The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-07-03
Murder and robbery. IL

certain to nab him sooner or later. added
the detective. with the professional gusto
of a man who had bagged human game
Miriam listened YEARLY while they told
the terrible tale to Alb. She watched her
father narrowly The quasi moonshiner
might condone offcnses against the rev.
enue. but murder.-she knew that he had
a superstitious horror If man with blood
on his hands
He h'aint fifteen tor git of. Mirry. he
whispered, while the search went ON In
the angry thoroughness Of threatened
discontinue. He'll fotch us turrible
luck ef he's done hit. en-. Mirry, he
sha'n't hev you. noways Well git inter
trouble long O him eff we don't tell. y
Father, I've helped en- stood by you,
hewitt r. asked the girl. passionate
pleading in every lineament and accent.
True huff. Mirry; you've helped me
powful but 'twur never murder, he re
Joined. uneasily. Hits no good a-holpin
murder.
NO, no. wouldn't do it neither; but
he says he is innocent, father.
inherent MayhaS he is, en- likely
he hain't; likely he's jes a-foolin' vic
YOU, kase he's sartin you'll holp him out'n
his trouble" shrewdly interposed Alb.
Father, he says he didn't murder-he
says So" she repeated; zen don't you
tun against MS"
"UsY lie shan't hev you"
The girl clung to him in desperate, tel
ror stricken violence.
NO, won't never go with him till yon
give the say so, father" she promised.
recklessly. But he didn't do it-he Is
innocent, en- I'll hold to him till 1t comes
all right
Alb turned away-his wrinkled counte
nance had grown hard and stern in aspect
He wished he had heard it all before they
told Miriam. or before they had come into
the house and the girl had reminded him
of the time when her vigilance and devo
ton had stood him in good stead while
"Guv'menters" hunted for the free dis
tillery.
Angry and disappointed of the gains for
which they served justice, the detectives
came in from their futile search. They
had found the two or three brush matched
outhouses an infinitesimal shred of the
premises, compared with the black
ravine, the dense thickets. the great pine
forest stretching away into untold laby
rinths
See here, old man." threatened the
ferret faced detective, you'd do well to
tell the truth. We're sure the fellow is
here, and we're a-goin' to stay till VI
catch him. 50 you might as well own up
at once
Dunno but | might" acknowledged
Alb
"Heathe was here today, wasn't heY
questioned the man, in boiling eyasper
alton.
"Jes' so, capting; he wur here terday
Thought SO. Gimme the truth, now
He's here now, amt he?'
Ab tore off a long leaf of tobacco from
home grown twist and held 1t in tempting
proximity to his mouth
"Nat'ral huff, capting, eff he hain't guy
you the slip he be heah yit
"ConfouHd the fellow, we might q
known by their takin it so cool that be
had yamosed; curse the whole business
angrily retorted Paxton; but Alb had
slowed the tobacco leaf safely into his
mouth and lazily dropped into chair be
fore the fire.
His talk was over for the time.
The lukewarm sheriff and enraged de
tectives had taken themselves off, down
the ridge, some time before Alb said with
a satisfied chuckle:
"Twa'n't no lie es | tole EN-, Mirry. ]
knowed them pow'ful sharp felers
wouldn't believe hit; but mind you. gal
you haint got my say so ter TEX no man
es commits murder, en- you'll never git
hit. kase he don't mean you right. Ell
hits onlucky.
The girl knew her father too well t.
demonstrate She knew. too, that Heathe
was only safe while she adhered to her
promise not to marry him without Abs
permission The cold winter frightened
It's grip. and still ali uneasy sense Of sur
yeillance and danger hung over them
The old moonshiner's family had once been
full of expedieIts for deluding doubtful
visitors. They seemed to come back to
Miriam. along with thousands OF inge
NOUS devices for the comfort and safety
Of her lover. All the winter long lie was
neither seen nor heard of at Abs cabin
but all the winter long neither rain. nor
snow. nor raging tempest-the tempest
of the mountains-preyented the girls
daily pilgrimage to the hut in the black
ravine. Alb would watch her go out in
the whirling snow wreaths, with the
basket on her arm, but he never ques
toned her Grand SO the winter dragged
its ice cold lengths away. The fine frosty
flakes of snow betokened fierce storm
coming over the ;idge-already it had
sifted like white powder into crack and
crevice. shutting out the rigid wind roar
ing savagely among the pines outside.
but passing almost contemptuously the
warm, substantial cabin crouching be
meath them. The snow deadened all
sounds without, the dogs gave no howl
nor warning when suddenly the door
was thrown open, and with the sweeping
gust and snow two men came in. They
were the sheriff and a stranger.
Don't make no stir, Abr shouted the
sheriff. "It's all right - tother feller's
confessed Heathc didn't do it. This
here's his brother-t'other teller owned
up when he's a-dyin'."
Alb smiled grimly.
IL wouldn't hev tux noboby's wu'd for
hit but youa'n shurf."
Yes; we've KEN apuppose ter get him.
tho it's cold es blazes," added the sat