Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1880-04-30


ed the door of the shanty he leaned against
the lamb and poked his naked head inside.
/ tanning himself in an embarrassed way
with his greasy fragment OF hat. He
had come there with the intention OF say
ing something, but the sight within made
him forget it.
Blake's widow sat there, as she had sat
pretty much all the tine since the murder,
staring straight before her, with her chin
in her palm. The sunlight struck through
the foliage of the red oak trees that grew
before the door, and cbeckered with flick
ering brightness the floor and cradle in
which Jem's baby was sleeping.
There it was, just as it had been three
days ago; could it be only three days?l
just as it had been when she went out that
morning to look after the drying clothes,
and left him standing in the door by the
cradle, (how fond he was of the baby just
as it was when she heard the crack of the
pisto and ran IN with an awful sense of
suffocating fright; just the same as she had
found him lying upon the cradle, dabbling
its white linen with his blood, and the ba-
by playing with his hair. She screamed
once, the frs and last complaint any one
heard b + make; then she was quiet
and helpful through |; when the men
came and lifted him up; when they laid
him on the rough bed the other room;
VIII n they arried him to the grave, she
followed 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 speaking. Jake
nodded pleasantly four or five times.
"Pooty chipper?" asked he.
Blake's widow smiled sadly, bent over
the sleeping child and smoothed the clothes
with tender touch.
"They're agoin' ter try him in a court, y
Jake went on, SAN I don't believe"
sTry who-Antonio?" she turned to-
ward the burly figure In the door with a
flash of interest in her black eyes.
Eyes. The judge is making court out
Of his shed. hope it'll turn out all right,
but it seems like giving that Mexican a
chance he oughtn't to have.''
''He can't get clear, can he?'' she asked,
rocking the cradle gently and patting the
coverlet.
81 don't see how, but he's got some kind
of law cuss to speak for him-a fellow
that stopped here day or two ago on his
way to Galveston, and it makes me kind o.
nervous
Blake's widow did not appear to notice
the last remark, for the child, disturbed by
the talking had awakened and sat up in
his cradle with wondering look.
''Pooty. amt he2" said Jake. regarding
the small figure with interest. ''Looks
lust like-ahem!-yo Poor little-I "a
he stammered and treated his hat like a
mortal enemy. '.Of course he's had
you've got-there amt nothin' I could dc
for ye, maybe?''
She answered with grateful look, but
it was accompanied by a shake Of the
head.
Jake bent down, and, with his big fore
! finger, softly rumpled the hair of the baby's
head; then he went out and left them
Blake's widow sitting as he had found hel
and the baby staring down the path after
him.
He walked on until he reached the toI
, of the little hill, where he could look dow1
upon the roof which covered the plteou
scene he had just left. Here he seemed tt
have half mind to turn back, for he hest
tated and stopped, but he changed his par
tial intention after lingering moment
and walked meditatively onward with th
exclamation, sWall, some women do bea
the dickens amaZin'."
/ Of course everybody came to the trial
The arrangements were soon found to b
altogether too meager. Pilbaldo's she'
r was filled to overaowing, and Bagget
v his store. Antonios lawyer. sharp eye
4 sharp-featured fellow from Galveston, ha
n hustled about with surprising agility on tn
a day previous, holding mysterious confer
+ ence with ill-conditioned fellows OF Cue
' dos kidney. Jake Smith was highly dis
l. satisfied, and even the judge was heard t.
It utter some misgivings; however, by tn
l. time the proceedings had really CON
y menced he gained confidence. The cour
n was assembled, the jury had been chosen
g and the witnesses were all present say
it one-Blake's widow. Pretty soon ther
a was stir at the door, then murmur 9
h surprise ran through the crowded room.
It II be blamed" said Jake Smith, aud
y bly,, ''if she hasn't brought her baby!'
J. What reason she may have had for nc
l. leaving the little thing in charge of som
n sympathizlng woman-and there were pier
% ty who would have been glad of the trus
e was not apparent; however that mlgf
t. be, there it was clasped firmly in ner arm
it's bright red cheek contrasting with he
y whiteness, and it's fathers sunny hal
mingling with her dark locks.
e With some difficulty way was mad
a. through the throng to her seat, which ha
70 been placed on one side of the judge, d
l. rectly opposite the candle-box on the othe
u where Antonio sat. She took her ,plae
N and never moved during the whole of tt
10 trial, excepting as she was required to tel
y tify, and once when the baby tugged
u some glistenipg thing that lay hidden
Ia | I 4 OF x,hioh Ohio