The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-12-22

Maun's innocent life had been emptied
into the grass. With cry of pain and
horror he ran to and fro looking for
the body; others came painting to the
place, but he was following dizzily
where some bleeding weight had been
traiIed toward the river, and they
poured after him. Half way down the
hillside he picked up piece of paper,
and glanced at it and threw out his
hands with backward-staggering
movement as if he had been dealt a
blow in the face, his eyes seemed to
contract and grow sightless for a mo-
ment, then they suddenly dilated and
he gave a kind of wailing, fierce cry
and crushed the paper in his hand and
went on. At the rivers brink there
was nothing, only some blood-drops on
the stones and the still water slowly
flowing by. In an instant he turned
| and went down the river with dozen
awe-struck men following, and there
All, God, that Cain was ever born! that
the passionate animal, man, should
ever outrun the angel, Reason!-there
under the clear water he saw the face
of Maun! With the first sight he gave
cry of pity and anguish, and reeled
aside with his hands smote hard against
his eyes. He had seen for the first time
in his life the wreck, Disagreement
and cruel ruin of beauty that he loved.
At that the old lawyer came crashing
through the brambles down the hill
side. He might have came out of a
grave, he looked SO CHASTITY, tattered
and old.
Don't let him come herer' John
Earring cried wildly, don't let him
see her! In the name OF God, men, re-
strain him! Keep him back! 1t will kill
him! II will kill him.
Some ran before him, but he hurled
them out of the way and came straight
to the waters edge. Then Salvo Popp
never forget the cry that came from bis
lips at sight of his murdered child.
"Maun! Maun! Manu- he walled close
over the waters that covered her like a
sheet of glass, and he held to her cold
hand wailing like one that is lost as
other trembling hands lifted her ten
derby, fearfully from her soft bed and
laid her down on the grass with the
first sunbeams OF the morning stream
ing across her face. There lay the
willowy form which had moved like
music to John Earring. His heart
seemed bursting with the sight. He
had his arms about the old lawyer,
holding him in his wildness, and the
two men, pale, torn, bleeding and dis
heveled, swayed to and fro in agony.
Slowly the old father slipped down,
the young man following him with
hands to prevent his falling, and kissed
and fondled the still wet face and
mass of tangled oozing hair and moaneC
and lay there with his forehead be
tween his arms upon the ground roll.
ing his head in anguish. There lay
the man who with his eloquence anc
legal wiles had set many a murdere1
free. There, gentlemen of the bar, anc
sirs of the ermine, lay successful
criminal lawyer.
Suddenly he sprang up with his gra,
hair struggling about his face, his eye
fevering wildly out, his fists clinched
and the veins and cords at neck ant
wrist distended, knotted and working
80, who has done this? who has don
this?" he cried, hoarsely, shakin!
his trembling fists above his hoar,
head. 80 God! o Father O
wrath! give him into my hands! Civ
, me his heart that bowl of hell-mad
poison, that [ may dash it in pieces
that may have JUSTICE! 0 that ma
have justice!" and he started Wild.
from the place and wavered and stag
gered and gasped and fell prone amonI
the brambles and was still. John Earl
ing ran quickly to him and lifted hin
! up, and they dashed water in his fac
and over his head again and again. L
!. few moments he opened his eyes ant
stared about him. John Earling stoo'
T so the stricken man might not see tn
|, murdered girl. SIS it so?' he whis
,, pered, looking piteously up in tn
young mans face.
Yes, he faltered.
A dull blind expression came into tn
, pleading amber eyes and the old man
head sank down. II meant her TO
you," he murmured, "and / meant he
for YOU
Strong hands carried him back to tn
,, road, and a carriage was brought an
!. the palsy-stricken man drawn slowl
: home. When they had gone, job
Earring, with that sad anger, tina
,, burning sorrow moving all his blood
turned to the men and said: "Gentle
men, friends, let me- in this poor fl
, theirs stead thank you for what 70
: have done. Now let us find the ma
= who did this awful deed. First fin
Fowler, Joel Whitney's book-keepel
: and apprehend him at any cost.
= have evidence pointing to him. On
! of you be kind enough TO bring tn
coroner"
r Then some of the men hastene
8 away, two of them watched by til
: dead girl, and John EARRING went inc
! by inch over the ground where tn
!. body had been drawn. He gathere
a some shreds of her dress from tn
q shrubs, and found button with Iii
tie strip of gray cloth attached to
4 and some of Maun's hair caught abor
, it. These he did up in the scrap {
paper he had found and put them
i his pocket-book. Then he went bac
, and stood moment by the dead cir
She was beautiful of outline, even wit
) that frighful, frozen spell upon hel
With tender. trembling awe, he con
posed her hands and limbs, brushe
the dusky hair back from her low brow
, and laid handkerchief across the gas
in her white throat.