The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1881-07-22

'I feel too dirty to sit down 70 a .
cent table," said the traveller with
smile. MAY | trouble You for baS
1t was brought, he took off his Coz
preparatory TO washing his face n.
hands. Gretchen who stood beside hS
with fresh towel in her hands, utteri
| a slight scream.
"Bloodw She cried. There's blood q
your sleevesr
The basin of water fell from tk
strangers hands. His face shone Wilt
through the glistening drops of water b
had dashed upon it. Then, with an et.
fort, he said carelessly:
''Ah. yes; those rocks by the .creel
made quite a cash in my shoulder. Yo,
see" blandly explaining, "'whilaI wa
lost, thought I'd try and crsss -
sanss- me ia ssl.ss ssss sssl. 2 = go
that / could scarcely climb up. | 60
half way when a sudden miss Step mads
me fall. sharp piece of rock pierced
my shoulder, and, indeed, it has caused
me considerable pain.
Zach, too badi" said Frau Groat q
have a soothing lotion, which You may
put ON before you go TO bed. 4"
Thanks. And I'll go to bed right
after I've had my supper, if you please,
for I'm very tired. Besides. 1 will have
to rise early in the morning, so that ]
may take the first train.
The next morning the whole family
was up IN time to see their guest depart
He partook with good appetite of Fra
Groats breakfast of ham and eggs: he
listened quietly and with seeming rev
erence to his host rs he read n chapter
from the old, black, German Bible, and
offered up the usual morning prayer
Then, just as he was ready to start, he
inquired what he should pay for his
board and lodging.
''Oh, nOtings- -nOtingsl You are wei
come to the bed and the bite, said
Groat, heartily.
You are very kind" said the
stranger, ''but I feel that ought to re-
pay you in some way. See here
opening his satchel-''if you win not
let me give money, pray do me the kind.
ness of accepting these little tokens OF
gratitude. Here. Frau Groat, are two
pair of stockings that would Just fit Your
busy feet, and here, Gretchen, Is q bran
new piece of calico, more than enough
for d~ess. They are the only things /
did not sell, and 1 do not care to lug
them home again"
The two women accepted his gifts
with mach pleasure, and, with mutual
expressions of good luck, the traveller
aud his kind entertainers parted The
former wore a blue checked shirt Of
Peter Groats He left his own behind
him, telling Fran Groat that she might
keep it in exchange for the one she had
given him. As the strangers shirt was
Of excellent material, with linen bosom
and cuffs, the worthy dame thought she
had made a good bargain.
William Greyson, a farmer in the
vicinity of Haywood, missed one of his
cows that Friday niaht and early on
the following morning set ont to make
search for her. He hunted through tue
meadow lands, followed the course of tAe
creek quite a way. and finally entered
the pine woods. When about half way
through. a brown object lying on. the
grass a little distance from him, attracted
his attention. He went to it 1t was
large piece of wrapping paper, and q
long bit of twine was lying beside il.
The paper was damp with dew. and as
Greyson carelessly turned 1t over in his
hand, he observed some red spots on it.
He examined them more closely. They
were the bloody prints of thumb and
fingers.
He looked around him keenly. He
soon noticed that the bank of ferns bor-
dering the path, was in one place crushed
and broken. He followed these marks,
and they led him to the most dense and
most unfrequented part of the woods,
and there, in hollow, almost covered
with underbrush. lay the body Of a
woman. 1t was Mrs Curtis, lying stiff
and stark, with a bloody cash across her
throat.
Two hours later, party of men was
the leafy labyrlnths OF the pine
woods. They were endeavoring to find
the trail of the murderer.
An hour passed, and they had met
with no success. Some of them had
gathered together for the purpose Of
when suddenly a cry from
one of their companions, VINO was q
little distance from them, attracted theIH
attention.
''See what l have found!" he cried,
holding up spool of thread. 1t was
dirty and dingy, and wet with dew, but
Mr.. Brown, the merchant, who was with
the party, recognized it at once, and
said:
sIt's one of the spools poor Mrs. Cur
tbs bought of me yesterday. It's pink,
you see. She was real particular about
the color. She was piecing a chair cush'
ion, and wanted the right shade. Now,
it's evident that the villain who murders
ed her took this route through the
woods. See how the ferns are crashed
this way. Hurry We've got cleW
nowp'
The trail led them out of the woods
into the meadow that opened right int
the yard OF Peter Groat. They 49,
going round to the back door to knock.
and ask if the inmates had seen a
stranger lurBing around the premises,
when Mr. Brown chanced to look in the
window. zF
A look of extreme CONSERVATION over
spread his ruddy face.
"My Godr' he cried, "see therep'
All turned and looked In at the win
dow. The room was unoccupied. The
clock licked cheerfully in one corner. A
cat was costly curled upon a chair -cush,
ion, purring contentedly. But on the
table, in the centre of the room. Law two
pairs of stockings, and near them. half
unrolled, was dress-pattern of lilac cal.
leo.
'sThat calicol" said Mr.. Brown, i'm
pressively, ''that calico is the identical
piece / sold Mrs. Curtis, yesterday af-
ternoon. / should know it anywhere
It's peculiar, you see, bunch of white
llacs on purple ground. 1t was all
had. Besides. / should know the piece,
because on one end there is about half a
yard imperfectly printed, which has
holes In it, too. I remember I let Mrs.
Curtis have it cheaper, on that account.
Now, Peter Groat knows where the muir
derer is, or-solemnly and slowly-he
did the deed himselfl"
The party of men went silently and
soberly to the back door, and here they
were Mortified in finding fresh evidence
Frau Groat was engaged in Washing q
blood stained shirt
They sternly asked her to whom it be-
longed, but the poor woman, who could
not speak English. could only look al