American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-04-17

constrained, tone, as if he had nerved
himself to the task, he said: LET me
say my say. l haven't much time left
now. It's ten years since l spoke in
confidence to any human crayture; tits
ten years since l spoke the truth by
word or deed! l was happy, contented
man. l was husband and father, an
my wife was as purity a girl, an as good
tie farm in the county of Limerick, an
we were happy an honest. l was con-
sidered smart fellow, an likely to do
well; an Mary had the good word of all
the neighbors. All! bitter drop it is
I'll never meet her again. She's in
heaven! So things went on fair enough
with me for some time; when on day,
comm in from the field, l found my wife
cryin' an lookin' vexed an fiustered
somehow, wild the flush on her face. She
would not tell me the cause. So went
out to my work again, angry a bit at her
| being secret-like with me. / met Mr..
| Donovan, the agent, by the way, an he
gave me civil good mornin', an talked
for bit about the cattle an the crops,
an was mighty kind entirely. He went
his way an went mine, thinkin' what
a nice gentleman he was"
The speaker had kept his eyes fixed on
me and never once glanced around. l
strove to rise to get him more stimulant,
for his voice had grown alarmingly weak.
mo, no." he said; II am dyin';
know it. But if had twenty years life
in me and knew the gallows was before
me I'd spake now. Well, one evenin' a
month after l found it out. COMM
through lonely windin' borheen l came
suddenly on a woman struggling with a
man. Helpr she cried. My heart
| lnuy hat
forward and with blow knocked down
the villain who held her and caught my
wife in my arms. I'll never forget the
scowl he gave at me as, picking himself
up, he lmped off. l kept, by Mary cling
ing to me, from following him. oh,
Jim, don't go after him. she said. Then
a. length she told me how Mr.. Donovan
had followed her about for long time,
both before and afther her marriage, and
how the day found her cryin' he had
insulted her, and how he had threatened
her if she ever tOuld me q word about 1t
he'd be the ruin of me.
Well, to cut it short, for feel the
life's going fast from me, we were turned
out of our house by the agent; all my
little stock and furniture seized. My wife
was sick and the bed was taken from I'M
der her. A naybour took her in, but the
shock and removal killed her. lost her
an her baby together.
In one short week l was widOwcr
and childless, without house or home, or
one penny in the world. l did not much
care for the poverty now, though. l met
Mr.. Donovan the day l buried Mary, an
his wicked face wore sneering smile,
an he gev me one look, which said to me
plainly: Haven't kept my word?' But
l was determined to be revenged on him
who caused my bitter sorrow. 1t came
to my hand, my revenge did, unexpected.
One night / was comm alongst a lonely
country road. There was a moon, but
the clouds were scudding across it some
times, an thin all would be dark; an
thin she'd suddenly appear, lightin' up
everythin' quite clear. 1t was in another
county it was, away from my own place,
having gone there for work. i had to live
somehow an was bound to work. All
alone 1 walked an all alone in the world
l thought was too; when all of sud-
den horses throt sounded on the road,
comm toward me. l moved aside, to
let him pass, when he pulled up an
asked me if this road was not a short cut
to k. The moon shOne out then
clear an bright, an l see his face, an
heard his voice, an krae,o it aods him. In
an instant he was on the ground at my
feet. One blow from the stout stick /
carried had felled him from the saddle.
horse rushed away, an l dragged the
body inside low ditch. l took his
watch, purse an some papers that were
on him an left him, as if he had been
murdered for robbery's sake. l was
unknown in them parts. None would
ever suspect me in my own place. If
they searched for me never knew it.
got away from Queenstown by ship
which was short of hands, an as i had at
.. fhn ~
to boats they were glad to get me. Over
the vessels side I flung, as we left Cork
Harbor behind us, the watch and purse,
but the papers l kept. They were in one
small packet. / put them up; don't
know why, but did not like to destroy
them. They are now in my pocket. 1
went to San Francisco an [ went all
round the world, but never back to Ire
land. l changed my name, an none
who once knew me would have recog-
nized me, became SO changed in looks.
But, as it happened, Inever met one from
my old place. My revenge brought me
no comfort"
Here his voice quivered and he uttered
some wild ordinations. He was evil
IDENTIFY laboring under a terrible sense of
rcmOrse and his mind was wandering.
could see he was dying. He lay quite
still but for the deep heaving of the
chest. ! softly wiped away the death
dews. The eyes seemed to see nothing;
the face was still and fixed. The rafting
became fainter; he breathed at longer
intervals. Suddenly he put out one of
his hands feebly and touched mine; a
smile stole over the mouth that had not
smiled for years. az shall see Mary"
he said, and died. Just then, when all
was over with the miserable being, there
was a loud knocking at the door and
with rapture l heard the voice of
my husband: "Hollo! Nell! Let me in,
child. Where are you:"
I flew to the door, and, in the agitated
state of my feelings, l tainted away in
his arms. When / came to myself l was
in the kitchen, and Jack beside me; his
dear face looked pale with anxiety, and
he held me close to his heart as / told
him what had occurred, as soon as l
could find voice at all, and did not for
get to mention the packet.
Jack had been unable to leave L"
until late the preceding day, and had
been overtaken by the darkness. The
fog increasing, he had consented to ac-
cept a friends hospitality for the night,
but, being miserably uneasy about it, he
had started long before dawn, and, ar
irving home, beheld the strange scene
related.
l was ill, and it was good while be-
fore got well. In the interval my baby
was attended to by an English settlers
wife, who lived next to us. Having lost
her own child she nursed mine with care