Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-12-10

clare. The anticipation of this day
always created good deal of excite
ment in the minds of the peasants in and
around Storport, for it was always con-
stituted sort of gala day; but the an
nouncement of the fair of 1877 brought
with it whisperings of woe to many
home. The crops had been bad that
year, and the miserable half starved
tenants had been unable to scrape TO-
gether enough money to pay the rent, 80
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 usher
ed in with hurricanes of binding sleet,
[ ordered Shawn to bring out the horse
and car, that we might drive into Porta-
clare together. By the time we had
started the hail had ceased to fall, but
still the wind blew bitterly, freezing
with its icy breath the little pools on the
wayside, and when we drove into Porta-
clare 1 fell almost rs if my blood was
frozen. 1t was midday by that time,
and, save for ope or two decrepid old
men whom wehad passed ON the road, we
were the last to arrive. What gather
ing there was The streets of the little
town were so crowded that it was almost
impossible to make ene's Roadway
along. In the market.pla bevies of
rosy-cheeked servant girls stood waiting
to be hired: pigs grunted and squealed
as the drovers whipped them along; the
shop-keepers stood st their doors shrek
ing to the passengers to buy; the agent
sat in his cosy parlor in the inn COM
fortably enjoying his glass of wine,
gazing with q smile into the wild, woe
BECOME faces of the creatures whom he
has summoned thither, and determinedly
shaking his head at every heart-broken
appeal.
Don't come to me-" ne said; +" Pm
done with yea lot OF lazy spendthrifts
as ye are. Ye'll 60 before them to-day
ash make ye pay"
| sat in remote corner of the room,
and quietly watched the wretche
creatures who crowded around the man
their wild eyes, their famished faces,
their trembling bodies clad in the dirty
rags which were their sole protection
from the cold. And as / glanced from
them to the frozen window psnes, and
the sleet which fell, covering with thin
crystal sheet the curb atone of the street,
my heart turned sick.
"Poor, miserable, half-starved wretch
esp thought, most of you will have
sore hearts tonight, for you will lose
your little all, God help you'll and there
will be nothing but starvation leftl"
Heart-sick at the sight of go much woe
which [ was utterly powerless to relieve,
[ arose and was about to leave the room,
when nay eyewas suddenly arrested by a
figure, ragged, wild, and woebegone.
which crouched close up by the window.
Five minutes before, Ihad seen this man
crouched like stricken beast before the
agent, his skeleton hands outstretched,
bis parched lips suing for mercy.
"For the love Of God, Toney Norma
CHEN, niver be hard on poor boy" be
had said; q" all my potatoes had the black
disease this year, and they rotted ia the
ground. My pig took the sickness and
died. have two little children down
wild fever, and if ye take away my
cow, I'll have no dhrap Of milk to give
them, and they'll diel"
This appeal, heart-breaking as it was,
had met with the usual repulse:
Don't bring yer Lies to me. YEN go
before them as III make We pay.
So the man had crept back into the
shadow, and IS ] saw him crouched be-
side the window, | noticed that the pit
eous look of appeal had left his face; his
features were strangely convulsed, his
wild eyes cleaned, and his hand clinch.
ed and unclinched in nervous dread.
THAT man means mischief" | said as
! passed out into the street.
At two O'Clock the tenants cases were
to be called on, and as the hands of the
clock approached that hour / made my
way through the crowded street in the
direction of the court. The wind blew
bitterly, thin flakes of snow were fall
ing, and as walked I felt the ice crack
ing and breaking beneath my feet. l
noticed to my wonder that the streets
through which passed were almost de-
serted. Presently succession of means
and cries struck upon my ear; then I
noticed that people were running ex-
citedly, and, following the direction
which they took, at length found my
self on the outskirts of a great crowd
which was collected i'll the principal
street before the opening door Of the
court. Seeing my own servant among
the throng, questioned him as to the
cause of the excitement, for I noticed
many of the people were wringing their
hands, others moaned feebly, while
others glared around them with wild
eyes, and then seemed to utter signs of
relief. Instead of replying to my ques-
ton, Shawn took me by the shoulders
and gently propelled me into the middle
of the throng.
There / saw the cause of the distur-
bance.
Lying on the curb-stone, his head sup
ported in the arms of a policeman, his
face open to the wondering gaze of hun
dreds of eyes, was the agent, stone dead.
His body was surrounded by policemen
warders of the court-nay, at the cry of
murder the very judge upon the bench
had stopped the course of justice and
come fourth.
&