The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1888-08-18

only twice, in q low tone as he walked
along the line when go into the
bathhotise have the kindness to fol-
low me-" yet every individual under
stood distinctly whether the words
had or had not been addressed, with
out his even having apparently look.
ed directly at any one. noticeo
afterward those thus chosen were
those on whose self-contro! he coulo
probably place the most reliance. :
He began an address to us by re-
minding us of the solemnity oil the 90
casion and OF the difficulty OF the
duty before us in rathaf Get fashion,
as if he felt some hesitatieh over his
unwonted task and took refuge in
mannerisms. This, however, was
soon shaken off; his words flowed
freely and his voice rang clear, yet
still nothing to the point OF the mat
ter on hand. no information. in fact.
l was sensible OF e certain impatience.
had not come there to be haransued
with platitudes.
awe might have known We should
be let in for a sermon when We had .
parson at the head OF affairs" whisp-
cred a lively little lady at my elbow.
Hushl his voice had different tone
in it. He was describing the awful
ness OF sudden death; lower and
impassioned came his words. l
would not spoil them by garbled
extracts. It was impossible not to
listen intently. Scorn and anger flash
ed out as he spoke OF the dastardly
cowardice that could strike q harm.
less victim. Then. with pathos had;
never heard equaled, he described the
grief OF the unknown sorrow.stricken
ones, who might belett to mourn their
loss. Suddenly he stopped, and the
abruptness made me look up; his eyes
were fixed on the prisoner's-then he
said, hurriedly: 1--WE are ignorant OF
much that surrounds the history OF
this awful crime; all that We have to-
connect US with the victim lie here
He threw open the large door and dis
closed the bathroom, whose concrete
floor sloped upward from the entrance
on account of the occasional overflow
ing of the spring; on it Icy q hat and
and cloak, belonging to the murdered
woman, and the much.talked-of Paris
flowers, scattered about just as they
had been left. ~
Mr.. Holdfast stopped and picked up
q large pink flower. The fixed eyes OF
the prisoner followed his, then she
rose and went slowly toward him-we
followed according to his direction.
Was she-were we going to examine
infinitely the dreary horrors OF
the place2-enhanced by the
mockery of those tawdry flowers. The
door had been closed upon US, and
the room was almost dark; what
light there was struggled in through
the rough Venetian shutters. We
stood huddled together, about the
door, the accused woman standing
alone in the middle OF the room. A
beam of light struck something gilt,
tering on the floor. cauld hardly re-,
press my inclination to call for the
shutters to be opened-the twilight
was almost painful-yet felt that
Mr.. Holdfast would not have permit
ted anything unless he had some de.
sign in choosing it to be so. :
The tall figure in the centere bent
down and picked up the shining some
thing and raised it high above her
head; it was long knife of peculiar
construction. At last the silence was
broken and she was about to speak
but no! the sounds that came were
more like means than >artitulate
words: the sounds grew louder, they
rose and fell like an Indian chant,
while she whirled the long knife slowly
round and round her head. Two
or three OF those nearest her rushed
to the door; the sudden light revealed
Mr.. Slater, the draper, whose curl
osity was as great as his cowardlce,
suspended, like Mohammed's coffin, be.
tween earth and heaven, his body and
legs safe outside, and his head still
stuck in round the door. :
could not have moved IT ! had
wished it; that whirilng blade fasci-
mated me. yet the sight OF Mr.. Slater
made me laugh.
But the voice was raising louder
now. l could hear, or thought l
heard, these words:
1.-THE east wind blows, it brings n word;
Awake my blood bedabbletl sword.
The words spark that lights flame,
Was kindled at noble name
Which coward Death. from Rumor heard.
Then, wake and rise, Avenging Sword!"
AT the last line her voice rose to g.,
wild scream, and she ran in a frenzy
toward the bath. Just at this mo-
ment the door was opened from the
outside and On old man with stream
ing gray hair rushed in. Mr.. Hold
fast went TO meet him, and laid his
hand on his arm. The old man
shook him off.
"My daughter! where is she? Who
dares accuse her OF hideous crime?"
Herself" answered the clergyman,
"and yet not herself"
He took the old man gently aside
and endeavored to calm him and tell
him what had passed.
The old man turned his head, and
when the clergyman had finished
speaking he came forward to us, with
a gesture full of dignity.
"My friends-this gentleman, to
save my daus liter from a shameful
death, has proved her--mad. The
frenzy could only be reproduced by re-
storing the outward circumstances OF
the last, the fatal one. | thank him
for the attempt. I thank yon for
your presence here. Had there not
been the semblance ola trial to set her
suspicious at resi-, it might have fail
ed. Yet think of the awful tate reserv-
ed for one who during long intervals
is as conscious OF her condition as
yourselves"
He was hardly able to so on, but
turned to Mr.. Holdfast.
"You meant for the best-the best
no doubt, but was not any t'eath bet.
ter than such fate?" y
Mature is kinder than we. in our
ignorance, can be-" he replied; ''she
has finished the work she began
your daughters death"
We learned atterward that the poor
girl had gone mad from the shock of
hearing OF the death OF the man
to whom she was shortly to
have been married. He had been
murdered by dacoits in Burman, and
his last letter to her, which she never
could be induced to part with for g
moment, had been much occupied in
describing the luxurlant growth OF
tropical flowers which surrounded