The Red Cloud chief., 1888-02-17

were gone, n what could Sne say 10 0uy
legal OIL c!al. ever if she should reach e
A brief spasm Of sense rescued her; she
| only went about, as she expressed herself,
.'Goose-fesh all over" the rest OF the day.
| having no living soul to cOn.ide in; Tor the
| great Cheshire boar had managed to break
| out Of his s,ye early that forenoon and
| Hiram had to pursue him as best he might,
| nor did he return till two o'clock in the
| morning, oven then without his pig: though
| ne had driven it q: last into = neighbours
barn by the seductive and odorus influence
| Of certain early apples, irresistible to any
pig Of character.
SopnrOnia passed . troubled night. Her
| past enjoyment Of the penny ~dreadfuls"
visited her now in the tangle Of dreams.
and whenever she woke it was to 8 sEud-
dering recollection Of Aaron Miller's savage
voice and the impending fate OF the I'm
| known .she." But morning came At last.
| still dreary with bowling winds and gusts
Of rain. Hiram had risen early, taken u
cold bite and gone after his pig; and So
phrOnia, in the fashion OF lonely wOmeu,
made her scant breakfast. standing at the
pantry shelf, Of tea, and bread and butter.
watching through the green-paned little
window before her the dragged fowls pick
ing their slow way through the wet mire Of
the barn.yard. uttcring discounted croaks
atont the weather, much like their fellows.
the unfeathered bipeds. Suddenly the
telephone rang: cup and saucer, bread and
butter, fell from her hands. She made
haste to seize the horn.
Within her ear the inevi table ''Hulloi"
r~esounded.
That you, Aaronr
faint nobody else"
Little he knew that Scphrcnia heard it
all.
WELL, have you did it,"
eyes. He's lone for"
"Where did yoa find him!"
'Suoopin' around the mill, as poplar Is
though ne was inspector Of b'iiers."
'Haw, hawl What ye done with the re-
Eains!"
They're deep: enough where nobody
won't find 'em this hundred year"
Hin! that's good"
Sophronia dropped tho horn; she stiffened
with horror; here was a fearful murder
right In the neigh5orhOod! But then she
had always expected il. or something like
It, of those Milicr's. While she stood con
sidering. Hiram drove into the yard in a
neighbours wagon, the Cheshire hsoar lying
ignominiously bound therein, Aquealing
with all his piggish might. Hiram backed
up against the styc, which he had rein
forced at early dawn, and deity Slid Mas
ter Piggy over the tail-board, cutting his
bonds as he helped him along. for We'll he
knew the danger Of setting such y captive
free too soon.
He had Just finished the risky proceeding
when SophrOnia appeared at the shed door
with her apron over her head.
"H-.-ram!' she screamed. II var We
to wait 4 minute! I've got to go in to Stan
ton. ! must. right oil. Won't BARRIERS
folks let We keep the team a speil!"
Il guess So" was the gruf response.
He knew perfectly we'll that he had Dor
rowed the team to go to Stanton himself
and get Il scythc-snath. Such is mani!
All the way Sophronia preserved an aw-
full silence; she felt the magnitude OK the
situation and revolved her plans in her
mind. What she did when she reached
Stanton. after receiving proper advice IN
the matter, need not be detailed. IN fact,
l don't know what she did! But the very
next morning Aaron and Joseph Miller
were arrested OH a charge Of murder, and
were brought before the proper authorities
FOR preliminary examination.
There was Sophronia, too, who with much
excitement and many needless words, de-
poneI and testified 10 what she had heard
on the Telephone: "A grim smile distorted
Aaron MilIer's face. and Joseph mutterej,
The old fOoi!' undo: his breath; but IL
was only niut;cred, so Sophronia did not
resent II.
Judge S:opcocx was the model OF arurai
magnate; fat, red in the face, pOmpous.
crowned with a sleek, brown wig, and a
tall shiny hat. tilted slightly askcw; he al
ministered justice much as Mrs. SQucers
administered birthstone and %treacie. Sc
vereiy with u spoon. Throwing his head
back, clasping his hands over his stomach.
Closing his eyes and pursuing up his mouth
he began his queries.
land you, hum, the-ah, prisoners; what
have you to offer as, hum, aw, rcbuttal OF
Miss, hi, Perkins statement" Here he
opened his eye suddenly, and dartcd a
judicial glare at the offenders.
.Nothln'!" krOw.ed Aaron. II done it."
sO-O-ohr"
And with a delicious girlish scream .
pretty, rosy, curiy-headej girl rushed
across the courtroom, and flung her arms
around Aaron Miller's neck; she had just
come in at the door.
"He never!" she sobbed, addressing as
founded Judge Stopcock with courageous
scorn. He never! he's The best and kind
est and dearest man in the world"
Miss Sophronia prepared to FAINT.
"You shut up, FAM! said Aaron. with .
peremptOry voice and a tender smile.
'.Go ahead, ledge! I killed him. and l
buried him! now l want the hull caboOdle
of ye to come along and dig him up. SOS TO
hang me right of slick; and not be a-makin'
no more fuss about it. Joe, did you send
arter the team!"
"Yea-ah!' responded Joseph, with q
wink. an undeniabie wink! at the deputy
sheriff, q bullet-hcaded Irishman, who had
regarded the whole proceeding up to this
time with subdued chucSIes, as an cxQuis-
tie joke.
Now Mike roared aloud with laughter.
..Silence!" shrieked the outraged Judge,
growing redder than a turkey-cOck.
.Well, come along" went on Aaron;
s'there's Stacks omnibus out OF the door,
and l want the hull posse commona:u us 20
come out an dig him up. as l said afOrc;
there's spades enough out there"
I'VE can han'cuff me- and Joe, il you
wantcr."
This was a singular and improper pro-
ceeding, and the judge snorted anu pulled
a good deal about il; but in a rustic com
munity the majority is apt to have its way,
and nobody there believed Sophronia's