The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1881-06-03
HICKMAN. FULTON COUNTY KENTUCKY FRIDAY, JUNE3

sound OF cries ana SHOUTS III the Stree
below. She cast her eyes toward tn,
bed-her husband was not there TO
ward the cradle-it was empty. She flew
to the window-the street was full Of
foct.ry bows with their tin kettles. Some
great Jest amused them nightly. They
roared, they danced, they tossed their
ragged caps on high, they shrieked III
4 unmusical laughter, and the object OF
i all this mad mirth was only too evident.
i On the steps of the LIQUOR store op-
/ ps,s1te stood Edward Holly, holding ms
child in his arms and exhibiting for the
benefit of the delighted crowd all those
antics of which an intoxicated man alone
lis capable He called on the grinniag
master of the gin-cellar to ''give this
kehild some brandy" and turned the
screaming infant about in a manner that
left no doubt that he would end by drop
-ssisssssssfson the broken pavement.
I Wild with terror Ruth rushed out into
the street, and made her way through
the crowd to the spot where her husband
stood, but before she reached him the
scene had changed. a
Some boy more brutal than the rest
ihad thrown a handful of mud into Ed
ward Hollys face, and he, reeling and
blaspheming, had dashed forward TO re-
Fenge the act
The child had been flung away at the
nrst step. but fortunately had been
] caught by an old woman who, though a
degraded creature herself, had enough
OF the woman remaining to save an IN
tant from injury.
And now the whole horde of boys beset
the drunken man, pelting him with
sticks and stones and decayed vegetables
rom the kennel, and. reyeling in. the
brutal delight with which such a scene
always seem to inspire boys of the lower
classes.
Ruth saw that her babe was safe and
that her husband was in danger, and,
forgetful of all else, flew toward him
She cared nothing for the jeers of the
mob; before them all she flung her arms
about him and interposed her beautiful
person between him and his assailants
The head that had carried itself little
proudly IN the presence of the highest of
the land-that had seemed more Queen
Ike than that of the Empress herself at
the court of France-that had awakened
the envy of titled English women when
the young American woman dwelt
among them--dropped itself low upon
the bosom of the drunken wretch who
was the ieer and scorn of a low mob, and
only IN love and pity, not IN anger, did
she speak to him
"Come home, Edward THEY'LL hurt
you. my poor love- come homewit me. :"
Mad as he was-filIed with the demon
OF drink, to the exclusion of the soul
God had given hin-the soft. sweet
voice, the fond touch of the white fingers,
awakened some memory of the past IN
the mans breast
SEQ You home, girll' he whispered,
'Ill kill them? Don't fret. I'll kill
EN-, and"
"Come home, darling" she whispered
sgaiI, and he stopped and gave her a
sn.that the boys yelled derisively,
HF<< 80 more mud a6d stones at them. 3
One threw a stone-a heavy stone, sharp
pointed and Jagged Whether he ever
Intended TO strike the man is doubtful,
but the missile flew fiercely through the
air and crashed against the golden head
Of the devoted wife. A stream of blood
gushed from the white temple and poured
down upon the bosom where 1t dropped
lever to lift itself aoain-never. never
more Only with a quivering shudder
of pain she felt for the face of the man
who had sworn to love and cherish her,
and had broken that vow so utterly
while hers had been so truly kept.
'Good-by, Edward" she whispered.
81 can't see you now-kiss me. oh, be
goodto babyl Be good to babyl and
no word more.
The crowd was hushed to silence. =
sobered man bent over the dead woman,
whose hands had dropped away from hls
breast, and the love and truth and ten
derness of her heart were all manifest to
\ him in that terrible manifest
In vain, for repentence could not restore
her to life, nor blot out the love which
1 had crushed her heart through all those
weary DAYS of her sad married life.
''What is the matter here" cried a
voice. as portly man forced his way
/ through the, crowd 90 4 woman hurt?
7" A woman killed, said the policeman,
" and that brute is the cause OF all, and
the gentleman bent forward and started
back with crv of anguish.
SIT is Ruthl'' he said. ''My Ruth :"
and fell back into the policeman arms
in a deathlike sxoon. forgiveness and
repentance had come alike too late for
poor Ruth Holly Her father could give
her nothing but a grave.
The child born amidst want and pen
rrv. nourished bv half-starving mother.
pined awav and died in the luxurious
home to. which its grandfather bore 1t ;
and now. as the old man sits alone III his
splendid home, he sometimes hears a
strange, wild cry in the streets outside,
through which a drunken creature reels
and staggers, howling ever and anon,
Ruth Ruth Ruth J"
It is Edward Holly, who ever IN his
drunken madness searches for his muir
dered wife. 1t Is the pitiful, horrible,
Misunderstanding wreck of the once splen-
-didly-beautiful man of talent, who had
only ono Iqy.u h1JLe Dallas.