The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1879-11-11

Tonight, she said coaxingly.. "Don't
90 out tonight" f5a afs'r .es4f
"But- I promised Mrs Ellis would
come. Besides"-and his voice drop
ped reprovingly-"do you think 1 am
less In Gods hands out Of doors than
am here by nv own fireside p
At which she never said another word,
only she kissed him more than once be-
fore be turned to 60 out.
And that ] believe, is the last time we
should ever have seer him alive but for
Pentateuch. The boy sat all the while
on cricket by the fire, listening eagerly
to what was said, though he appeared to
be thinking only of the chestnuts he was
roasting. .t
l must pause a moment here to tell
you about young Ellis. His was an M
pleasant story, and 1 will not dwell upon
its details. He was wild, desperate
young fellow, the son of one of, the dea-
cons of fathers, church. ~
From the time that be was old enough
to walk he had never caused his parents
anything but pain and trouble, until one
night in the last spring, he had stained
his hands, already black with sin, with a
most dreadful crime-the murder Of his
own father. ,t..t.. ,..l +.
He bad been arrested, tried and con-
victed OF the crime, mainly through my
fathers testimony. s~s4 e-.s--...ff
The connection of all this with the
story / have to tell grew ont Of few
words that the young man uttered as he
left the court room after the verdict had
been given. As he was taken out OF the
room he passed my father. who was sit
ting near the door.
at is to ssu," he said in low, bis.
sing voice, "that owe all this. Now
mark you: the allows me year to live
Before Gcd swear that will leave no
effort untried to make you suffer for
what you have brought upon me to.
day" .a-'0 2'sa
It was these words that came to my
mothers mind, and to the minds of al
of us, that November night when We
learned that the murderer was again al
large.
One would think that we shuold no,
have cared to. talk about this terrible
threat after father had gone out; but We
did talk about it, and gradually worked
ourselves into a state OF nervous appre.
hension that could hardly have been
greater had we really known Of the great
danger that father was in. =
Every once in while I noticed that
Pentateucb was listening. intently to
what was said, and was rolling his eyes
about in wondering awe.
The old-.ashioned clock in the corner
struck eight, and then nine. We did
not expect father back much before ten.
About nine Pentateuch arose and
stood moment, yawning and swinging
his arms about. s ~
q 81 guess I'll 60 ter bed," said he.-
s.Dis chile,a Freedoms sleepv -
81 wish, Pentateuch," said my mother
''that you would cit up until John comes
home"a aia rag e3a9ssga ~
Pentateuch, however. only gave an
other frightful yawn and replied:
30 SHOULDN'T tink of it.. Missus Morris
My eyes dey keep slammin' demselves
too hard every minnit. Couldn't keeI
um open any longer to save me from
'structlon."b "baa'j2 iasiha01 aise3 e &.
r. And IS he always did just as be pleas
edyin spite of any Of us, he was permit
ted to depart. setfius oNi q7'ati g Z
And now shall tell you of everything
that followed, just as l believe it mus
have happened, though I-myself did no
know of all the circumstances until som'
time later. i 40f a5 9S3 Z
Pentateuch did not 20 to bed as h,
had said he should. He had no soone
closed the door behind him than withou
stopping even for his hat, he stole out o
the back door, down the path to th
| gate, and then set of at the top of hi
speed down the road toward the meeting
/ house. ef8I B
He had put what he had just hear
side by side with the faces of two me-
he had seen near the house that after
noon, and he feared that their. appear
auce had something to do with the es
cape Of Ellis from prison. r 6a
Arrived at the meeting house cornel
Pen:ateuch stopped moment undec
ded. There Was a dark, narrow cross
road that turned off here and ran dow
through bit of woods to the house {
tb 4. xp;dau File r..- q n sr- .a-.
Could my father navsS come up yet, q
was he still at the housep apfs3
That was the question that Pentateuc
stood asking himself, when he saw
faint fash of light appear and disappes
some distance down the road.
~ Without farther hesitation he starte
onlagaiD, though quite cautiously.
Just at the edge of the wood his ga
caught the sound of voices only shol
distance before him. aiiisK Ht'Qt 81
He had barely time to drop on b
knees ia the bushes beside the roa
| when those who were speaking passe
by. Two dusky, stalwart forms wei
, bearing an unconscious burden betwee
them, which PeDtateuch thought was tt
body Of my father. eHsFa 2
d A sudden rage flled the devoted lad
soul, and he would have confronted II
men, but few words spoken by one {
them made him think that his kin
friend was not seriously hurt and
sank back in silence l93E esie
"The blow will Last him until We q
| to. the church, gness,"-these were'tf
. words. "If be ever comes to himse
he'll find that hanging near his own pu
! Pitgisn't 80 pleasant as TO spread ,himse
, in his Sunday sermons there. He
| never testify against me any more" q
i, Then they passed on with their bu
I den and Pentateuch, startled and col
fused by what he had seen aud hear
4 followed cautiously on the lonely roa
r not yet comprehending the terrible pu
4 pose they had in mind ae48 q
p n II never occurred to Pentateuch to /
for assistance; he just followed the mi
up the road again to the door Of &
: church. Then waiting outside q N
" ment after they bad disappeared with
Is be crept stealthily in and up the stai
t. after them into the body of the churc
el And there crouching down behind o
b OF the back pews, and watching the N
> az we'll as he could in the darkness,
W all at once understood what they mes
10 r. B