Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1889-12-21
BACKWOODS LIZ.
Strange Story of ClrCumstan.
tiaI Evidence

ttai
IL was her wild beauty that made
me love her. That |, Ned Gray, a
bachelor of leisure, should have fallen
under the thralldom of 'Backwoods
Liz" seemed absurd, and yet my
passion was honest and sincere.
Tonight was to meet her in lone
ly canyon, for her father, with whom |
boarded, was not fond of my inten-
lions to his adopted daughter.
had not long to wait. | saw by the
terror in her face that something had
happened as she hurried toward me-
81 have come to warn you to fly"
she said earnestly. My cousin Jim
has returned; he has heard about you,
and he swears he will have your. life.
They are sitting together, my father
and he, down in the cabin now, drink
ing together and plotting your destruc-
ton. Go, before it is too late!''
The moon had risen higher now, and
her light made all things visible
Scarcely had the words left Lizzie's
lips, when, with a cry of rage, man
sprang from among the pines, and
made as if to seize her. Instinctively,
as l recognized Ben, flung her round
beyond his reach, and placed myself
before her. That movement saved
my life.
For, on the instant the report of a
gun was heard, and old Ben Allen, with
one agonized cry, fell dead before us,
while Liz, with wild scream of horror,
dropped on her knees beside him.
| stood for one brief second bewilder-
ed, horror-stricken, then darted away
in the direction whence the shot had
been fired. The crashing of the under
brush, as under the feet of one in full
flight, guided me. In among the pines
picked up a gun, whose warm and
still smoking barrel showed that it had
been the murderer's weapon, but |
found not him who had fired it. So,
after a hasty, fruitless search, | re-
turned to the scene of death, where |
found, despite the lonely spot and late
ness of the hour, crowd had already
cOllected-rough, uncouth fellows,
wood-cutters and charcoal burners, and
the like, all sworn friends and COM
rades of the Aliens, and natural enc
mics of all men richer than themselves.
They received me with howl OF loath-
ing.
The circumstantial evidence they
brought against me IN court was terri
BILE, and a verdict of guilty seemed
almost a foregone conclusion, when
suddenly there staggered into the court
room pale, worn, haggard woman,
and fell-with a moan of anguish
prone at the judges feet
No one knew her. An officer came
forward to take the wretched, ragged
creature away. Then, as he lifted the
senseless form, the head fell back,
miserable bonnet dropped from it, down
tumbled q mass of magnificent, long
black hair. and in an instant we recOg-
modifying dead before us-Liz of the
| pines.
1t was all over directly. She re-
vived, and proved my innocence and
Jim's guilt; told of the plot against my
life, Ben Aliens theft of the gun, and
that Jim had borrowed it.
1t appeared that he had seen him
| fire the fatal shot, and that when l
darted away, and she fell fainting
with horror, he had returned. and lift
| ing her in his arms secured her in q
hut near by until the crowd removed
! me.
And then he had carried her further
away, and beaten and starved her in
his desire to force her into marriage
| mOre than ever desirable now, con-
sidering what she knew against him),
/ until, reduced to sickness, and almost
death by suffering, she had made good
her escape at last, and arrived in time
| to save her faithful lover-her husband
before the evenings sun had set. The
| Judge who had been so near condemn
ing me to death married us-pOor and
sick and ragged as she was-in that
very hour. Who but could nurse and
comfort and console her for all the
pain and sorrow that my love had
rought?-Boston Globe.