Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-06-15

body's surprise, Tobe became angry with his lawyer. The attention of the entire room was attracted to him as his voice became audible
 l ''It's me a-bein' triedl it hain't you. I'm 1 a-gwine to have say so in this thing. You l needn't bother about it; reckon l kin make l out 'thout your sarvices Sam Black cayn't l git up thar and sw'ar he didn't sell me the watchr'
 'Silence in court!" cried tho judge. MT. Clark arose with angry look and l told the judge that, inasmuch as he and his ! client were unable to agree on the manage ! ment of the defense, he would be obliged to | withdraw from the case. Accordingly he left the room
 young lawyer was appointed to take MT. | Clark's place, the jury was chosen, and the 1 businessof the trial proceeded. Sam Black was brought from the jail and put under l oath. He firmly denied knowing anything of the matter.
 l Tobe sprang furiously 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 flat. It was easy to read the conclusion these twelve l men had arrived at in their faces even before l they had left their seats to decide on ver- dict.
 1 About an hour later they returned and pro- ! nounced Tobe Longley guilty, and he was sentenced to two years Imprisonment in the state penitentiary. They led him to jail, l putting him in cell near the one occupied 1 by Sam Black, leaving him with strange, dangerous fire in his eyes like that seen in the orbs of wild animal brought to bay.
 The next morning the jailer saw a soul 1 thrilling sight when he looked into Tobe's 1 cell. The sheets of his betl were torn and 1 twisted, part of which were hanging from the iron bars overhead; his chair was broken to pieces, and he stood in corner of the l room with bruised face, hands and neck; the half demented creature had passed the long night ill trying to hang himself. The jail att 1 tendants eyed him in awe stricken silence. 1 They moved his bed from the room, and when they brought his breakfast it was given to him without plate, knife or fork. l That morning his wife came, pale and 1 trembling, and begged to see him. Her re- quest was granted, but they carefully with 1 held all knowledge from fer 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 a mortified whisper. l ''Tobe, hain't ye had no beda Whar d ye sleep?'
 "Whats" he said, sullenly, with eyes down. | cast
 'Tobe, whar's yore bed things7" she re- peated
 ''Hain't they tor your he answered pres ently, after pause.
 ''Tor me what, Tobes"
 "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 I go wart to ax you some'n. Mandy, you know my buck horn knife 'ith the long blade! It's on the shelf nigh the Bible-ef 'taint thar it's B. stickin' in the log t the head O our bed. Mandy, I want it. It haint kase intends to do nobody any harm. jis kinder hate to go off 'thout it. It's leck quittin' off tobacco l when feller's always had one in his pocket. Fetch it to me this evenin fore dark, Mandy. l needn't ax you anything agin-leastwfse not fur some time to come. Anyway, it's a small thing ter ax. Be shore m you don't let lem see 1t; wrap it up in handkercher, 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 handkerchern she said in hurriedly agitated voice, pushing a small white roll through the bars. The look in the prisoners face was almost demoniacal as his fingers closed over the bundle.
 ''I1l come in the mornin' an fetch the baby before you start, Tobe," she said, turning away. -....
 'sNo, not in the mornin',n he calculated with start. ''Well, yes, reckon you mout bout as we'll then as any time" he continued. "Mandy," he called after her, "Bill Wilkes Il pay you that three dollars he's owin' me fur hepin i'm rth his wheat; he'll pay you now, I reckon, eff you'll ax him fur it, bein' as I'm in sich fix"
 The woman departed, going out into the falling darkness. The prisoner watched hel through the bars until she was lost to his sight. The stars came out and the moon rose
 like great ball of flame becoming winter and smaller as it climbed into the stal sprinkled heavens until it bathed the world
 in it's hay beauty. Tobe Longley stood ir
 the white beams falling through his window
 and peered out at the night It was mid
 night. An awful calm held the hour.
 His eyes lost the sad, dreamy look and {
 ferocious flame of delirium kindled in theil
 depths. Then their fires were smothered by
 the closing lids. The hand holding knif,
 went deliberately upward; the bright blad'
 caught the moonlight and threw it off il
 gleefully dancing reflections the prisol
 walls in the darkness behind, as the clenchet , hand trembled in sympathy with death ex pectant heart.
 Just in the instant that the arm was il } readiness to descend with electric swiftnes
 a voice sounded:
 "Great Lahd! Marse Tobe, don't do dat Des de ve'y minute hits daylight rse gwin ter tell all bout dat watch. Hope may di eff don't! done heap O bayd things, but never yit meek anybody teck he's own life No, an ain't gwine ter, eff kin hep 1t
 Devil let you loose in tho mo'nin', sho, kas yo' des ez innercent ez lam'." It was Sam Black who was speaking, a I he stood watching Tobe, whom he coul plainly see ill the moonlight. And as he cor . tinued to plead in gentle, penitential tone