Litchfield enquirer., 1881-04-14
WAS IT LOVE, OR HATREDs

WAS IT LONE, OR 6AIhED. had seen something of certain parts of the State, but was fresh arrival in the little community of Jocyltown and knew very few of the inhabitants well before an affair occurred which placed me at once on the | footing of the oldest citizen. The hotel was 1 the ouly brick building in the place,-a new settlement ou the plains which has since be- come thriving centre of two railways, and, 1 in the hotel, all that was of brick was the front Compared to that of the log house op- | posite it was imposing, for there, Jocyl. the oldest inhabitant, had passed lonely exist euce before he laid out his farm in building 1 lots, and started the new town by the simple expedient of running up the Lotel. Next door to tue ilotel, on either side, were the two prin- cipal stores of Jocyiton, built of pine and clap l boarded, and across the way, close to the log 1 hut with it's lean to addition, laborers were | digging the foundations of a Methodist church. 1 The main hotel was not so high in the caves l as the brick front. but it spread over good | deal of ground, and an extension had been run | to the rear with two elbows, 80 as to bring the | rear back again to the line of the street, be- | yond one of the stores This addition had a l door marked Ladies Entrance" and Jocyl- town was not long in finding out that it had 1 been we'll named. for at least one lady, and a very pretty one too, was in the habit of con- 1 ing in and out that way. We'll, in this rear I extension the sensation had it's start, for a young married woman had been found one morning severely stabbed, while her husband had left town suddenly on a horse belonging to the hotal keeper. When discovered she could not speak, but she made no sign of denial when asked if her husband had stabbed her. This was enough for the inhabitants of Jocylton. The lady had been seen and ad- mired for her beauty; of the husband little was known, save that he never stood treat at the bar, and seemed moping sort of fellow | who kept aloof from folks and put on airs of superior learning. At the store, where he was acting as chief clerk, he served his customers with as few words as they would allow. He had made horrible assault with intent to kill and probably had succeeded in his purpose l The men who met together at the bar were convinced of the fact, and decided that par 1 ties should start at once in search of the offender - f-. .--...
 ''It aint actually necessary to bring him in" said the leader in this decision, as he separated
 with his party toward the north 'twhat is most to be looked after is, that he don't get further and try it on again! He's horse thief. anyhow
 With these indefinite instructions clearly enough understood, we turned westward and struck out into the prairie.
 l had two reasons for accompanying this party. One was, that in this direction knew the land pretty we'll. and might very likely come across persons with whom 1 was &C., quainted another was to verify theory 1 had picked up from somebody. l had been told that fugitives, unless they have some definite plan of flight, are more apt to run to the west than to any other point of the con- pass. From the general aspect of the case, 1
 was pretty sure the crime was a nasty one, and the criminal man without fixed pur- pose. The road we followed was SO full of
 racks that nothing could be done in the way of tracing the criminal by signs. Our only plan was to follow the old-estabshed trail
 until we met some one who might have seen the culprit. We had ridden about twelve miles before turn occurred in the road. At point where the plain rose to ridge before
 flowing up toward hilly country with some timber beyond, it turned abruptly to the south. Just here my theory stood me in good stead, for l watched the edge of the trail sharply as we made the bend, and there, sure enough, were fresh tracks of q hose b.tween the thin wiry grass, and pointing to the west | ward! Without a word of comment my companions turned their horses and we all rode a little way at 8 trot. Presently I be gan. to look about me and recognized the To- cality.
 We have him." said l. ''He has put up ] at Clarks, over on the oak barrens."
 AL this name my companions looked grave, but then, justice must be done, and they had the orders of the community.
 How many miles ?" said one l "Six, or seven."
 "Humph! Sandy road, too, most of it, I'll be bound. If we rest the horses now, we can fetch it by sunset"
 Tk owing chiefly to my uncertainty of the road.
 However, as losg as there was light we were certainly on the right track, suppOsing always that the hoof marks we were following did not belong to some one else. Later on it was needless to ste them, because there was no house except Clark's in the neighborhood. was little nervous at what our reception might be- Clark was not the man to allow a lot of fellows to surround his house after dark without protest that might send more than one saddle home empty. 1 suggested that one sLouli ride ahead and knock Clark up, while the others should follow immediately on the sound of parleyine.
 l It was black as pitch as I rode up to the frame dwelling house It had been built in a city many hundred miles away, and put up nere in pieces brought by rail and OK carts across rivers and prairies In that rough piece of country it looked by daylight as if it
 nad dropped from some city which had taken 10 travelling through the air at night a stranger coming upon it would not have be. | lieved a modern frame house possible in such spot.
 What the - do you want, anyhow ?" cried Clark from an upper window after a prolonged siege of knocking. Knowing that he must have rife In one hand and a pistol in the other, hastened to name myself. and begged him to come down and let me in.
 This he proceeded to do with much better | grace than his first words might have led one | to suspect; for, with Clark, oaths were of | li'tle more account than extra breaths; they l served as convenient points in his discourse | for putting on the stress of voice. Emphasis IS difficult matter to arrange for the best of us; but Clarks arrangement was simplicity I itself, for he used imprecations merely as step
 ping-stones down the shallow river of his dis | course. asSse *Es4 l There's man put up here that we are after" said 1. He's cut his wife pretty badly down at the hotel in Jocyltown. and gone away,on old Jocyl's mare. We want you to | give him up." ...
 ''Now,. hold on" said Clark, stepping back. l You're my friend, and calc'lat you're far, but who the - is 'we'2 There IS a man put up here. wont deny; but don't give no man away; want you to understand that"
 "Why, you don't want to protect murder CT, do you '" said I. ..a..l | How do 1 know he's murderer? You say SO, and 1 wont give you the lie But ] don't really know anything about it. The mans in my house, and while he's there, he's 1 safe.'' 4AA While we parleyed, my companions had put the horses in the barn; and now came up. The elder moved directly behind Clark into | the door.
 Hey there - you, who asked you in l there ?" cried Clark. cooking his pistol and leveling it. There was just light enough from a candle In the passage to take good and in- fallible aim. For heavens sake, Clark" said l, catch l ing his arm, "we are not on the fight" ''Yes, we are on the fght," said Brown. the man who had stepped in, drawing his pistol l with quick motion. .:I am, if my bower ia resisted. I'm the law, am. See here With the other hand, and still keeping his pistol on Clark, he pushed the lappel of his