, 1873-08-17

;Snvissa sS, st man md saying to him, 'Taaa mo
Ihore wna aomothfng In Joo Gorton's broaat
on which tho herco words and mnt,ner 1arrod
nainfu,l'y: no vac no preacher, ths poor; MI.
ithgo t"g a OS lin m a MT Is Know how to toll
was cruel a,'tl cownrdiy; but yot ho felt ti,at,
avon scttinH aside hfargy'B intoreBts, there waa
something lii 1t which aroiisod all lis Instincts
Of roalAeanto lilo ellook l1a lead as lio thought
"lhat's n feeling I emit mako ont" ho patd,
"osn't you3" said Groom. slortay, snppop,ng
tho remark; nddroaacd to himself. "Havo you
got s'seotleart, young 1nan 7" ho added, nb-
rupslyt nfter sllort patlsa.
IA sweetheart ?" repeated Joo, starting at
tho nssociations connected with tho question,
nnG tho man who put 1t.
It." said Groom, WHO had noticed Tho moyomont.
a Bwoothenrt, whon ehe's tho right sort, ia
what no nun noed DO ashamed Of. I Ind one
myself when was your ngo, "-a,d ho stopped
l,or lllto; 7 novor did. Thoro vas girl up
at that placc. that tavern tloro, Ind .
kind Of look Of hor about tho eyoa md
forehead, but nothing to compnro-1 had
friSnd, too ,.,-wcll, it amt much OF a
and 1on't hardly know why toll It at ~,
only, maybe, It'll help you mako out what aooms
70 puzzlo you. Tho long and the short Of 1t Ia,
that my friond-1nnd that, youngetcrf my
amt much to look ut, know; mover was; but
could caro- for q woman Just as much as II I'd
boon six foot high, and froBh aa roso; aud I'd
take my oath slio carod for mo. too, tn ho como
between U.s. on With fsla9 tongue enough to turn
lott mo and wont away with him. ! swore then,
boy " said Groom, looking darlly in his listen-
er's oarnont face "that, Il over my day como, "a
,,s.ea bo even W. With John Sawyer; neyor Thought
chanco slip now7 No, by G--l" and tile man
brought down his fist with force that shook
"That vas hard line. erro enough" said
spcaking, juat nov, Of a girl up ut tho tayor1l
thero. She's my sweetheart, and" atldod the
,,,'s Ion'tsmsWn slowly "shos saw5ors eIF]-hia only
"Nol" exclaimed Groom, evidently moved by
the Intelligence. ".Hotty'a child" ho muttcrod
to himself, "Hotty's chfldl"
"Yos," said he, oagcrly; "don't forgot whoBo
childah f. aud tlat you'll mike her suffer along
with tho old man,"
"Ah," aaid Groom, "tlat'a oil worry we'll, bnt
don't forget, neither, whose child she il, On tho
othor Hido. No! I'm sorry for tho girl. and for
you. yonngstor, since you've m interest iu her,
Put Nag "a u dSs ds Rny out OF John Sawyer If
Joo's grasp tightenod convulsivoly on his oar.
Was tho man crazy, thus to mako d boast OF tho
misery 10 would canso before ono whose adyant-
ago and opportunity alike was to insure hie
his mercy horo on this unfamiliar oloinont as If
| they two had boon alouo In all tho earth7 II ho
wero to die for itl Livery plunge Of tic darls
water eoo1ned to DO repeating thoHo words. The
hoatnan rouBoa himself With astart at tho sound
Of his passongor's voice.
"Yon'rc pretty fel1or, amt you, now" said
tho latter, rosuming tho subject in Lighter tone,
thst tahwta9ip s1ot tG persuade mo to eh0at justice Afor
''As for tl.at," answered Joe, "you said your
self, IL it had boon anybody but sawyor you
wouldn't havo troubled to hunt him down, aud
emit 500 aa thats any bcttor notion OF Justice
than niue. Doaides, = ho added, grayo!ly, :" the
tllat'a what you want; what with tic drink, ho
amt the raau ho used to bo md tho night Of tho
! quarrel ho got cough thats tearing Tim all to
pieces /. tho doctors any ho can'e live long,
"Holl 1iyo long enough to malo the acquaint-
| ance OF q iopD's-ona, reckon" salh Groom,
with coarse 1Augh, "apd limits all I caro
! about"
! Tie brutal words and mauuor aroused tic
luraing devil in Joe Gorton's hoart. uo stam-
meroa out curae, inartloulate for passion.
/ "Eh 7" said Groom, catching tho SOUND but
not the words, "what's that you say 3'
Tho noatman stopped rowing, aud leaned for
ward till ho almoat touched Groom where le sat
quietly. "S'poso thero WAS somobody'd got tie
| chanco and tho will to got shut o you, just as
you have Of old SAWYER
! Groom. ,There amt anybody, as know of,
las got cithor-moro luck for mol" Lo onded,
| With laugh.
" Amt there p said tho bontman, slowly.
sumcd, but it atnt Justice yo1,'vo Hot out to do
ills nl1rdor. You've got tho Inv on your sido
rs 1t happens. but all tho eamo, Us far as yonro
concerned, Us mYrder-as l'nd, for what can
Joe. looking nxody in tho others fnco through
| tho growing dusk, " somebody with motive,
| no matter what, for wnnting to be rid Of you,
gotting you all alonc-as it might bo here-out
Of sight or help, should just put you quietly ont
Hey d'yo mean to throaten mo ," cried
Groom, sprlnging up. just thon tho breaking
gust struck sharp on the boat Bido that, loft to
a lurch aud a, bound that sont Groom, who, iu
starting back Ind lost his balance overheard like
| n shot.
| Joe starod for an instant ut tie empty place
opposite, hardly conlprohcntling what hid hap
pened ao quickly thon, sudden as the lightning
1ashod INTO his mlnd that here was silence and
| safety, and that through no act OF his. s'Why
not profit by tho accident? Why not, in the
mama own spirit, and hs yory, words, 'eayo him
no moro bo deceived BY his own than by othors'
auphstrios; voice within him cried II you
leave this man to die, you aro his murderer i"
| A groae Hurgo Of horror and romorso for tho
| thought that had boen in lis heart soou1od to
swoop him away, aud, before the second light
ning-bolt could tear tho clouds, he had thrown
| himself after Groom.
When the two rose togother, tho boat was no.
where In eight There was nothing now for it
but to stttke out for tho shore. Luckily, tho
nIilham sIdo was not now very far distant stil,
it waB a hard stretch through the uumbing water,
incumbered, as ho was, with Ills hoavy Clothing
Bef completely helpless, hold lin viii, nervous YOU
clntcl, That bali stranglod linn: by tho time they
neared tho shore, Ills strength was pretty well
spont but tho growing ]ighta gave him hoart
again ho rcsted an instant for tho final pull,
aud just tlon it was that the gust seized film,
unprepared and w1isled him awny from tho in
lethe vas 1naking for, to tho rock-lodgo iutt;ug
into it, that caught mud battered him-poor Joe !!
Ho was conscious when thoy took him up, but
there waa q look in his face that forotold tho
end, even before tho doctors did. Az for Groom,
he Ind beon shielded by Joo'B body, and, tough