The Red Cloud chief., 1880-02-26
BLAkE'S WIDOW.

.Jem Blake had been shot dead in his
own doorway by Antonio Gueldo, and
the trial WAS la come off directly.
The extraordinary interest in the AZ
fair was less due 10 the murder and Its
= peculiar circumstances, than 10 the fact
that this was the first case tried At San
Saba in any more formal court than the
time-houored institution Of Judge
Lynch. Jem had been a quiet man and
a rood ~neighbor, with a hand always
ready To help any one who was Il of
luck, so public sentiment ran pretty
high against Antonio. If the general
inclination had been followed-as, up
to that time it always had-the last
named gentleman would have found
very scant opportunity 20 make any re-
marks in his own behalf. However,
things were advancing 1T San Saba as
well - elsewhere, and it wouldn't DO 10
hang Antonio without a regular trial,
no matter how agreeable such 4 pro-
Lecding might be Ia the people at large.
- ran the opinion expressed by Judge
Piiblado, whose ideas on such subjects
twerc usually accepted without comment.
Nevertheless, there was more than one
dissqnter in the present instance, to
whom il was by no means clear that
there could be any sense or profit in
thus beating about the bush.
..Ef Antonio's goin ter be hung, why
IN - don't we hang him?"
This was the pertinent query of Jake
+ Smith, the leader of the opposing fac
ton. and his view of the question put it
in so clear a light that the Judge had
.--,,. .l;eEc,ltx~ IN iunnra-sfnr nanpla
with his conviction. He said that
things had gone on in an irregular way
long enough, and here was a chance to
start the law in properly, and give it a
fair show. Besides, it didn't make any
: kind of difference: Antonio had shot
.Jem, hadn't he? Well, then what was
the use of talking? All the jury would
have To do now was 10 return their yer-
diet of guilty in the first degree, and
there YOU were all comfortable. II was
lust the same thing in the end-eNactly.
Il tell YER" said the Judge, who felt
the weight of his title. albeit the same
was altogether n of courtesy; Il tell
yer there's nothin' Ike dom 4 thing
\ regular; p%artikerlally when yer know
\ lust how it's comm OUT
So the Judges argument, supported
by his influence, and increasing bias at
san Saba in favor of more civilized
views, settled the matter, and ii was de-
cided that Antonio Gueldo should be
tried before he was hanged.
As there was no place specially
arranged for such ceremonies, Judge
Pitblado Hospitality offered the use of
his shed. Here a rough table and chair
-n ,faaal Cor -ha I,Ira IL a.L,~
necessary furniture, intended to repre-
sent the dock, the stand, etc., being
/. eked out with boxes from Silas Baggett's
grocery store
Jake Smith looked on at these prep
arations for 4 time with frowning dis
content, and then strolled down the
road. turning into the lane that led o
Biake's. When he reached the door of
the shanty he leaned against the lamb
and poled his naked head inside, fam
mag himself in an embarrassed way
with his greasy fragment of a hat. He
/had come there with the intention of
saving something, but the sight within
made him forget it.
Blake's widow sat there, as she had
sat pretty much all the time since the
murder. staring straight before her, with
her chin in her palm. The sunlight
struck through the foliage of the red
Acak trees that grew before the door, and
> checkered with Pickering brightness the
floor and the cradle where Jem's baby
was sleeping. There it was, Just as it
had been three days ago.; (couid it be
only three days?) just as it had been
when she went out that morning TO look
after the drying clothes, and left him
,standA in the door BY the cradle,
Nhow Wnd he was of the baby,) Just as
il was when she heard the crack of the
pistol, and ran in with an awful sense
Of suffocating fright; just the same as
she had found him lying upon the era
die, dabbling its white linen with his
blood, and the baby playing with his
hair. She screamed once, the first and
last complaint any one had heard her
make; then she was quiet and helpful
through it all; when the men came and
lifted him up; when they laid him out
upon the rough bed in the other room /:
when they carried him to his grave, she
following with the baby in her arms.
'Jake Smith was trying to find the
link missing in his thoughts; he shifted
with perplexity or something-and
Blake's widow looked up without speak.
ing. Jake nodded pleasantly four o,
i've times.
.Pooty chipper?" asked he.