Connecticut western news., 1885-05-06

| THAI W1bu sol1-Sabl5u0O A1r, when DTk came in, and was immediately hailed by a man who was no friend of his-the manager of some ground which was al- ways tumbling into Dirk's claims and smashing his gear.
 I did not hear exactly what was said, but my attention was suddenly arrested by seeing Dirk make bound at the Frenchman, and seize him by the throat, while his eyes fairly blazed with passion. The Frenchman tried to elude his grasp, and in moment Dirk had dashed him to the floor and was standing over him, raging with fury. -. -
 "You miserable liar and scoundrel," he cried, ''if ever hear of your men, l tioning my wife's name again, I'll kill you p Then he strode out of the sa- loon.
 A silence fell on the company stand ing round the fallen Frenchman, and as he staggered to his feet and skunk away into side room, where the rattle of the dice went on all day long and far into the night, no one found so much as 8 word to throw after him.
 met Dirk on several occasions after this curious episode, but, as if by mutual consent, we avoided the subject. One night, however, when the moon was sail. ing maiestically overhead and lighting up the dusty road between ''the Pan'' and Kimberley with flood of Iambent light, l was riding slowly into camp when I heard the rapid pattering of horse. behind me, and turning in the saddle confronted Dirk. He was agi- tated and angry, and without word of greeting plunged into the subject up- permost in his mind.
 "Do you know, old fellow" he said, 'tPve just been told by digger at Hallis's that that rascally little French man has been repeating his lies about my wife. Not only that, but he says he has a miniature of her which she gave him set in gold. The unmitigated liar If I find time shall canter over to his cabin the other side of the mine tonight, and if he can't produce that souvenir 1t will be hard for him. Hhe does, it won't be in his possession long P
 "Don't do anything rash, Dirk" said. Remember, there is another to think of besides yourself"
 'eThat's what it is that bothers me, old fellow," he replied; and then, rein ing in his horse. and jogging along by my side, he told me his trouble. It appeared that his wife denied any inti- macy with the Frenchman, but stated that her father tried to force his at- tentions on her in the old days when he was half-starved ballet-master, and she Q struggling aspirant at Paris theatre. Tbe miniature was new feature in the story, and Dirk firmly believed it to be myth, but was bent on finding out whether it was or not.
 After while he grew calmer, and paid more attention to my entreaties to him to proceed with caution.
 On parting, he shook me by the hand, and his last words, shouted to me as he galloped of, were
 "I sha'n't trouble the little French man tonight, but let him keep out of my wayp
 The next morning the body of Jules Lacroix was found lying on the floor of his cabin, with an ugly hole in the left temple. In one hand he grasped tightly part of gold chain and the swivel of miniature. The bullet found in the brain fitted Dnk's revolver to a nicety.
 It was not long before Dirk was in custody, and the case looked black against him. His threat to shoot the Frenchman was well remembered; his excited demeanor in Hallis's bar at the Pan, when the news of the Frenchman's reiterated assertion was brought to him, was commented upon, and the circum- stantial evidence was strong.
 As for Dirk himself, he utterly de- nied going near the Frenchman's cabin on the night of the murder, and he &C., counted for the fact that he did not reach home for nearly an hour after leaving me by saying that, feeling hot and excited, he went for scamper over the veldt, and the beauty of the moonlit night caused him to stay out longer than he intended. ,....... sa.sa
 He pressed me to tell all I knew about the matter, and I reluctantly did SO, making the most of bis expressed determination on leaving me not to visit the Frenchman that evening.
 The trial dragged on until late in the night, and at 12 o'clock the jury came into court with verdict of Guilty"
 I shall never forget the look of mute agony on his wife's face as Dirk stood 1 up to be sentenced to death, or the calm, proud way in which he heard his doom. .. ..
 ! "Mark my words, boys, Sylvester's wife will get him reprieved."
 f The speaker was lounging at the counter of the "Yellow Bar," in the T Transvaal Road, and his words evoked murmur of sympathy. ...-... ...
 Ever since the conviction efforts had been made in all directions to prevent | the dread sentence of the law being car- ried out, and Syvester's wife had be- come the heroine of the camp. There were few who did not believe that he shot the Frenchman; but why should he die for an offence which was light Ecompared with some which lay quite easily on the consciences of not few of the inhabitants of Kimberley?
 As the hum of approval subsided, some one directed our attention to lady walking rapidly in the direction of the jail. We recognized her at once, and respectfully saluted her as she drew near. She stopped for a moment and spoke to the foremost man, who, as she hurried oh, turned and gave great