Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1890-04-05

| hrst.'
In her agitation she betrayed her
feelings rs she had never done before.
l caught her III my arms:
"And II ! should 90 will you let them
force you to marry himp" | cried.
''Nayr" she answered, firmly. with
her beautiful, serious eyes fixed full on
mine. They could never force me.
See horor" She placed her little hand
in me. TIN no wife for you, but / love
you, dear. and for your sake I'll go
single to my grave"
The moon had risen higher now and
her light made all things visible.
Scarcely had the words left Lizzie's
lips, when with n cry Of rage a man
sprang from among the pines, and
made as il to seize her. Instinctively,
rs | recognized Ben, / flung her round
beyond his reach, and placed myself
before her. That movement saved my
life.
For, on the instant, tho report OF q
gun was heard. and old Rem Allen,
with ono agonized cry, fell dead before
US; while Liz. with + wild scrtam OF
horror. dropped on her knees beside
him.
/ stood, for one brief second. be-
wildered. horror-strickcn, then darted
away In the direction whence the shot
had been fired. The crashing OF tho
under brush, as under the feet of some
one in full flight, guided inc. In
among the pines / picked mp a gun.
whose warm and still smoking barrel
showed that 1t had been tho murderer's
weapon, but | found not him who had
tirud 1t. SO, after n hasty. fruit!ess
search, / returned TO the scene OF
death. where | found. despite the lone
ly spot and lateness Of the hour, u
crowd had already collected-rougb,
uncouth fellows; wood-cutters and
charcoal-burners and tho like; nil
sworn friends and comrades of the
Aliens. and natural enemies Of all men
richer than themselves. They received
me with r howl of loathing.
Here's the murderer. Seiz, him,
boys! The grn is in his hand" 1t was
Jim who spoke, Lizzie's reputed cous-
in. looked around for her. but she
was gone.
/ was seizod, of course, without be-
ing allowed 10 say n word, and hustled
TO the neighboring town-a rough, wild
place, at best. but | was glad to get
there, for that vas q rough, wild ride
that led to H. with such rude escort,
among the pines.
| had laughed CONTEMPORARY to
myself, at first. over the accusation
made against me. l knew Liz could
prove my innocence with q word. But
the matter began TO look far more SER
ious when | learned that tho girl could
not be found.
Jim Allen, the foul traitor. sworo
that hc hEd jeen me fire, and that Liz
vas nowhere neal us at the time, and
a score of vindictiye voices cried out
that l had come from among tho pine
trees with tho gun still In my hand,
and that tho gun was mine!
1t was so, indeed-the weapon that ]
had lost. and that now appeared in
fatal evidence against me.
Liz could have saved me, but LIZ
was gone; and greater than my anxiety
over my own possible fac was the tor
turing fear Of what might have befallen
her.
They pro Jed that / had loved tho
backwoods beauty. They dared to cast
a slur on the fair fame of the girl
loved-pGre as the proudest lady in the
land she wa5,-iu order TO show that
there was angry blood between me and
her father. rose in my place 10 bear
witness TO her purity.
you vie slandercr!' / cried to Jim
Allen, IF over | leave this accursed
place. and find her, LIZ of the Pines
shall be NY wife,
lie looked at me with an evil scowl
of hate.
You will never leave this place
aliyeI' ho said.
j began to think that he spoke the
truth. The bitterness. the haste. the
preiudicA, which they brought TO bear
npon my trial. left mo no room for hope
of justice. The circumstantial evil
denco was terrible, and a verdict OF
guilty s,emed almost n forcgone con-
c~lusion. when suddenly there stag
gered into the courtroom = pale, worn,
haggard woman. who feil-with q
moan Of angu,sh-prone at the judges
feet.
No one kneil her. An officer camo
forwsrd 10 tab , the wretchcd. ragged
creature away. Then. as he lifted the
senssiess form, the head fell back-a
miserable Dor act dropped from it
down tumblod q mass Of magnificent.
long. black hair, and in an instant we
recogn.zed-ll Ing apparently dead be-
fore us-Liz o. the Pines!
All was Immediate confusion. Idon't
know how | gt TO her, but l did, and
had her in my arms, and never knew
that Jim Aller had aimed q pistol at
me until saw him struggling and in
custody.
II was MI o,er directly. She re-
viveurI and pre- ged my innocence and
J.m's g%ui.t-told of the plot against
my life, Ben Aliens theft of the gun.
and that Jim had borrowed il. 1t APP
pcared that 81 had seen him tire the
fatal shot, AMI that when / dart 4
away, and sh, fell fainting with horror.
he had return d. and lifting her in his
arms, secured her in 4 hut near by un-
til the crowd .ad removed me.
aud then hp had carried her further
away, and bel ten and starved her in
his desire to free her into marriage
more than ev,r desirable now. consid-
ering what ST knew against him-un-
til reduced TO sickness and almost
death by sufI ,ring. she had made good
her escape n last. and arrived in time
TO save her fiithful lover-her husband
before that 'vening's u had set. Tho
Judge vino ad been so near TO con-
demning m, to death married us
poor. and S ok. and ragged as she was
i'm that veey hour. Who but ! should
nurse, and comfort and console her for
all the pain and sorrow that my love
had brought?
And Low, brought only happiness
h~enccforth 70 both of us. / took my
backwoods bride to England. and sho
became ms pupil in more than love
an apt pupil, Of whom her teacher
may well BIZ proud. My fair, sweet
wife! No statelier, ~lovelier lady adorns
society to-day. nor nonc more univer-
sally admired; aud yet, in all save
ignorance and sorrow. she is the Same
sweet "Liz" who stole Into my heart
unawares among the Pines.
When you take n couple of dozen
wire window-screcns. and attempt -