The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1879-12-17

with it whisperings of woe to many a
home. Tho crops had beed bad that
year, and the miserable half starved
tenants had been unable to scrape to-
gether enough money to pay the rent, so
the proctor had summoned them to at
tend the sessions at Portaclare in order
that they might show cause why they
should not deliver up the whole of their
worldly goods.
On the eventful day, which was ush-
cred in with hurricanes of binding sleet,
l ordered Shawn to bring out the horse
and car, that we might drive into Port
aclare together. By the time we started
the hail had ceased to fall, but still the
wind blew bitterly, freezing with its
icy breath the little pools ON the way
side, and when we drove into Portaclare
felt aim ost as if my blood was frozen.
1t was midday by that time, and, save
for one or two decrepid old men whom
we had passed on the road, we were the
last to arrive. What gathering
there was! The streets of the little
town were so crowded that it was almost
impossible to make ones way along.
In the market-place bevies of rosy
checked servant girls stood waiting to
be hired: pigs grunted and squealed as
the drovers whipped them along; the
shop-keepers stood at their doors shrek
ing to the passengers to buy; the agent
sat in the cozy parlor of the inn COM
fortably enjoying his glass of wine, gaz-
ing with smile into the wild, woe-be-
gone faces of the creatures whom he had
summoned thither, and determinedly
shaking his head at every heart broken
appeal. ~a..
Don't come to me-" he said "I'm
done with yea lot of lazy spendthrifts
as ye are. Ye'll go before them to-day
as'll make ye pay."'s-s.........,-zs-y
l sat in q remote corner of the room,
and quietly watched the wretched crea-
lures who crowded around the man
their wild eyes, their fan1ished faces,
their trembling bodies clad in the dirty
from the cold. And as / glanced from
them to the frozen window -panes, and
the sleet which fell, covering with thin
crystal sheet the curbstone of the street
my heart turned sick. .l- ..a
Poor. miserable. half starved
wretches" l thought, most of you
will have sore hearts tonight, for you
will lose your little all, God help you
and there will be nothing but starvation
left" -1a
Heart-sick at the sight of SO mucl
woe which l was utterly powerless to re
lieve, arose and was about to leave tn,
room, when my eye was suddenly ar
rested by a figure, ragged, wild, ant
woeEegone, which crouched close up b!
E the window. Five minutes before,
had seen this man crouched like
! stricken beast before the agent, hi
:, skeleton hands outstretched, his parchet
, lips suing for mercy
For the love of God, Tony Norma
CHEN, niyer be hard on a poor boy" h
had said; all my potatoes had tn
r black disease this year, and they rotte'
in the ground. My pig took the sick
ness and died. have two little childrel
, down wild the fever, and if ye take ava.
, my cow, I'll have no dhrap of milk t.
, give them, and they'll diee' q
This appeal, heart breaking as it was
had met with the usual repulse:
g 8 Don't bring yer lies to me. Yell q
| before them as II make We pay"
) So the man had crept back into th
shadow, and as I saw him crouched be
side the window, L noticed that tn
-s l. =, n,1 h,I 1oft h so g.,
: his features were strangely convulsed
: his wild eyes cleaned, and his hant
, clinched and unclinched in nervou
dread.
, THAT man means mischief, said a
t / passed out into the street.
l At two o'clock the tenants cases wer
: to be called on, and rs the hands of TIL
clock approached that hour / made m,
way through the crowded streets in th
i direction of the court. The wind bley
| bitterly, thin flakes of snow were fall
: ing, and as I walked / felt the ice crack
! ing and breaking beneath my feet.
noticed to my wonder that the street
5 through which passed were almos
| deserted. Presently a succession G
then noticed that people were runnin
| excitedly, and, following the direction
t which they took, at length fourd my
4 self on the outskirts of great crow
A which was collected in the principa
5 street before the opening door of tn
3 court Seeing my own servant amongs
: the throng, l questioned him rs to til
cause of the excitement, for / notice
: many of the people were wringing thei
e hands, others moaned feebly, Will
others glared around them with wil'
eyes, and then seemed to utter sighs c
relief. Instead of replying to my ques
e ton, Shawn took me by the shoulder
and gently propelled me into the middl
of the throng.
lThereI saw the cause of the disturb
+ aGce.
i, Lying on the curbstone, his head sup
ported in the arms of a policeman, hi
: face open to the wondering gaze of hun
! dreds of eyes, was the agent, stone-dead
T His body was surrounded by the police
! men, -warders of the court--nay, at tn
i cry of murder the very judge upon tn
! bench had stopped the course of justic
: and come forth.
, Good Cod" I exclaimed, recoilin
upon Shawn; "how did this happenp
y He was Just walkin' along the street
rhonor," said Shawn. quietly, "whe
he fell and laid his head down an
: died." $780, - ss.-a !, s.
Murderedp"
. .'Oh, God forbid! yer honor: wins
: for should he be kilt at all, at all ?"
Nevertheless felt convinced that m
J disposition was right; nay more. | b'