San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-03-17

clared that he would go and meet her.
The street seemed very quiet; he did not
meet the usual people standing about, but
at last he saw them all gathered together,
in a portion Of the road that divided
the lower town from the heights"
On the "heights" lived the gentry;
down in the "hollow" lay the poorer
dwellings. A bit of road led under a
great rock, over bridge which crossed a
stream which made their boundary line.
Here was a crowd, and Ruth Gedney in
the midst of 1t.
"Oh, papaw she cried when she saw
him and he hurried to her, and took her
hand.
Don't tremble so, my DEAR" he said.
"What does this mean?"
1t was Mrs. Chalmers who said:
at means that the girl who calls you
papa, the daughter of John Gedney, that
we all know was hanged, has followed him
to the gate of the gallows."
And now Mr.. Martin saw lying on the
ground little dead boy, covered with
blood, staring upward with terrible eyes.
"Who is it?" he cried. "What does
this mean?"
cit is my poor little grandson that she
has killed for telling her the truth,
shrieked Aunty Markham.
Uttering a shrek, the old woman fell
down on her face in sort of fit.
Papa" cried Ruth, "oh, papa, I
came down the road to cross the bridge,
and there under the bushes l saw poor
little Sam lying dead.
q shrieked. and my basket fell out of
my hand. l held by the rails of the bridge,
and everything was black before me.
"Then Mrs. Markham came, and other
people. They said killed Sam, II, oh,
papa" ,
"They are all mad, my child" said he.
The constable appeared upon the scene
and took the poor girl in custody.
The trial came, and Ruth was declared
guilty.
She lay in prison. The dreadful day
drew near. But she was strangely calm.
Her adopted parents believed her word,
and she asked no more.
Il was so afraid" she used to say,
THAT you might come to think 1 killed
the poor little boy. But was wicked to
feel so-you who are always so good"
Mrs. Martin never left the prison, and
was with the girl day and night. Mr..
Martin came often. Their hearts were
well-nigh broken.
Papa" Ruth said, "I have one COM
fort out Of this: believe my own father
was innocent, too, and when l meet him
in heaven l shall be glad. You see any
one can be hung who is innocent, if
must be-"
On the morrow the dreadful end would
come.
Mr.. Martin walked out of the prison
door with his head bent down, but as he
would have passed the prison door,
jailer stopped him.
There's man inside dying" he said.
"The policeman shot him in self-defence.
He wants to see you the minister, you
know: He's got confession to make"
Mr.. Martin turned slowly back, and
went with his heavy heart into the prison
again. The wounded man lay upon cot.
He had been taken In the act of burglary,
and his breath was fast leaving him.
"You don't know me, parson," he
gasped. &C You used to years ago. am
Seth Markham, Granny Markham's son,
and the father of little Sam who was
killed. killed Sam myself. He was a
troublesome, half witted brat, and he came
in my way when was going to do a good
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