New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1885-07-15

coming his own. Her golden hair
foated UNDECIDED on the lazy breath:
from the.distant plain; her eyes were
turned upward to the deep blue skY.
above, and her lips seemed to be NOV.
ing as it in silent prayer. There was.
noneed. TO tell her of the approach al.
the convict party; their coming was
sheralded sbya wild refrain Of asdismaI
song, ohanted by the. prisoners; and
adoWm the startled air came the sound
of creaking wheels, the cracking, of
whips. the shouting of orders and the
responsive curses of the mob. Twas
unwilling to obtrude myself ON her.
notice, and therefore I did not speak
to. her, but merely took up position
close by the gate.
Nearer and nearer came the rolling
wagons; and thecrowd rushed through
the eddying dust, till, suddenly, they
caught a glimpse OF the lonely watcher
LII the gateway. There wasnot a man
there who did not know that the slight,
pale woman standing with her hands
clasped convulsively together, and hel.
whole soul concentrated as it were IN
one long gaze, was Sylvester's wife
Even. the officials knew his history,
they knew he. was no midnight pur-
chaser OF stolen gems, but only a pas
slonate, hapless man; and as if by in
stinct, the melancholy procession
slowed andsteadied and paused before
what was once the home OF a pure and
holy love.
Dirk was standing now; the smile
on his lips lit up his whole coun-
tenance; he looked like the careless
happy Dirk of former days; thelines Of
care and deep and dull agony seemed to
soften and disappear from his face.
He made motion with his left hand
to his breast; with his right hepointed
to the awful blue of the cloudless
heaven, and then-a thin streak of
flame leapt from the midst OF the
creepers and the quivering leaves, a
sharp report rang out upon the morn
ing air, a puff OF smoke curled upward
from the gateway, and Dirk Sylvester,
with that strange, glad smile upon his
lips, fell heavily forward, shot right
through the heart by his wife!
X
She never lived to take her trial; in
deed she was unconscious from the
time when by one supreme act she
broke the letters which were wearing
Dirk Sylvester's spirits down into the
dust and ashes OF a misery too keen
for his endurance, till within few
minutes Of her death.
Then new light shone in her
fast-closing eyes; she stretched out
her arms as to embrace a
viewless form, and with the words
''Dirk! Dirk! Free forever, dear! Free,
Dirk, free!' trembling on her lips, her
soul went forth rejoicing on the mys.
tic Journey to the dark l hereafter;
Soon after she had been laid to rest
by the side OF her husband in the GEM
etery, white with many a memorial
stone to ruined hopes, lives wrecked
and shattered, and affections sundered
by the cruel hand of death, Kafr,
sentenced to the. extreme penalty OF
the law for an atrocious murder, con-
fessed that he and he alone was the
cause Of the Frenchmen's tragic end.
He had watched, through the half
drawn blind, the miserable man toy
ing with a golden chain to which a
miniature was attached, and, his GU
pidity fired by the sight, crept to him
unawares, and tried to wrest it from
him. A struggle ensued; the Kafr
snatched a revolver from the French
mans hand and shot him, then, fear
ing discovery fled with only the min
nature in his possession. The size of
the bullet and the spoor were coinci-
dences only; but there is one mystery
which will never be cleared up. Was
the miniature that of Sylvester wife?