Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1879-06-28


clerk, fellow whom I recognizes
as one of Roses old admirers:
''Is there young girl livins
round here by the name of Rosl
Wynne? Cause I've got lette
for her."
"Then you've got letter for /
dead woman,v he said. "Rost
Wynne is dead; drowned in the
river.v
"Who did it?" / asked, turning
cold.
"Did it herself, Isuppose. Inevel
heard of anyone else being accused
of it.n
"And why should she? Where
is Andy Davis ?" [ blurted out be
fore / knew what / was about.
ssOh, Andy went away ever SO
long ago. / guess Rose and he were
engaged. 1t was thought that they
quarreled, maybe, and that that
was why she drowned herself"
/ did not continue the conversa-
ton, but left the store and went
back to my room.
That night / dreamed that Rose
came to my bedside and stood look
ing at me just as she had under my
window, and said:
at was Andy Davis; remember
your promise"
"Well, | made some more inqui-
ries round and found the general
impression was that Rose had
drowned herself, just as the clerk
had told me. The body had never
been found, but she was missing,
and her handkerchief and gloves,
and the hat she wore the night she
disappeared, were picked up on the
river bank. The water was very
swift here, and it was generally be-
lieved the body had drifted out to
the lake.
Well, 1 had some pretty curious
thoughts. Was Rose dead or wasn't
she? At all events there was
mystery, and l was just the fellow
to ferret it out. The first thing was
to find Andy Davis. So, just as
soon as | got through the business L
was on, started on his track.
/ was obliged to hunt for him
much longer than / expected; but
1 found him at last. The longer |
looked for him the more suspected
he had something ugly on his mind.
People with clear conscience amt,
as a general thing, so hard to find.
Well, as | said, found him at last,
working on farm, and he a car
penter by trade. He was good
two hundred miles from Evans
Corners, and he'd got a new name,
besides.
He called himself Thompson, but
he couldn't Thompson me. l knew
him the minute l put my eyes on
him. He was at supper with the
man he was working for and the
other farm hands, and / stood and
watched him through the kitchen
window some minutes. He had
changed a good deal, got thin and
yellow, and had a sort of hunted
look in his eyes that settled his case
for me then and there. Inever saw
that look in an innocent mans face.
The kitchen door stood open, and
/ walked in without any ceremony,
and going directly up to him laid |
my hand on his shoulder.
"How do you do, Mr.. Davis ?"
said /. You should have seen him.
I'VE had some experience with
frightened men, but / can safely say |
with truth, that / never saw one so
scared as he was. | never in my
life saw face turn so white as his
did. First he jumped up and looked
round as if he was going to run,
then he sat down again and set his
teeth hard. You see, he recognized
me, and knew that was a detect
i've.
"My. name amt Davis" said he,
at me with eyes like
Goals. 81 don't know you, SIR"
"Your name is Davis, and know
you if you don't know me-" 1 an
swered in a low voice. "Who do
you suppose sent me here after
you ?"
His eyes almost jumped out of his
head, and his teeth would chatter
in spite of himself.
''ROse Wynne sent me-" / went
on "you know what for"
When | said that, the wretch fell
on his knees, and fairly howled for
mercy.
"I'll confess" he shrieked; 81
killed her, / did. I'd sworn Shell
don shouldn't have her, and /
killed her to keep her from marry
ing him. She said she'd haunt me
for it, She said she'd come out of
her grave to hang me, and she has
kept her VOW"
took him back to Evans Corn
ars as fast as we could travel, and
lodged him in the prison there.
The trial came off in due time.
There wasn't one atom of evidence
that he did the deed except his own
to me. He hadn't opened
his lips to anyone since; and when
called upon to plead "Guilty, or not
guilty." the villain answered "NOt
guilty." after all.
AS he said the words there was a
slight stir among the crowd behind {
him, He looked round, and some
hing he saw there turned his face
,halky.
He gave a sort of gasp, staggered
upon his feet, and fairly screamed {
put "Guilty!" and fell down in
it.
They carried him out writhing
md foaming at the mouth, and as
hey did so, woman dressed in s
JIdcK cdDl6 IOEWdTu anu luIOW DdCh
ler veil. 1t was Rose Wynne alive, {
md standing before US more heauti- s
ul than ever,
''He tried to kill me,n she said. {
1T was not his fault that he did
lot succeed. / had been engaged 8
% marry Mr.. Sheldon a long time, {
,ut because my father was opposed {
@ him and favored Mr.. Davis, we {
lad kept the engagement secret /
rom everyone. j had gone out
hat night, by appointment, to meet {
ny promised husband, and as was 7
.rossing on the railroad bridge over {
her river, Andrew Davis came t
rom the other side and met me. l
He told me if / did not promise \
o marry him then and there he'd G
hrow me over the bridge into the ]
liver. ] was always afraid of him ; a
le had such savage look in his I
yes sometimes, and knew him to
)e terribly jealous of Mark Sheldon. ]
But would not promise him any
hing of the kind. l could not be- t
ieve he would really carry out his c
hreat, and / expected Mark would /
.ome ever minute. t
'"When he took hold Of me, andiI /
,aw he was in earnest and really ! G
meant to drown me, struggled [
4 II n |