The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-04-25

was struck, though they had not passed any
one, and had not heard a sound Moreover.
had been caused by blow which had literally
crushed the skull, but with some in
strument brought for the purpose, for
it had not even marked the skin
while, on the other hand my wounds were con-
fined to broken skin, while the skull was unin,
iured. Dicks watch, too, was gone. Mine had
not been touched. If Roland Roberts were
guilty, he may have taken the watch to give the
appearance Of a robbery. Possibly he was md
ing near the body, to bury it later in the night
when lit tie match near to it that he feared
must have seen, and struck me down to avoid
detection; or he may have left the body and
some tramp have come upon 1t and committed
robbery just as approached, and thus have at
tempted to kill me, to avoid the charge OF hav-
ing killed another. This seemed the more prob
able. and by noon the next day my neighbors
had established the fact that Mr.. Roberts had,
indeed, reached our village at 10 o'clock the
night before, leaving it upon the last train.
When arrested he simply declined to speak, even
with the counsel afforded him by law, or to en-
gage counsel of his own.
For my part cared little. / could not force
myself to leave the senseless atom which re-
manned to me of my old friend. The murderer
was in custody, and was satisfied till the prop
err time should come, when l would bear such
evidence against him as must surely take him to
the fatal stand, a cold blooded murderer. For
two nights and a day | sat by Dicks body, in
capable of taking food Or sleeping while that
dead face was before me, recalling those cruel
words, which had severed, just before the grave,
an ideal friendship, born almost at the cradle
Why could l not have waited just one hour be-
fore | spoke them?
Dick was naturally paler and whittier than l.
and we had often laughed at the fancied resem-
blance between us, which we could not discover.
But in those wretched days l had grown paler,
and passing mirror, paused in startled horror,
almost fancying that Dick was there The hair
dresser had just performed his last duty for
poor Dick, aud | peremptorily ordered him to
shave off my beard and cut my hair close. He
thought had gone mad, but he obeyed, and 1
had the satisfaction of knowing that, at least, I
was not carrying Dicks outraged face upon my
cruel shoulders.
Only two hours before the funeral my neigh
bors came in with a great criminal lawyer to
consult, they said about the prosecution. 1t
was hard to be passingly civil to any one at such
time They were dragging me from my friend
in the last moments that / should have even
with the senseless remnant that was left of him.
The lawyer looked me keenly in the eye, and
said that seemed badly cut up. My fingers
trembled to clutch him at the throat Imuttered
savagely: What has that to do with the muir
derer? Go on and say what you have come to
say"
A strange look of understanding passed from
one to the others OF the three. Zen one OF my
neighbors spoke:
"We are only come to tell you of the progress
of the case. There seems to be great lack of
actual evidence. You are the only witness we
can find. Mr.. Roberts seems to understand the
matter so thoroughly and be so decided that it
is rumored he has some startling proof that will
at once set him at liberty, and place the blame
where it belongs"
Through this speech the eyes of the three men
were rivsted upon me- At first passed it by in
picion flashed upon my mind l felt the hot
blood burning in my cheek The icy perspira
ton stood upon my forehead / began to trem-
BILE violently. /! Great heaven! had | gone
made Did l imagine it2 Il What else could
those three men mean? With the last sentence
through and through. l! The air grew dark
about me- l was fainting. | turned without a
word and tottered from the room. l fell upon
my knees before the coffin, sef-convicted
murderer.
'Dick! Dickr I groaned looking into that
dead face, would l not have died for youa Oh,
Dick! They will hang me as your murderer
No. Even The eyelids did not tremble, though
no weights held them What was it to him
that he should come again to me- after those
last words 1 spoke to him9 And. kneelng
there, l recalled how slight my evidence
really was against Mr.. Roberts; in
short it was little more than nothing Then /
reviewed the accommodating circumstantial evil
dence which could be brought against me, in
stead, and my last action, more powerful even
than an open confession. l saw it all No Won
der my neighbors had suspected me, and now
they were fools or they were sure of it, They
would lay the crime at my door, or Mr.. Roberts
would for them, and what testimony under
heaven could | bring to refute it! Nothing
laughed aloud; right over that coffin where l had
shed such bitter tears. It was because | knew
that before another day had passed. Roland
Roberts would be free and l arrested, -eventu-
had gone mad, but it did not matter. | pressed
rosebud to my lips and let it fall into the cof-
fin Then bending over it, whispered, Never
mind, dear old boy, we shall be quits, then. l
deserve to be hanged for speaking to you l
did"
Then came the funeral, then the return to the
empty house, with only the faithful old man
servant in it, and the gray shadows of night
came on with dismal rain. / was glad to have
the fire again, and glad to have that last night
at home; though at the same time was angry
with my neghbors for letting it drag on so
slowly, and wait through the sarcasm of pre-
limi1ary trial of Roland Roberts, which was to
take place the next morning at IL, when every
one knew that was guilty and that he was in
nocent. Had they come again and charged me
with the crime at that moment, think L should
have confessed it, if for nothing but to have the
trial and the hanging over with. There was a
rap upon the door. l started like a trapped
criminal, but it was only that beautiful woman
waited in the hall. Her coach was at the gate.
In flash of glance l recognized the face that
had come between Dick and me down in the
sm;thys shed. 1 bowed stif1y. l could not
have spoken for my life, but | could have choked
her. have killed her where she stood, though
had hanged hundred times for it. Oh, she was
very beautiful. 1 knew then that it was not
Dicks fault that he had loved.
.'You know me- Mr.. Brownow?" she asked!
bowed again, and clasped my hands fercely
behind me- to keep them from clutching her.
And you know all between us-between Mr.
Halstead and myselfP
NV head inclined hairs breadth Why did
she tempt me? Did she not know her danger,
and all that saved her was that she was woman
and alonel
''You are his friend she continued. II have
often heard him speak of you so highly that |
have dared to come TO you to say that which will
make you angry. You will hear me, Mr. Brown
low, if you worthy to have been friend of
Richard Halstead's. Shall | speak,"
did not move A muscle. at that moment,
loosened from the fierce grip of my will, would
have let loose raving maniac. She continued
Il have known Mr.. Roberts from childhood.
Mr. BrownloW he is a coward! He never did