The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-12-22
gentlemen! You don't know that he's

| Suilty' Ouuauo iiAA' Aoo .'io -.
have it's way! let the law have its way"
He fought his way to the prisoner,
and at sight of this wild shouting
horseman they broke apart, and the
tall Absalom still held him by the col
| lar. Then in Absalom's grip, and
covering and trembling close to John
Earnings horse, he was hurried down
to the Jail; but at the door another
struggle came; the air was filed with
cries as the heated mass broke against
the building, and John Earring was
thrown from his plunging horse and
went under in the struggle, but Absa-
lom tore the helpless, faintlng wretch
through all and thrust him headlong in
at the open door, and the bolts shot to
their sockets and the man was safe.
CHAPTER XIX
He was safe behind the thick stone
wall-the still b0ok-keeper-and the
thousand hands that burned to rend his
flesh and soul apart were powerless
But he reeled about with his fingers
pressed hard upon the veins OF his thin
neck, and gasped for breath, until the
crowd had melted away toward the
river; then he sat down with his blood
shot eyes upon the floor and was dumb.
What he had suffered, what black
plague had eaten his heart raw to the
touch of passion, how villianously
mixed were the ingredients of his nat
ure, or what mingled fire and darkness
had swept over him with torture and
delusion, or yet how far in the eyes of
God-welghing his guilt against the
unseen forces that begot the was
blamable, can never be wholly known
this side of Heaven.
Joel was shocked beyond language,
and refused to believe in his guilt, as
did Mrs. Whitney, and indeed half of
Openstone. But out by the river tho
inquest went on. and the prisoner was
held for examination;' there again,
when examined before justice, he
was held for trial at the regular term
of court.
All day long, without thought OF
food or rest, John Earring watched
and guided, trying to satisfy himself in
the sight of Heaven if this man were
guilty or no. 1t was the first time in
his life that he had taken steps to
fasten crime upon fellowman, and
then, and ever after, he could not and
would not proceed without the finest
scrutiny of the entire field. lest in
prosecution or defense he might COM
NIT a wrong scarcely inferior to the
first.
That night the town babbled with
dark words and prophesyings of the
prisoners ultimate escape. Joel pro-
vided bail for his unfortunate empioye,
but the bringing, miserable man would
not submit his life to the street, and
guards were placed about the jail.
Out where the town met the prairie
to the north the old lawyers house
. stood under the signing trees with a
darkness deeper than the night infold-
ing it. In the dim parior where Maun
had often moved SO airily she now lay
still with bloodless face and draped in
white. Mrs. Bower, Celeste, and other
women with plying hearts, had ar
rayed her so, and Celeste had wcpt
above her, putting white flowers in her
, wax-like, helpless hands and dark, damp
hair that she might seem beautiful to
,, him who, she thought, had loved the
! murdered maiden, should he come.
!, Late at night after long consulta.
. ton with Judge Bower and the State 8
! Attorney, John Earring came wearliy
, and with an unspeakably dark heart in
,, at the old lawyers door. Mrs. Bower
received him and led him in where the
, still sleeper lay. and Celeste, who had
| hanr, csffsncr h1rh o,. of sound Nf his
, footsteps went into the adjoining room
. where other watchers sat and closed
!, the door. For long time he stood by
/ the dead girl, gazing, plying, all
! most wondering, at her awful white
a ness, her utter silence, her bottomless
sleep. That which had charmed him
o was not there, the life that gave
her beauteous motion had been
checked and turned aside into region
where his eyes could never follow. Is
= it possible to love a single human at
= tribute alone and yet not draw it's pos
: SCISSOR wholly into the hearth Perhaps
it was so with him, but be did not
think of it. He was plying her, and
! mingling his pity with an angry sor-
:, row thatwas speeches. before the awful
|, irreparable wrong that had been done
: to her. There she lay, stained, and
cut off in the fine bloom Of innocent
> girlhood; torn out of the world,
wrenched away from home and
:, father, spoiled of her name, breath,
= sight, life, and all that had ever been
! or might be dear and sweet to con.
seriousness, for whatP Through whom
I 30 she did not know! She had nc
= mother, and they never told her
. they never told her!" he moaned
and started from the room,
not seeming to know that Mrs. Bower
was there. She followed him softly
: out upon the porch and laid her hand
upon his arm. '.Her father wanted te
e see you if you came" she said.
u He turned upon her with angry,
tear-suffused eyes and looked at her Z
). moment trembling with feeling. "He
!. never told her there was any harm in
= the world" he said, thickly. ..She
! had no mother, and he never told her
7 | know know-he loved her; he
loved her foolishly, childishly, and had
. every thing kept from her that for hel
4 own safety she should have known
!. and known the danger of! 0 he killed
!, her with ignorance! She was no wisel
than little childr' and he started
!, away into the darkness, leaving the
woman standing there wondering al
him. After time he came back and
4 at the left hand side of the hall went
: into the old lawyers rooms. 1t was
+ near midnight, and the lights were
l turned down and dimly glimmerne
> AGAINST the plarinp horns of the ell,'.