Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1873-08-01

uGN0I you Guluh GlldG, y Oo UOrUOu. L
tell you it lays with you to save father
or kill him; yes, and me too, for if they
hang him I'll never live over the day,
and that swear, SO you choose between
US. Hark r She turned to listen.-
81 can't stay" She pressed her hand
hard on his shoulder, looking up pite-
ously in his face. "Joe, if ever you
cared for me, save that poor old manw
And before he could answer she was
gone, leaving him looking after her
like one in dream.
The clouds were getting lower and
heavier as the boatman set off with his
passenger.
"Looks as if we should have a spell
+ of weather" said the latter, glancing
from the leaden sky to the leaden wa
ter. "Hope you're what they cracked
you up to be, for if I got ducking
here Ishouldn't find myself again in a
hurry"
"Well, Pm as good as they'll aver
age, [ reckon, mister-I didn't hear
your name," said Joe,: looking up in
quiringly.
"Peter Groom is my name, and one
I amt ashamed of; it'll be pretty well
known in these parts by this day week,
Pm thinking" and the man smiled a
smile not pleasant to see.
"How's that?" said Joe, anxious to
betray no previous knowledge.
GIVE come to give evidence in a trial
that's coming off in your county town.
answered Groom, motioning toward the
Milham shore. "I've travelled nigh
five hundred miles on purpose to do it,
fand I'd travel five hundred more if
twas needed"
els it the Sawyer trial you mean ?''
asked Joe, carelessly. "People have
been saying there ain 'tevidence enough
to make a case, but I'spose then there's
something new turned up?"
! 81 should rather think so; something
thatH make a ease'n hold John Saw
| yer as tight as his coffin.
Joe clinched his hand on his oar
He was beginning to understand Mar
gy's hatred for this man, with his open
exultation in the ruin he was going to
work.
"I'm sorry for the old man." he said,
after pause, "and so are the folks
about here. Wilson was known for a
bully, and, if Sawyer really done it,
twas that-that and drink, for when
he's himself he wouldn't hurt worm. ="
"You've no need to tell me what
John Sawyer is" said the other, short
I ly. 81 knew him before you was born,
before he ever came to these parts"
"Well," said the boatman, "you've a
queer notion for old acquaintance sake
then, that's ALL"
"Pll give him swing for old ac-
quaintance' sake, if l can," replied
Groom, with scowl.
Joe drew quick breath.
'sCan you do that?' he said.
'That or lifer. I tell you, my man,
[ saw it DONE"
"You saw Sawyer kill Wilson," ex-
claimed Joe, stopping short on his oars.
81 saw him strike the blow that kill
ed him, and that comes to pretty near
the same thing, | take it,
"But how is it you've kept back all
along?"
"Well, it's like this,' said Groom,
who appeared to be in a more commu-
nicative mood than a while before
''The day of the murder-to begin at
the beginning-I happened to be pass
ing through Milham, and stopped over
a train there to see man [ had deal
ings with. He lived little out of the
town, lonesome road, part Of the way
across some fields. [ did my business,
and started back again alone, as l had
come. Halfway, or thereabout, | heard
a kind of cussing and quarreling in the
next field-right close to my ear it
seemed, only 1 couldn't see anything
for the high hedge. whats up?'
thinks I, might as well take peep
'Twas an uncommon fine evening
moonlight you could almost see to read
by, and | knew Sawyer as soon as [ set
eyes on him. His face was turned ex-
actly to me, and ugly enough it looked
then. The next minute [ saw him
strike out, and the other man went
down like log.'
"And you let him lay?" interrupted
Joe, in excitement. "You never called
for help, nor nothing?"
"What for?" said Groom, carelessly
II thought twas just drunken quar-