Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-06-08

WftuUIbW liOu1 VIC SeAoC. aNSSh0AA6Ay "
left the room.
A young lawyer was appointed to take Mr..
Clarks place, the jury was chosen, and the
business of the trial proceeded Sam Black
was brought from the Jail and put under
oath. He firmly denied knowing anything
Of the matter.
lobe sprang furfously to his feet, but was
Immediately pushed back into his seat by the
sheriff. The testimony adduced by the state
was strongly against the accused, and the
only witness that he had expressed any de-
sire to testify had sworn against him The
solicitor general made powerful, convincing
speech The young lawyer had not had time
to familiarize himself with the case, and
though he did his best, he was no match for
the experienced state solicitor. His argu-
ment was poor, and his speech fell fat. 1t
was easy to read the conclusion these twelve
men had arrived at in their faces even before
they had left their seats to decide on YER
dict
About an hour later they returned and pro-
nounced Tobe Longley guilty, and be was
sentenced to two years Imprisonment in the
state penitentiary. They led him to Jail,
putting him In e cell near the one occupied
by Sam Black, leaving him with a strange,
dangerous fire in his eyes like that seen in the
orbs of a wild animal brought to bay.
The next morning the jailer saw soul
thrilling sight when he looked into Tobes
cell The sheets of his bed were torn and
twisted, part of which were hanging from
the iron bars overhead his chair was broken
to pieces, and he stood in corner Of tho
room with bruised face, hands and neck; the
half demented creature had passed the long
night in trying to hang himself. The Jail at
tendants eyed him in awe stricken silence.
They moved his bed from the room, and when
they brought his breakfast it was given to
him without plate, knife or fork.
That morning his wife came, pale and
trembling and begged to see him. Her re-
quest was granted, but they carefully with
held all knowledge from her of her husbands
horrible attempt.
They stood face to face, only the iron bars
separating them. Neither essayed to speak.
Presently she took notice Of the bedless cell,
and her lips moved in Mortified whisper.
"Tobe, haint ye had no bedl Whar ID ye
sleepT"
"Whatr' he said, sullenly, with eyes down.
cast.
''Tobe, whar's yore bed thingsr' she re-
peated.
"Hain't they tor your he answered pres
emily, after pause.
"Tor me what, Tober
'Why, they tuck em out to sun this morn
In, that's ALL" he said with peculiar, cum
ming expression stealing into his face.
Mandy" he continued with more volubility,
and coming nearer to her, Mandy, they say
they're a-gwine to start with me for the pen
itent'ry in the mornin'. That's all right;
they kin, reckon, but fore go wart to
ak you some'n. Mandy, you know my buck
horn knife 18th the long bladel It's on the
shelf nigh the Bible-ef faint thar it's a.
stickin' in the log It the head O our bed.
Mandy, l want it. 1t hain't kase l intends to
do nobody any harm. jis' kinder hate to go
off 'thout it. It's leck quittin' off tobacco
when fellers always had one in his pocket.
Fetch it to me this evenin' fore dark, Mandy.
1 needn't ak you anything agin-leastwise
not fur some time to come. Anyway, it's a
small thing ter ak Be shore n you don't
let 'em see it; wrap it up in a handkerchief,
an poke it through to me, you hear"
She whispered her consent and left him.
making her way rapidly through the crowded
courtyard.
The shades of evening were falling over the
town when the woman again made her ap-
pearance at the Jail. The jailer followed her
closely to the prisoners cell, telling her she
could not remain.
"Tobe, here's a clean Handkerchief" she
said In hurriedly agitated voice, pushing
small white roll through the bars. The look
In the prisoners face was almost demoniacal
as his fingers closed over the bundle.
"Ill come in the mornin' an fetch the baby
before you start, Tobe," she said, turning
away.
"No, not in the mornin'," he CALCULATED
with a start. ''Well, yes, reckon you mout
bout as well then as any time" he continued.
MANDY" he called after her, "Bill Wilkes IL
pay you that three dollars he's OWN me fur
he'pin i'm 18th his wheat; he'll pay you now,
reckon, eff you'll ak him fur it, bein' as I'm
in SIGH a fix"
The woman departed, going out into the
falling darkness. The prisoner watched her
through the bars until she was lost to his
sight. The stars came out, and the moon rose
like a great ball Of flame becoming whittier
and smaller as it climbed into the star
sprinkled heavens until it bathed the world
in its hazy beauty. lobe Longley stood in
the white beams falling through his window
ana pSeToQ Oub db tue HlSut. IL WIS
night An awful calm held the hour
His eyes lost the sad, dreamy look and a
ferocious fame Of delirium kindled in their
depths. Then their fires were smothered by
the closing lids. The hand holding a knife
went deliberately upward; the bright blade
caught the moonlight and threw it off in
gieefully dancing reflections on the prison
walls in the darkness behind, as the clenched
hand trembled in sympathy with death ex-
pectant heart.
Just In the instant that the arm was in
readiness to descend with electric swiftness
a voice sounded:
"Great Lahdi Marss lobe, don't do dat!
Des de ve'y minute hits daylight Use gwine
ter tell all bout dat watch Hope may die
eff don'tl done heap o. bayd things, but
never yit meek anybody teck he's own life
No, an l amt gwine ter, eff kin hep it.
Dey'll let you loose in the mo'nin', sho, kase
yo' des ez inherent ez LAM"
It was Sam Black who was speaking, as
he stood watching lobe, whom be could
plainly see in the moonlight And as he con-
tinued TO plead in gentle, penitential tones
the would be suicide let his appraised arm fall
to his side. He bowed his head and thanked
heaven for his deliverance from crime, and
prayed long and earnestly for Sam Black,
who was trying SO earnestly to undo what be
had done.
A man fastening across meadow met q
woman with an infant in her arms going to-
ward the town. A glad, startled look ami I
mated her wan visage, and she cried out .
IN joy.
They sat down by the meadow stream and /
held the infant between them, looking
;enderly into its little face. They spoke not .
. word but kissed each othsr and viewed .