Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1872-11-14
SELECTED STORY
A FRONTIER TRAGEDY.

! / shall never forget my first vision
of VIM Denton. 1t was in the court
house at Little Rock Arkansas, in the
summer of 1884. The occasion Itself
possessed terrible interest well calcu-
lated to fix in the memory all its cir
cllmstances. A vast concourse ofspec-
tators had assembled to witness the
trial Of young and very beautiful
girl on an indictment Of murder. The
Judge waited at the moment for the
sheriff to bring in his prisoner, and the
eyes of the impatient multitude eager
" watched the door for the expected
advent, when suddenly a stranger en-
tered, whose remarkable appearance
riviteta univ crsal attention. Here in
his portrait done as accurately as pen
can sketch it
A figure tall lean, siirewy and straight
is an arrow; brow massive, soaring
and smooth as polished marble, inter
lined by large blue vein forked like
the tonuge of serpent; eyes red
dish yellow, resembling a wrathful ca
gle's-as brilliant, as fearfully piercing
and finally, mouth slight, cold and
sneering The living embodiment OF
unbreathed curses? He was haa,sted
in leather, ornamented after the fash
ion of Indians costume, with beads Of
every color in the rainbow.
Elbowing his way proudly and slow
ly through the throng, and seemingly
altogether unconscious that he was re-
garded as phenomenon that needed
explanation, the singular being advan-
tage and, with the naughty all of king
taking his throne, seated himself with;
in the bar, crowded as it was with the
disciples Of Coke and Blackstone severa
of whom it was known, esteemed them
selves far superior to these old and IA
nous masters.
The contrast between the disdainful
eountenace and outlandish garb of the
stranger excited especially the disability
of the lawyers, and the junior mem
bers began a suppressed litter, which
soon grew louder and swept around the
circle. They doubtless supposed the
intruder to be some wild hunter of the
mountains, who had never before seen
the interior of the hall of justice.
Instantly the cause and object of the
laughter perceived it. Turning his
head gradually, so as to give each
augher look of infinite scorn, he ejac-
ulated the single word ''Savages!"
No pen Tan describe the unspeak-
able malice, the defiant force which he
threw into that term; no language can
express the internal Juror of his utter
ance, although it hardly exceeded a
whisper. But he accented every letter
as if it wefe separate emission of fire
that scorched his qivering lips, laying
horrible emphasis on the letter S, both
at the beginning and end of the word.
Ii was mixed growl, irfterffiediate be-
twixt the growl of fed tiger and the
hiss of a rattlesnake- 'Sauages." 1t
cured everybody of the disposition to
laugh.
The general gaze, however, was then
diverted by the advent of the fair pris-
oner, who came in surrounded by her
guard The apparition was enough to
drive even cynic mad, for hers was
a style of beauty to bewilder the tamest
imagination and heart, cleaning pic
sure, enamlled with fire and fixed in q
frame of gold from the stars. 1t was
the spell Of an enchantment to be felt
as we'll as seen. We might feel it in
the flashes of her countenance, clear
as sunlight, brilliant as the iris; in the
| classic contour of her features; symme-
| trical as if cut with an artists chisel
In her half of rich ringlets flowed a
braid, softer than silk, finer than gossa
| mer; in her eyes, blue as the heaven Of
| southern sunaraer, large; Rquid, dreamy
| in her motions, graceful; swimming
like the gentle waftures Of birds
wing in the sunny air; in her figure
slight, ethereal-a sylph's or seraphs
and more than all, in the everlasting
smile of the rosy lips, so frank, SO Sc
rene, so like starlight, and yet thrilling
the soul as shock of electricity.
As the unfortunate girl SO tastefully
dressed, SO uncomfortable ais to the per
sonal charms, calmly took Her place
before the bar of her judge, murmul
Of admiration arose from the multitude