New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1889-02-27

A new thought seemed to force its
way into his perturbed mind at this
juncture a consciousness of his peril
and he cast furtive glance around
| him.
sImust not be caught here, . mutter-
ed he, cor my life won't be with a
burnt match | must get away but
where?"
He thought a moment, and then re-
sumed his distracted soliloquy:
''No; 'twon't do to leave, for that
would only convince 'em o. my guilt,
an a posed be after me in no time
I'm in a desp'rit bad fix, that's sure, an
I'll have to cover up all the traces o.
the crime, an say Josh has skipped
| After another searching glance
about, to make sure that his movements
were not being watched, he stopped
down, lifted the limp form into his
arms, and then skunk away with his
burden toward an unused part Of the
| mine.
| He paused, a moment, at the brink
of an old, abandoned shaft, and, after
once more looking and listening, drop
| ped the body into the murky pit.
A splash, as the body struck the
stagnant water at the bottom of the
shaft, was heard Immediately after,
and then, with a blanched face and a
haunted look in his eyes, Tom stole
back to where the deed had been com
| mitted
I'LL go back to the place after dark,
muttered he to himself, 'sand fill the
old shaft up with talins and rock. No
one will then ever run across his body,
an pounce on me for his murderer
All the traces of the bloody deed
were carefully obliterated in the mine,
and then Tom went home.
A fire was kindled and supper pre-
pared; but he could not eat. There was
q gnawing sense of horror lowering
about him. which aWed and desolated
his very soul. Peace was out of the
question, and in his great anguish of
spirit he sought solace in frequent and
copious rotations of fiery liquor.
This brought partial relief, and
nerved him to put into execution a
number of supplemental plans which
he regarded as necessary to his safety.
All of his partners personal effects
were carefully gathered up, tied into a
bundle and carried to the old shaft, in
which they were thrown, and buried
beneath a mass of brushwood, stones
and earth.
Tom had brought flask of liquor
with him, so as to keep up his waning
courage during his labors, and by the
time the task was completed, he was in
of continued indulgence in strong
| drink.
s'I'll go over an see Mol" quoth he,
as he made his way back to the cabin.
'sI'll tell her Josh has gone, an when
she finds there's no hope Of gettin' him,
an that I'm the sole owner of the
claim, she'll say yes quick enough, I
reckon
With these, and host of other less
pleasant thoughts rushing through his
chaotic mind, he turned his steps
toward the settlement, and shortly
afterward was at Bill BushnelPs cabin.
Mol was at home and readily accord
ed the wooer an interview.
| ;
'sMoD, my LASS said he, after few
preliminary words had been exchanged
between them, ssthere's somethin' a.
preyin' on my mind, an I want to tell
you all about it. Irecken you've got an
| idea what I'm drivin' at, but I'm goin'
! to come right out plain, an not be mis-
understood. Josh an me hev bin
purity sweet on you for a long time, Mol
an I'd a-spoken erbout it afore this if it
hadn't bin for kind O. treadin' on his
toes; but now that Josh has pulled up
stakes an struck out for other dig
| gin IS
''What is that you say? Josh Field
has gone away?n cried the girl. Surely,
Tom, you do not mean it, ~.
'.Course he's gone; I thought you
knowed it. He come to see me this
mornin' an, says he: Tom. I'm sick O.
these parts an am goin' to light out for
other diggin's Buy out my share of the
mine an we'll call it quits. He would
MT say no more, an as he put a low fig
ger on his half, bought him out an he
went away. So you see, lassie, bein'
sole owner O. the mine now, [ can offer
you purity scrumptious sort o a home.
/ Will you hitch with me, Mol?''
s'But Josh might come back
ssDurn Joshr' cried Tom, impatient
/ ly. 'sHe was no great shucks anyhow,
an I don't see what you want O him! /
love you hundred times more'n he did,
/ an, I'd make YOU a deuced sight hap