
hands upward, uttered piercing scream
and sank, an inanimate mass upon the
floor.
CHAPTER Nv.
We will draw "a veil over the next three
years that elapsed since the incidents mar
rated i'll the last chapter TRANSFERRED The
soTruwful heart-broken widow would have
died the day her husbands body was
brought home, but for her children. She
tried hard to live for them all the love Of
her warn, gushing heart conferred in them
them; they were her only hope, all else
was burned out Of her young life. But how
would she support them, This was a seri-
Gus, perplexing question. She wrote to
Richards father a full account Of the affair
A few weeks afterwards letter was re-
ceived from her mother-in-law, stating that
Mr.. Arbyght had also gone the way Of all
flesh. The last financial panic completely
ruined his business, which so preyed upon
the old man mind as to induce temporary
insanity and death. The letter closed by
saying " they were ruined-beggared .
Mrs. Arbyght was hard pressed. To work
she was unable, means she had none. Mr.
Morris, the purchaser of the farm, was to
move Immediately. Despair seized the
stricken widow But when all failed,
noble old Squire Stanly came to her assist
ance, and offered her and her children such
as he had. The kind generous offer was
gladly accepted. Many efforts were made
to bring the murderer Of Richard Arbyght
to justice, but all without avail no clue
could be found, not even a suspicion could
be fastened upon any body. But "mur-
der y ill out"-we shall see.
Mrs. Arbyght pinned daily. She never
recovered from the shock and notwith-
standing she desired to live for her child
rens sake, she gradually sank into life
everlasting. Three years from the day
her husband was buried she was laid beside
him in the old village churchyard. The
children were now orphaned and alone,
indeed.
Shortly after the death Of Mrs. Arbyght,
a lady on a visit to Mrs Morris, was pass
ing through Silverville, and seeing little
Bertha Arbyght, now three years and six
months old, took strange fancy to the
child. She ascertained the little girls his
tory, and then waited upon the old squire,