Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1881-10-27
mall door. AS I did SO she struck a

uau come oR6 kueet0u on Inc HOO
and begged piteously that I would
spare her life. I cannot describe my
feelings, if I had any, as looked down
upon her upturned face with gaze that
was as frozen and brain that was as
benumbed as my body. Certainly I
had no thought Of evil. was incapa-
BILE of thought at that time What I
comprehended was the result of previous
thought. What knew knew instinc-
lively, and the conclusions that I
arrived at were not the result of any
reasoning at that time. remained
dumb, staring into her face, she plead
ing earnestly all the time. She told
me she would not mention to any one
that was in the barn. She would go
and get the child and follow-me Only
spare her life. stared in her face and
knew better. "For Gods sake, for the
sake of our dear little children, have
mercy on me-" Oh, that was the
prayer I myself had sent her from my
cell in Johnstown Jail, where she had
SO cruelty sent me. It had failed to
reach her heart, and save me then, but
touched mine as it issued from her lips
three years and half afterward. It is
hard to describe the workings Of mind
that is distracted by powerful and con-
hicting passions. could not think, /
could not reason. seemed to be be-
reft of every sense except pain. ALI my
miseries were there before me; the dis
grace, the dishonor, the long, lonesome
| days, months, years in prison cell
were there. The desolate home, tie
terrible oath were there, and there knelt
the woman who had caused all my suf-
fering, using the prayer that l in my Bit
ter anguish had formed years before,
and as it issued from her lips it dis
armed, conquered. robbed me Of de-
| spairing mans last hope revenge. I
threw the knife on the floor at h-r feet.
went to the door and went out Istood
beside the door undecided and stupid.
Where would / go? / had no object in
life now; the hope of vengeance that
had kept me alive for years had been
wrested from me by the earnest plead
ings of the woman.
She had promised me with an ear
nestness that had affected me at the
time that she would not mention that I
had been in the barn, but I knew she
would. I knew as stood beside that
door that she would send me to prison
again, but she had disarmed me and /
could not hurt her. She thought / had
gone. She got up, rushed for the small
door, calling g Georgel" GeorgeT" This
was the name connected with all my
sufferings. George was the one who
had planned the thing she had exc
cuted it. It was George who was the
partner in all her guilt; it was George
who had induced her to deal me blow
after blow until reason staggered and
life was unendurable it was the same
George she was now calling to repeat
the dose. She called in George
could not help her. The good God him
self would not save her then. All that
I had suffered at their hands pre-
sented itself before my eyes with all
the vividness OF picture. Her pres
ent treachery maddened me beyond all
control. / was no longer human; I was
a demon, fearing nothing, knowing
nothing, incapable of thought or reason
wild. I rushed through the barn,
and she tripped in the door and fell. I
snatched the knife from her hand, and
did I-strike7 No. It was the years
of suffering, woe, degradation, shame,
dishonor, the desolate home, justice,
and the hated name, George, that held
the knife ard impelled the blow as she
shrieked " Murderl |"
| /" Murder" is terrible word. ] could
never hear that word uttered without
associating it with something awful.
There is something horrid about the
shape of the word as we see it in print,
but to hear it uttered wildly, piteously,
by your own victim, by one you had
once loved, knowing 1t was the last,
last word she ever would utter-oh I
God, it was horriblel Indeed, I stared
in stupid horror for moment, and then
like a wild beast fled across the field.
the fearful cry Of murder ringing
in my ears the slow, timid step. the
pitiful pleading pursuing and keeping
pace with me. I fed without a pur-.
surer. The horrid cry Of "Murderr.
was repeated with fearful distinctness
in. every direction. / raised my hands
to my ears to shut out the awful cay,
aud became conscious that my hand
grasped something. 1t was a knife,
covered with blood. / hurled it from
me, and as it fell it shrieked, G Muir
derr' The snow, once so white, now
seemed red. My limbs seemed palsied.
I could not go fast enough. AS turned
the corner at Bass and hurried past
the graveyard, two little voices that
had been hushed for years cried, Muir
der murderlp I looked back. The
slow-timed step, the pleading, pitiful
look met mine, and--I sank in the
snow. E. EARL.
| A little girl has an uncle who has
taught her to open and shut his crush
hat. The other evening, however, he
appeared with an ordinary silk one.
| Suddenly he saw the child coming, with
| his new silk hat wrinkled like an accor-