The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1880-11-17


envelope with pencil.
What are YOU doing?" demand
ed Ralph, eyeing him sharply.
Il am merely writing secret here,
which when YOU know what it IS
will induce YOU 10 change your
mind
What Is ii? Why don't you tell
it 10 me?'
"You will understand that when
YOU hear me read II.
Some trick but remember ! am
watching you.
While Ralph Moore lost none OF
his fierceness. and did not waver in
his murdeTous purpose, II was evl-
dent that his curiosity was aroused,
and he watched the young lawyer
closely as he wrote rapidly on the
envelope By the light of the moon.
well. what strange things have
YOU written? he asked sneerngly,
as Robert Craig finished
"I1l read it to YOU" replied Ro-
bert Craig.
Then he held the envelope Us, SO
that the moonlight fell upsn it. and
read as follows:
"ON WI SONS BRIDGE. GREEN
RIVER. Thursday night, be-
tween 10 d II o'clock, De-
cember y, 1870.
III am found murdered. be it
know that Ralph Moore, Of Upland,
Is the murderer. He stands before
me, while | write this, pointing a
rife at me, and declares that he will
shoot me. because he is jealous Of
me. ! am unarmed
ROBERT CRAIG,
Attorney-at-Law.
Ralph Moore uttered disdainfUl
laugh.
"Ha, ha, What good will that
scribbling DO YOU? ," he said Il
can destroy it while YOU float down
the river. You don't suppose /
would 60 and deliver it to the au-
thoritieS for vou-cven If ii Is your
diving rcQuest-lia, ha' hat
You won't deliver it for me ?'
asked Robert Craig. calm as ever
DO you think I'm a fool Come.
voHr times about up"
Won't YOU deliver this for me af-
ter I'm dead ~
No; of course not
Then ] know VINO Will.
who ~ asked Ralph, puzzled By
this strange conduct
The river!" and Robert Craig
sent the letter whirling from the
bridge. and il h0ated away on the
bosom of the rapid current
What does that meau?'
1t means, Mr.. Ralph Moore. that
YOU may now murder me just az
soon as you please. I'm as well
prepared to die as YOU are, and have
fully made up MY mind to die; but
! if | die you die too. The differ
encc viii be this ! die as a martyr,
and the man who will be remem-
bered in this community as honored
and loved while you 90 TO the gal
lows, n criminal, a convict, covered
with infamy, aud are there stran-
gled ike beast, and all who know
you will, in years TO come, only re-
member you and speak Of you as
the cowardly assassin Yho shot
down an unarmed man. Nov
shoot, just as soon as you please,
and that letter floating down the
river will tell the tale on you, and
YOU viii be hunted down !"
Robert Craig stood with his arms
folded, apparently as fearless of the
threatening weapon as though it
were a mullin stalk. Ralph Moore
seemed somewhat taken aback He
stood in silence a moment, still cov-
ering his intended victim, then said :
Nonsense! Don't you suppose |
can get than letter inside of an
hour ?"
"How?" asked Robert Craig, very
eomplaeently.
Il could swim for it if necessary" "
The water would chill you to
death in ten minutes"
you know very well that there
is no boat within ten miles, except
4. the Learest ferry, and there the
oars are looked up, and could not be
had before morning. By that time
the letter viii have hOated many
miles away, and probably has been
picked up and handed to the au-
thorities. Oh, blaze away! I'd rath-
er YOU would now since, have
made up my mind 10 die and have
you hanged !"
Ralph Moore stood for half a min
ute, with thethreatening rifle still at
an aim, apparently unable to make
Iup his mind whether 10 risk the
galloWs or not; then he said:
But If | spare you, and that let
ter is found, what explanation can
be made of it?"
Il might say it was 4 joke; and
in any event, if | should be still
found alive, it would be easy to
prove that YOU didn't kill me"
Ralph Moore placed his rifle up
on his shoulder and walked away,
muttering, with an angry oath
I'm a fool! | ought to have done
the work without giving him a
chance to play such 4 lawyers
trick y
Robert Craig stood upon the
bridge, watching the would-be as
sassin till he was out of sight, then
once more gazed down upon the
clear, cold waters of the river, and
said aloud:
I'm the luckiest man living! No
floating to night, thank you :"
The next day Ralph Moore abrupt
ly started on a trip TO California,
much to the surprise of the commu-
nifty, and he never returned TO Ken
tucky.
Robert Craig ? All, if | should
give his real name. the reader would
know that it was the life of sine
famous man that was saved that
frosty night, years ago, by an argu-
ment on the bridge.
"Weathering."