San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-08-13
CHAPTER III.

cannot tell why the word murder"
struck me with such horror. / stood
looking at the old boatman like one
struck with dismay. / was on the point
of saying that it was quite impossible,
for | had been on the Chain Pier last
night, and had seen nothing of the
kind. Some impulse restrained me.
II would not go so far as to say it was
murder, interrupted sturdy bOatman.
81 have been about here great many
years, and ! have seen some queer
things. j should hardly call this muir
der"
1T was life taken away. whether
you call it murder or not, " said the old
man.
MAY be-but / am not sure. 1 have
seen many mad with misery, but muir
der is rare thing"
"What is it?" | asked.
"A child, sir - only little child"
said the sturdy boatman. 1.-The body of
a little child found drowned off the pier
here"
Now, why should 1 start, and trem-
BILE, and grow sick at heart? What had
it to do with me? | knew nothing of
any murdered child, yet great drops
formed on my brow, and my very heart
trembled,
"A little child found drowned,"I re-
peated; ''but how do you know it was
murdered? 1t may have fallen into the
water"
at was not old enough for that, SIR"
said the elder bOatman, lit IL but fair
little mite-a baby girl; not more than
three weeks old"
All, why did the beautiful, desperate
face | had seen the night before flash
before my eyes then? The bOatman
went on
ut is plain to my eyes that it is a
murder: although the child is but
tender babe; all the greater murder for
that, bigger child might have helped
itself. this one could not"
"Tell me about it?'' said.
All! if my heart would but stop beat
ing, or if the beautiful, desperate face
would but fade from my memory.
1T was James Clayton who found it,"
continued the old man. He was at
work in the jetty this morning when he
caught sight of something moving up
and down with the waves; at first he
thought it looked like an old rag, and
he took no notice of it, then something
about it attracted his attention more
and more. He went nearer and found
that it was p grey and black shawl, that
had caught on some large hooks Which
had been driven into the wooden pillars
for some purpose or other-a wOman's
shawl, sure as could be; some lady, he
thought, had dropped it over the pier
and it had caught on these hooks below
the water Jim was pleased; he thought,
if worth anything, he might get tritie
of reward for it; if not, he might take
it home to his old mother.
n. l.. -, Ia h,,N
sir, to Jim's surprise, he found it was
thought he had found a treasure, and
FASTENED to get it quickly off the hooks.
1t had been caught more tightly by ac-
cident than it could have been placed
there by human hands. 1t was tight on
the hooks, and he had to tear the shawl
to get it off. He lost no time opening
it, and there was little, fair child,
drowned and dead.
at was not pleasant sight, sir, on
bright morning, when the sunshine was
dancing over the waves. Jim said his
heart turned quite faint when he saw
the little white body-such fair little
mite, sir. it was enough to make the
very angels weep! Some woman. sir
Heaven forbid that it was the mother
some woman had dressed it in pretty
white clothes. 1t had a white gown,
with lace, and soft white woollen cap
on the little golden head. A sorry
sight, sir-a sorry sight Jim said that
when he thought of that little tender
body swinging to and fro with the waves
all night, he could not keep the tears
from his eyes.
''It was meant to sink, you see, SIR"
continued the man, with rough energy
sit was never meant to be caught.
But the great God, He is above all, and
He knows the little one was not to sink
to the bottom like lead. 1t is true, Sir,
and murder will out"
"BU.s is nothing known" / asked
"Surely such thing could never be
done without someone seeing or know
ing something about it."
Il am afraid, sir, no one knows but
the one who did it. Some woman, sir,
had dressed the little thing--a man
would never have thought of the soft
woollen cap. And can tell you anoth-
er thing, SRA man would never have
killed a child like that; not that l am
UNFOLDING men = some of them are
brutes enough-but do not think any
man would throw little babe into the
water. When woman is bad, she Is
bad, and there is nothing vile enough
for her."
thought of the beautiful and des-
perate face. Heaven grant that she
might have nothing to do with thisl
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