The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1873-05-21
| should not have known Hor.en

should not have known Hor.en
Sc, she was so changed.
When | began to get better, | i'm.
proved rapidly, and was soon strong
enough to play about again. Then
one day my uncle took me in the
carriage to the trial-Phil's trial for
the murder OF Mr.. Clemens. He
talked to me all the way, and tried 10
make me understand about an oath,
and that | was to tell before a great
many people all that | could remem-
ber about the night Mr. Clemens was
murdered. Though did not want
to talk about it at first, it had been so
terrible, was pursuaded by my
uncle's gentle talk, and promised to
do as he wished. | was all prepared.
however, to see Phil there.
Nobody had explained TO me
about him, and when ! saw him
| loved so, and had not seen for so
long, looking so pale and thin, sad
and careworn, and when he smiled at
me in an old fashioned way, only so
sorrowfully, | don't know what made
me but | turned away my head and
cried.
BY and by they c0axed me quiet,
and after | had kissed the little book
| told my story in my own way,
little suspecting that they were calcu-
lating upon my childish evidence TO
finally convict Phil for the murder.
Nobody interrupted me or question
ed me till | had finished, and the
court was 50 still that you could have
heard PIN drop. | had forgotten
nothing and beginning at my setting
OUT to go to Phil, told them about
mp going to sleep by the roadside,
and what awoke me, and | told all
about the "blackman," as | called him,
and what he said to Inc when he put
me down in my unclc's grounds.
There was an evident sensation in
the court at this portion Of my tale,
and everybody looked at Phil, and
Reynall Ford, who had stood where |
had not seen him before, pressed for
ward, and putting slender hand up
on the railing, leaned right over that
he might see Pills face, and gave
one of his half audible French Kisses.
Upon the hand glittered the ring |
remembered so well
1t was only natural, | suppose, that
| should add to my already finished
recital that the mysterious "blaek
man" had a ring like Mr.. Ford's.
There was another. sensation then,
and Raynall Ford turned upon me
showing his white teeth, as if he
would have torn me. | was a child,
and scarcely recovered from a long
illness As that man turned toward me
thus, ! saw, or seemed to see, the eye
of that terrible being whose arms had
clasped me that never-tO-be-forgotten
night, and whose shape of terror had
printed itself in letters of torture up
on my childish brain.
! cried out sharply:
at is the blackman Don't let him
get me ~ and crowded helplessly in
my uncle's arms.
There wrs 4 wild commotion in an
instant Raynal! Ford made guilty
dash for the door, and when some
body stopped him, pat the muzzle of
a loaded pistol to his lips and blew
his brains out.
Phil was acquitted. Three years
afetrward he and HOrtense were mar
ried.
Raynell Ford had stolen Phil's re-
volver on purpose to fasten suspicion
on him, and had disguised himself as
Mr.. Clemens coachman having first
drugged the real driver.
He had shot the old man first in
the carriage, but the old man had
to get out into the road.
Then he jumped off the box and
fred the second time and killed him.