Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1890-11-08

On1 HOW blOWly tuO ueyo ohN AANn "S
wore away. They seemed to grow long
er and longer. Poor Gabe!
And what Of the pretty bride.elect
during all these unhappy days?
For many weeks Mollie refused to be
comforted and was most miserable,
while her friends, and neighbors, and
even her discarded lover. Milt Spurloclr,
did all that they could TO cheer her and
make her less fearful.
At last there came grave rumors
Of Gabe's trial and imprisonm ont. and
one day Milt Spurlock confirmed them,
after he came back from 4 trip to the
valley country, whence no had gone to
sell various products of these hills,
such as medicinal barks and herbs.
While on this journey he had met
with some one who knew of GGbe's
trial and Imprisonment, which was for
term OF ten long years, he said-only
think of 1.-THE very best part Of ones
life to be spent within prison walls, for
when one came forth from ten long
years OF confinement, there was little Of
youth or hope left in ones bosom.
All this Milt Spurlock managed to
Impress most deeply upon his eager
listener, and after this fresher grief
had worn away, he began to renew the
pledges OF his own love and fidelity,
and though, at first, she turned deaf
ear to his pleadings, there came time
when she was less unwilling to listen
to his wooing, while gossips began to
wag their tongues and say that the once
Tilted lover would yet win the pretty
bride he had come so near losing year
before.
So ran their tongues, and finally the
neighbors were once more hidden to
gather under Sam Taylor's roof to wit
ness the marriage Of his daughter.
Again there was mirth and revelry
while the squeaky tones Of old Luke's
fiddle and the sound Of many voices and
time-keeping feet went out into the
silence Of the night.
One might well have imagined that 1t
was the self-same period at which the
story opened-so similar was the scene,
and so nearly alike the company as on
the former occasion, and when, finally,
the bride and groom came forth from
an inner room and stood before the
home-spun-clad preacher, 1t was difficult
to realize that the groom of year ago
was languishing behind relentless
prison walls, far from these wintry
hills and the fair tickle one who was
soon to be the bride OF another. A
silence fell upon tho company, the sim
pie marriage service began, and the
couple clasped hands, yet Gro the two
were made man and wife the outer door
suddenly swung open and a cold blast
blew into the room.
AS the bleak night wind greeted them,
both looked up almost at the same mo-
ment, when suddenly the bride uttered
o loud cry, while the groom staggered
back, pale, with o great CONSERVATION.
Then all eyes turned toward the
open door, and there, against the dark
background Of night, pale and thin and
wan, they saw the ghost-like figure Of
the man whose place Milt Spurlock now
occupied.
He looked unearthly and unreal in
the Pickering light, which the fire and
the dim blaze of the tallow candles cast
on his pale face, while his eyes glowed
with fierce. wild glare, which the
witnesses OF the scene never forgot, and
oftimes spoke of afterward in awed
and impressive tones.
Before any one could stretch out q
hand or divine the purpose OF this
strange apparition it had glided to
where MILF Spurlock covered in AFFECT
terror.
Its arm raised swiftly and something
bright glittered for moment, and
then was sheathed in the bridegroom's
bosom.
AS he staggered back and fell, almost
without groan, the CHASTITY figure
turned and silently vanished into the
darkness. and no one present that night
ever saw this strange counterpart Of
Gabe Hardesty again.
There were strange rumors afterward
that the Governor, hearing the story OF
Gabe's arrest on the eve Of his mar
rage, and learning OF his subsequent
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