The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1882-04-07

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Twas too provoked with him to argue,
but walked on. then sst down IN the
gloom on an overturned wheelbarrow
and waited.
Some one passed me few minutes
later. he was in the full light of the
moon. and I recognized the same shabby
figure / had seen twice before "a young
broad-shoulderea, slouchhg rough. He
seemed to disappear suddenly behind
one Of the trees as footstep approached
and MacL eish's voice was heard singing
I waltz tune. I csught q glimpse OF his
Glengarry and plaid as he crossed a
streak of moonlight. and the. next mo-
ment heard . s2dden exclamation There
came . scufiie- hlows--and before /
could reach them q heavy falls groan.
y MacIeish was ON his knees struggling
to rise, held down in the grasp of fallen
man. Heshook him Of as I gotap. and
staggered to . tree, against which he
leant painting and breathless. 9q>pk
HE tried to garotte me, and when,I
managed to twist out of his hands, dealt
me . heavy blow on the head. / only
struck him once, in self defence. Is he
damaged?'
turned the fallen man over on his
back. He lay still. dragged him to
moonlight. O
..MacLeish! He's dead"
But MacLeish had dropped on his
knees beside him and was gazing into
the dead face with as face as CHASTITY.
Fergus! Fergus MacLeish! Have we
met? At lastrF 5 '. IT,.
He rose, perfectly panic-stricken. II
was his cousin, he was assured, and in
deed the likeness would have convinced
me of the fact, without the additional
evidence of the marked eyelid.
MacLeish was distraught with terror.
It was murder he had done; he should
die felon's death. Nothing could say
would reassure him. 1905 I'd
leave him here. Who's to know
anything about him?" I said at last.
Society is well rid of him. What on
earth are you going to do nowr' d
He had seized one of the pickaxes left
by the laborers, and was digging in
fierce haste under the last elm tree
His grave was to be here," said.
HE came to show me the spot
suppose it was mad thing to do,
but seeing him resolved, turned to with
the spade and helped him. The earth
being newly laid, was light and easily
moved, and we soon made trench deep
enough for grave. Then we laid the
body gently down, and shoveled the
earth in with feverish haste. The broad
staring moon showed every pebble on
the pathway, every stray leaf on the
earth. We removed all traces of the
struggle, replaced the tools. and hurried
home in utter silence.
MacLeish held out his hand without
speaking, as he stopped at his own door.
I took it without hesitation. I am glad
to remember that. He fixed his wild
woeful eyes on me for q moment and
then hurried away. I was too excited
and horror-stricken to think, and l lay
down, dreading the hours that had to
pass before the morning. Strange to
say, slept quietly and dreamless1y far
into the next day, and when l awoke !
could not realize the tragedy in which !
had taken part.
Eve dreamed it all,' 1 kept saying
to myself; and q dream is soon forgotten.
I'll 90 and have swim and then see il
the Pryse-Davies girls are out on the
Parade. 1t must be all nightmare.
Still, persuade myself as 1 might there
were two things 1 could not do; pass
down the avenue, or face MacLeish. =
Where was he, I asked his servant.
Gone to the ranges. Iwould go and meet
the party returning. 1t would be best
to get the first meeting over in public.
/ walked quietly along the pretty .coun-
try lane, listening for the well-known
crack of the rifles. All was silent. Then
at q turn of the road, I came suddenly
upon adozen figures or so walking slowly
and silently. Four of them bore a hur-
die, on which lay something with an OH
GERS cloak thrown over it..
"What is itP' asked; though knew
beforehand what the very words Of the
reply were going to be somehow.
t'Poor MacLeish! He was in the butts,
and came out to look at the target; they
had ceased firing at it. We were shoot
ing at long range, and some one-I don't
know who-fired at the wrong target.
Shot through the heart-he dropped
without cry-stone dead" IN
l left Cinqhaven that night, and will
never set foot there again as long as ]
ive.-7he Argosy.
A Thrilling Incident.
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