Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1873-07-31


} i dont 'spose you'd often see her like.
Fever did. There va. cir; up a, sba
place. that tavern there. had a kind o
book Of her about the eyes and forehead
but nothing TO compare had friend
too-~e!l. it amt much ofa story Grooa
broke Of with dry laugh. and I dom
hardly know why | tell !. a. all, only
maybe. it'll help you make oa. wha. seem,
TO puzzle you. The long and the short d
IT is. that my friend-mind that, young
s'er. my friend cheated me out of m,
sweetheart. I amt much to look at.
know. never was, but could care for !
women jnst as much ~ il I'd been SIX foot
high. aud fresh 40 rose, and I'D take nv
oath she cared for me too, till he cont
between Us with fslse tongue enough Il
turn aoy gifrs head Well. be came OF
frsf best; she left me and went avay him
sw"re then. boy said Groom. looking
darkly in his listeners earnest face, that
il ever my day come, I'd be eren with
John Sawyer; | never thought 'twouid,
but it has. and DO you think I'll let nv
chance slip nos No. by God;' and the
man brought down lis IS, With a force
that shook the boat-sle
THAT was hard lines. sure enough
sail Joe, thoughsfnly. but. Mr.. Groom,
you was speaking just nov of a girl up a,
the tavern there I She's my sweetheart.
and, added the ooa,msn. slowly, she's
Sawyers girl. bis only child
No" exc'aimed Groom. evidently moved
BY the Intelligence. 'Hery's child he
mu,,crcd to himself. .lIetty's child.'
( Yes. said Joe. eagerly. don, forget
whose child che is. and tha. you'll make
her suffer along with the old man.
'Ah.' said Groom. that's all very we'll.
but | don't forget. neither. whose child
she is on the other side. No . I'm sorry
for the girl. aad for you. youngster. since
you've an interest in her. but Id have my
pay ont Of ohn Sawyer now. if was to
die for it,
Joc's grasp frightened convulsively on
his oar. Was the man crazy thus to make
a boa>: of the misery he would can>c be-
fore one whose advantage and opportuni-
ty it was alike TO insure his silence? who
had lim almost as completely at his mer-
cy here on the unfamiliar elcmcnt rs If
they too had been alone in all the earth :?
II he were TO die for it Every plunge
cf the dark water seemed to be repea,i,g o
those words. The boatman reused HIM
self with start at the sound of his pas.
sengers voice
You're pretty feller. ain, you. now
said the latter. resuming the su!j C. in
lighter tone. wanting to persuade me to
cheat justice after that fashiou!'
As for that. answered Joe. 'yo1 said
yourself. If it had been anybody but Saw
yer. you wouldn't have troubled to hun:
him down. and | can't see as that's any
better notion ofjustice than mine. b.
sides. he added gravely. the old mans
got his death sentence already, If that's
what YOU want; what with the drink. he
amt the mar he used to be. anG the night
of the quarrel ho cot ceugh that's tear.
ins him all TO pieces; the doctor. say he
can't live long. uohow.'
'iIc'll live long enough to make the ac-
quaintance Of a rore's end. reckon. said
Graom. with coarse laugh, and that.
ali care abou;
The brutal words and manner reused
the lsrking devil in Joe Gorton's heart.
Tie stammercd out curse, inarticu!a,e
for passion.
'Et?' said Groom. catching the sound.
but not the words. what's ths, you say I
The boatman stepped rowing. aud leaned
forward till he almost touched Groom where
he sat
jus. put yourself in the old mans place
for mau,c. be began. with au effort.
speaking quietly. 'S'pose there was some
body'd got the chance and the will to get
shut o you. jus, as You have of old Saw
yer .a.
Mia. are you driving at n"~ Z inter
rnpted Groom. There amt anybody. as
| know Of. has got ei,her-norc luck for
ne. he ended. with laugh.
Ain, there said the boa.man. slow
y. You talk abou. Justice. Mr. Groom
he resumed, but ii amt justice you We set
on; to dots murder. You've got the
Law on your side. as it happens. but all
the same, as far as you're concerned. it's
murder.-as bad. for what can see. as
If scmebody-as il might be me'-saiI
Joe. looking ixcdly in the others face
through the growing dusk. .sonsbody with
. motive. DO matter what. for waiting to
be rid Of you. getting you all aione--as it
might be hegc-out Of sigh, or help.
should Just put you quietly out o the
way
Hey. dye mean 10 threaten me 2 cried
Groom, springing up. Jus, then the
breaking gus, struck sharply on the boat.
side that. left to her own guidance. had
diifted ronnd; she gave lurch aud
bound that sent Groom, who. s.ariin-
back. had los, his balance, overheard like
a skes
Joe stared for an instant at the empty
place opposite. hardly eomprchending what
had happened $" quickly. aad then. sud-
den as the lightning darting throsgh the
black sky above him. II flashed into his
mind that here were silence and safety,
and that through no act of his. Way
not profit By the accidcnty Why nos, in
the mans own spirit. in his very words,
leave him TO sink or swim. xs might Le?'
But Joe could be no more deceivcd by bis
own than BY others sophi<tries; voice
within him cried: .If you leave thi. man
to die. you are bis his murderer = A great
surge Of hcFrsr aud remcrse fcr the thong hs
that bad been in his heart, seemed 20
sweep him away. and before the second
Lightning could tear the clouds h~ had