The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1881-07-15

time, England might have become "A ~
public, or France monarchy again.
| had striven 10 make friends wit
our guest and to find out what sort O
fellow he might bc but | fonn,
that, at the end Of three days, / kne,
him no better than / did on the iirsi
he was 40 cautious and reserved.
began to think that he was really
| bit queer in his head, his ways were ~
strange. He would sic all day long l.,
tho ERE, never stirring, eating bu
little, and talking less, but mutter int
uneasily TO himself at tiInes and i
the door opened suddenly, or an un
expected noise was heard, starting
with look Of terror painful to behold
lie waa quite inoiIcnsivc Set, on th,
whole, ! could not like him. | dis
trusted bis wayeIiog, wandering eyes
lio never looked one straight in the
face, and this made me tbinl, he might
be bic out Of his mind. But when
said this To my mate, be shook bis
head and fa'd, "iook ont for yourself
Tom r.
AZ last tho Weather gnttlel Gown,
aud our visitor showed signs Of making
a move ] couldn't let him 90 forth
IN the rags / bad found him IN. So
Will (my mate) and / set him up in
clothes Of our own, such as they were.
And when he had trimmed his beard
bit, he didn't look so shabby. The
day before he was 10 leave ns, an old
man who brought us Our letters and
odds and ends from the nearest town.
when the weather permitted arrived.
Old Jim brought us good budget
this time, and as usual, came In t.
have chat and smoke a pipe or two.
what news. Jim = said Bill.
News : Why, not much only
Alice Grooves pretty Alice We cali
ed her-"bas hocn murdered !" he re-
piled.
Murdered ! How When r. we
cried.
Aye, by her sweetheart, they do
say ; though, if he were her sweet
heart, they kept their secret pretty
ciosc. see en- together, though, once
or twice. \ fine gentleman he was /;
too fine FOR an honest giil's sweetheart,
] was thinking. But no one knows for
sure who did it. Poor little Alice /
mind when she were little thing.
how she'd come a'trotting after my cart,
and saying, Take me up n bit, old jim.
aud III give you posey : and now she
be's lying there in the churchyard
with a wound an inch deep in her 10
som.
Douglas Crofts, he were her sweet
beart, traveller for a large London
business iewelry and silk. and such
like. fer the women folk. He were a
iiBc looking chap, too, mind and
twice last Summer | heard he were
down at lIalcomb. staying mt the
White IIors".' and twas at Jim An
sons. the miller, Alice met him, and
they tonn i,ecsrne friends, worse luck
But it's all In the papers here. better
nor can tell il. Take and read IT, I'm
mo- scholar. All, who is this ?" said
jim, rs oar guest entered.
Seeing stranger, the terrified lool,
| bad 50 often noticed passed over his
face, and he drew back hastily, but
VIII shouted, "Come in, friend it's
only Jim !" aud he entered unwilling
ly, shading bis eyes with his hand, and
looking Jim over from head TO foot
guspicionSly.
Now Jim looks more foolish than
he is. saw him taking stock Of our
visitor when he thought we were not
noticing him, but never thought any
thing OF il. The man was so queer.
! Thought it natural Jim should look
at him. Suddenly Jim rose, saying:
"Well, ! must be off to tnwn again.
Good day, mates
"Od 80 soon, Jiml Can't you stay
and have a talk and another pipe,
manp said Bib.
"No time to-day friend; I've business
and old Jim trotted Off aud Bill after
him, and / had To go up aud clean the
reilectors; and it wasn't till supper-time
we met together again.
Oar visitor was more odd aud dis
turbed than usual that night. He sat
quite silent, hardly answering the ques
tions we put to him; and after we had
taken our food he would have left the
place. But Bill said:
Lets read about the murder Jim
told us of. )"
He opened the newspaper. l looked
at our visitor and saw him drop like
lump of lead into chair. | felt un-
comfortable. / didn't know why.
"Well, where is it7 Begin Will,
said |. "You read best. Read it ont
man."
cay, ay," said he; "here it is, Shock
ing murderl Fifty pounds reward fal
the apprehension of the murdererF
/ glanced across at our guest, w'lc
had made u slight movement. Ills
eyes were fixed on Wills face with a
look of terror shall never forget.
"The village of Holcomb," began
Will, "has been the scene of foul and
terrible crime, the victim being
Alice Grooves, the daughter of the
parish clerk, girl well-known through
the country for her beauty, aud much
respected and beloved in the village
The motive Is unknown.
"The perpetrator is undiscov
cred, but strong suspicion rests on one
Douglas Crofts, who is supposed tc
have left the country, but in whos'
company Alice Grooves was seen day
or two before her body was discovered
in the pond known as the Black"
Here Will let the paper drop.
looked at our guest. His eyes, widel.
di,ated, were fixed on Will, and h
seemed to drink in every worl of th
tale.