Litchfield enquirer., 1877-11-29
-.. ..nh will ron2,, exclaimed Hone delight

ed, while Mrs. Antoine rose, hastened into the house. and returned with the entire collection, which she had worked since she left the con vent. The peddler was an evil-looking man, and Hope was afraid to be left alone with him, but Colonel Antoine sauntered in at the gate as 1 his wife entered the house. For wonder he was sober, and Hope felt her courage revive. He regarded the peddler gruf11y, and began to l scold Mrs. Antoine when she returned, though his ill-humor vanished when he saw that she was selling, not buying. The stranger selected 1 a number of bands, and paid for them from a chamois-skin purse filled with gold pieces, which he took from his bosom. The c0loners eye glittered as it fell upon it, and his manner l changed perceptibly.
 Are you going on to Conflict ?" he asked, as the peddler returned the emptied gourd, which Mrs Antoine had offered him filled with wa ter, and stopped to take up his pack. ''Yes we'll, so am I, and I'll walk along with you. 1 You look tired just sling your pack across l Sarsaparilla. l don't mind a tramp with a | pleasant companion" .sa . Mrs. Antoine looked. frightened. Such con- descensien on the part of the colonel was to say the least, unusual and portentous. l The next day the little Sabbath school of which Squire May had been the originator, and which held it's meetings in the log school house | two miles away, met at bis house for celebra- | He Il 1 about a table-cloth spread upon the grass, on which the food was laid in picnic fashion. As soon as the children were helped the squire disappeared, and while he was gone report | of a pistol was heard. He returned in the 1 course of an hour to say that a swing was ready, and Gus Antoine remained for some time longer tossing the little ones into the air. l On his way home, as his foot touched the little bridge which he had built across the Wild ! (S- c.- # l Gus's eye was caught by anobiect in the ravine I below. It was his father, lying half in and half out of the water, with his face covered l with blood.ss Quick as thought he swung him | self down to his side. There was 8 deep, round, | terrible hole in his forehead, from which the l blood had flowed, that formed this mdeOus mask and he was quite dead. The boy tried to lift him out of the water, but, finding it i'm possible, he washed away every trace of blood | from his face-no one else should see his father | look like that-and then he went on towards | home for help. The Missourians had nearly all gone but Big Bill, cousin of Mrs. AntOine's had remained after the election, and was just bid ding her goodbye, and remained now to render assistance.
 The funeral followed soon after. AS Squire May was on his way to attend it, sheriff seiz- | ed him by the shoulder, and arrested him for the murder. Frightened Hope ran with the news to her mother, and even beneath this crushing blow the heroic woman did not finch. It was her arm that supported the hysterical widow as they stood together at the brink of l the grave, and it was Gus Antoine who com l forted sobbing Hope, saying that he knew her | father had not killed his and it would be so l proven. When Mrs. Antoine heard of it she was no less positive as tothe squires innocence, and her tears fell like rain over her black bom- l baZine dress, which she was making over for | Hope to wear at the trial.
 How stiflingly hot the court-room.was, pack | ed to it's utmost with an intensely excited au- dience and still they came, long after Hope | was certain that there was not room for anoth- | CT one. She had never seen so many people before, and, looking around upon them from her seat in the upper part of the room, saw only a sea of heads. She was conscious of but one I individual face, that of her father, pale but calm in front of the swaying mass. By and by the lawyers began talking She felt faint; l; l it all buzzed and hummed through her head j; ' she eoslla not have fold q word that they were saving After what seemed to hera long while l the witnesses for the prosecution were called, and Big Bill took the stand. He related the quarrel between the colonel and Square May at the polls, enlarging upon it and running on in a way that showed him entirely too willing a witness. Then the widow Antoine was sworn. She trembled violently, and nothing could be got from her except by questions.
 '..What time was it when your husband left the house?"
 Twelve o'clock" came in enlightened gasp from behind the black veil.
 ''How, do you knowit was twelve o'clock ?"
 Because dinner had just been placed upon the table,"
 Do you always have dinner at exactly noon 2"
 ''No, but as he left the door heard the whistle at Gatlings sawmill."
 ''Why did he leave the house just as dinner was ready?"
 ''He was angry because the boys were not at home, and said he would go down to the bridge and call them"
 'That is sufficient" said the attorney, next calling sFMaster Gus Antoine" Gus came for ward reluctantly, with an appealing glance to- ward Hope, as though he were asking her for giveness beforehand for what he was about to say then he looked in the same way toward Squire May, who answered his glance by an encouraging nod of the head.
 ''Did you attend the picnic at the house of the prisoner ?"
 Gus swallowed hard, pulledhis jacket down strongly, and replied, ''Yes, sir
 ''Was the prisoner with you throughout the whole day ?'
 ''NO, sir"
 | At what time did he leave you 7!
 ''At 12 o'clock"
 ''How do you know it was 12 o'clocK?"
 'I heard the whistle at Sam Gatling's."
 Did you hear anything else remarkable soon after tlis and before the return of the prisoner? ?" .s.I
 The boys face famed scarlet and white in streaks and patches, as though he had been struck with whip of thongs, but he answer ed bravely, ''Yes, sir, heard pistol shot,"
 "How do you know thatit was not shot from this carbine? ?"
 Because know the noise that old shooter makes. Squire May has lent it to me often to hunt partridges."
 'sYou may sit down."
 Gus paid no attention to the lawyers order, but, leaning forward, eagerly addressed the judge and the jury: ''Mayitplease your hon or, and you gentlemen of the jury" he said Squire May smiled. ''He gets that from me, :" he said to himself, for they had talked often of law and legal terms on their geographical trip. "What fine lawyerhe will make, "he thought. -''and you gentlemen of the jury" Gus went on, T would like to make a few further re- marks"
 If they have anything to do with facts bear ing upon this case," said the judge, with a smile at the boy'sattempt at forensic eloquence, E'you may proceed"
 My mother and 1, sir, do not believe that Squire May shot my father. We think that the murderer was stranger from whom fa- ther had won a considerable sum of money the night before." - l 1.-The court has nothing to do," said the judge, with what you or your mother may think or believe. The question is, Can you prove anything p r.s
 s.No, sir" feplied Gus. q went down to the Union saloon and found that father had won the money from peddler; that the man who lost it was desperate, but he hadleft town and no one knew where he had gone or what was his name"
 sMay it please your honor" said the prose cutting attorney, .'all this seems to me utterly irrelevant and a useless consumption of pre-