The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1873-09-25
2Cr5 JGIQQp,A MINNESOTA SEPTEMBER

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grow out Of the circumstances shs
knew that people would say, "AIl this
IS conspiracy"
The next day ono Of the nurses ran
in, crying in = jabilant tone:
s: 'They have caught him, they have
ea,ght him !"
"Whom 2" isked Martha, "~hom
havethey caught p
"The 1ob-"began the other. She
stopped midway 10 tho word. In the
haste to communicate the intelligence,
she had forgotten vital point. She
turned scarlet and stammered, and
then went away, argnly upbraidiug
herself.
On the succeeding morning the cul.
prit was brought in to a preliminary
examination. The play.c vas held
in the dim old parlor of the Justices
farm house. All the countryside was
stagnsnt for half day. Nothing was
done in the kitchens or the fields, for
all the men and womyn came to see
what great things we're TO be enacted.
The history of the crime had flown
oat far and wide. Coupled with it
we're gtatuitous tags like these :
"Don't you see Z He was her broth.
er."-"Was it not strange that they
should have met 30 upon = lonely
country. road ?'-"Notice ; she was
| not hurt much !"-"Then there va,
the lie she told v'-.What fools they
we're to. believe her !" The women
With one accord detected flaws in the
best acts that she had performed.
Now that she had come to the ground,
they pointed out the faults IN her
fight. She had not besn. energetic,
but presum,og; not meek, but hypo:
csitietl; not charitable, but villainous.
Nov that she had sinned With 4 maak
Of gre.t virtue upon ~har face, how ab-
horfent vas the detection Every in.
dividual va concerned, for every indi.
1idual had gwen something, She had
put her hand into everybody's pocket !;
it Vas this mans labor, this mans
money.subseription this woman's
cookery this child's dolls outfit
and thus oil hearts were turned to
gall.
At one end OF the herb.scented
.keeping.room sat the robber, beside
the Justice and two constables. The
rest Of the apartment was filed to the
utmost With the people who were wait.
log. They did not care much for this
criminal, they wanted the other one.
|, The women had come in their best,
and so had the men. They wore col.
ored feathers and ribbons, and stiff
coats. 1t was 1sgrim holiday, but it
Wis; = holiday nevertheless. Every
.iace waB afull Of cynical antsgonism,
and the air was heavy With bitterness.
They wanted to see how this wretch
would bear herself, hov she would act
and look now. They waited breath.
lessly. Some stood in the entries, and
some hung upon the winding stairs,
looking in at the open doors.
| Would she be brought in, or would
she walk in? Would she dare to look
them in the face, or would she keep
her mean eyes down? Would sbe
appear in her new 6nery, or would
she bid for their sympathy with he'
faded dress? Would she try to ex.
plain in brazen voice, or would she
pretend to weep? Would she slylJ
; show b.ndages, or would she shock
them With an exhibition of her hurts
and bruises?
i Why was this delayl How mucl
longer must they wait? Was she OBJ
stlnate. or was she gong to disappoiu
them altogether? They rustled ant
), exchanged whispers, and aroused eact
j; other:
i Suddenly it IVES found that Marth,
wsa present. She bad entered unde
: the shadow Of an officer Who had es
, oorted her from her home.
y She went and stood beside he'
BROTHER. He was terribly shaokled
She SAW nothing Of him but bis broat
, back and his limbs he hung his heat
so far down that his hair fell over hi
face like q fringe.
The crowd fixed its hundred eye
upon her. Martha Vas very pale, an,
tho energy that she had lately gainei
had bean dissipated. She remained
,, standing. She gathered her old shaw
: lover her bosom and folded her hand
At her waist. At first she had at
tempted to keep her head raised, bu
it sank in spite of her. The burning
s s.ze ate out her vigor. Her limb
trembled, her. shoulders dropped, he
:, lips quivered, and her heart beat NOR
lauguidly. She was aoashed and ter
', rided.
| All that she had done bad gone 70
!, naught. Not an atom Of pride re
manned to leaveu the heavy spiri,
a.