Litchfield enquirer., 1881-04-14

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 opium did it. Just whiff of It and of they go sound as woodchucks. and good till twelve o'clock to morrow morning. Now, then, you just hop on to my horse, take the road 1 tell you. and light out. They'll never ketch you, or my nauIe aint Clark" a,at 4Eaas
 Pierre said nothing, but his face was joy. Ous with solemn kind of gladness. He only grasped Clark thick hand and shook it over and over again. They disappeared at once from the room. To all intents and purposes I was asleep,-at least 80 argued to myself, = and had no call to interrupt their proceedings. My best occupation was sleep, and to this turned with such entire success that the sun was high. in the heavens before we discovered that our bird was flown. ..fY
 Brown, Randall and rode into Jocyltown at sharp pace the next day with the missing tnare, and didn't care to talk to anybody until we got into the bar-roOm, where we told our story. l was rather surprised to find how little effect it had on the audience. Instead of breaking out into curses against Pierre, they received the news of his escape very much in the light of good joke on us. Old Jocyl never knew what joke was, or else thought it was some form of expense to laugh, and therefore systematically refrained. There was peculiar veiro of regret in hisyoice, when he said:
 Il suppose you don't know that she's mend in-doing well, the doctor says" ."
 Don't say :" said Brown. Well, women folks do hang on to life; they beat cats. That Pierre is lucky fellow to have lit out just when he did If he hadn't, don't be lieve he'd have ever known he wasn't a mur- derer." 7" '''.
 ''Taint like you to do things by halves" growled JocyEg .'But who's goin' to pay for Cile two days use of tue mare ? don't see how I'm to get even anyways, what with a wounded woman in the house and you lettin' the husband escape!" a3." f' '''
 Bother the old mare! You may thank me for getlin' her back at all. But, as to the man, there's no two ways about it, Clark must have drugged the liquor. No straight whiskey would have fetched ne that way"
 ''Or the cigars. suggested ; but no one took the trouble to listen to what had to say.
 II never was so fooled in my lfe," said Brown, with several gentle oaths. ''If ever l catch that fellow alive, I'll take him by the ear and walk him right up to that pretty young wife he's been carvin, and what she says to do that I'll do, if it's to hang him iustanter !" rrr '"
 Everybody chimed in with chorus of ap- proval, for Brown was standing treat at the tune, partly 10 relieve his feelings, partly with shrewd idea of taking the edge of the nat. ural resentment of the crowd at the loss of Pierre, and partly to stop the mouths of the jOkers at his expense. had stepped to the window, when 1 saw cause to give Brown a private signal to come outside into the entry leading to the front door. Pulling him out on the veranda. we perceived a man alight- ing hurriedly from weary horse. As he walked unsteadiy up the steps, we saw that it was Pierre. Brown was SO surprised that he hadn't word to say. l stepped for ward What are you doing here?" I asked in d low tone. ''Don'tyou know your danger Or have you heard the news?"
 "WLat-what news? ?" gasped Pierre, lean ing up against pillar white as sheet. My questions were confusing. "You don't mean she's---" .s t-,.
 did not answer at once for I, too, was at d loss. Did the fool expect to find her alive afte- he had tried so hard to kill her? Was he hoping she was dead, or did he fear to hear that she was?
 ''She's going to get well !" said I. sullenly, feeling thoroughly disgusted at the bare idea that he might still wish her ill.
 Pierre stated with an articulate noise, and hurried along the veranda to the ''ladies' en. traiice"; but Brown was before him.
 Where are you going?" cried Brown, seizing him roughly by the arm and swinging nim round. You're my prisoner. You don't gel off this time."
 Il must go up stairs to see her, "said Pierre, setting this teeth.
 Right, you must" said Brown, wrathfuly. But shall take you there, mind that. Eve sworn it"
 '''rhen, come on!" cried Pierre, pushing open the door and hastehing upstairs with Rr.NI of hi nlh Tr,llo mad Sn,sHH stopping to ask myself what business had there. At the head of the staircase was the door of the room; Pierre stopped and drew himself up with surprising dignity. His tone would have imposed on bolder men thah Brown.
 Gentlemen" he said "stand aside This is my wife's room!"
 Involuntarly we stepped back and Pierre opened the door. The bed stood opposite, at it's head sat the doctor, and in it, propped up by pillows, was his young wife, still wonder. fully pretty in spite of her thin white face and grief-darkened eyes. Her inborn tact had kept her sweet looking and coquettish even under these circumstances, where the doctor was the only visitor that could be ex- pected to enter. Pierre leaned speeches. against the door post, unable to advance, re- treat, or shut the door from our profaning eyes. His wife's eyes were closed, and the long dark laslles made her face even more charming from the childlike effect they gave to her cOunteance. At 8 low exclamation from the doctor, she opened them wide on the door with sthe three men standing within and beyond. But plainly her eyes saw only one, for they diIated with joy, and fairly blaZed upon poor Pierre who stood vacllating in the d0or-way
 Il knew you would cone back" she cried with little nysterical shriek. You have forgiven me. know," she went on, as Pierre ran across the room and, dropping on his knees by the bedside, raised his hands to her in dumb appeal for pardon. And I-why l never have known what it was to love be fore; promise never to torment you any more. 1 will be good wife Promise to pardon me and never go away again."
 What Pierre answered. and what he felt, Brown and 1 never knew, for the doctor sprang across the floor into the door-way>and pulled to the door after him. Pierre could not have felt mt amer than Brown and thought him, for the woman's beauty, her lovely ways and her generosity fn taking all the blame, made us ready to fight anybody and everybody on her behalf. We followed the doctor down stairs in silence and made our way at once b the bar-room. Only oatbs and whisky could relieve, in some little de- gree, the, invented emotions stirring in the mind of Brown. It was in a silence big with imprecations, not yet ready to burst, that Brown, with a sweep of his arm, ordered up every r'an and lounger t.. drink.
 Then the torrent fell. and chiefly on the head of the ruffiianly husband who could put cold steel to such lovely bit of humanity as Mrs. Pierre. But at the end there was breathing space to take calmer survey of the whole affair and look at it from other stand points. 4-a.
 And yet, said he ref f1ectively, s'te see the way she took him back again That knocks me. Why" he cried. looking around and bringing his cenched fist down on the walnut, II do believe Le begun wrong. There wouldn't have been any fuss all. all, If he'd only have knifed her a little first cDF!"-lscri6- 7le,'s Mo1.fhE,y M00nzjne tt1 +F t.t'@