The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-10-24
BLAKE'S WIDOW.


doorway by Antonio Gucldo, and the
trial was to como of directly.
Tho extraordinary interest in the al
fair was less due to The murder and its
peculiar circumstances than TO the fact
that this was tho first case tried at San
Saba in any more formal court than the
time-honorcd institution OF Judge
Lynch.
AS thoro was no place specially ar
ranged for the trial, Judge PitbIado hos.
pitaDly offered the use OF his shed.
Here rough table and chairs were
placed for the judge, the other ncCes-
sary furniture, intended to represent
tho dock, the stand, etc, being ckcd
out with boxes from Silas Baggett's
grocery store.
Jake Smith looked ut these prepare
tons i0r 4 time with frownng disCOn-
tent, and then strollcd down the road,
turning into tho lane that led 10 Blake's.
When he reached the door OF tho shan
ty he leaned against the jamb and
pokod his naked heal inside, tanning
himself in an embarrassed way with his
greasy fragment OF hat He had come
there with the intention OF saying
something, but the sight within mNdo
him fOrgctit.
lS!akG's widow sat there, rs she had sat
pretty much all the time since the muir
der, staring straight before her, with her
chin in her palm. The sunlight struck
through tho foliage OF the red-oak tree
that grew before the door, and checker
cd with Pickering brightness the floor
and cradle il which Jim'D baby was
sleeping.
There it was, Just as ithad been three
days ago could it be only three days? p
just rs it had been when she went.
out that morning to look alter the dry
ing clothes and lett him standing in the
door by the cradle (how fond he was OF
the babyD-just as it was when she
heard the crack OF the pistol and ran in
with an awful OF sutIocating fright
lust the same as when she had found
him lying on the cradle. dabbfing its
white linen wirh his blood and the
baby playing with his hair. She
screamed once, the first and last COM
plant any one had heard her make;
then she was quiet and helpful through
it all-whcn men came and lifted him
up: when they laid him on the rough
bed in the other room; when they car
ried him to the grave, she following
with the baby in her arms.
Jake Smith was trying to find the link
missing in his thoughts; he shifted
with pcrplcXity--or some.hing-and
Blake's widow looked up without speak
ing. Jake nodded pleasantly four or
five times.
"Pooty chippcr?' asked he.
Blakc's widow smiled sadly, but bent
over the sleeping child and smoothed
the clothes with tender touch.
They're agoin' ter try him in 4
court" Jake went on, San don't be-
lieve"-
"Iry who--Antonio? She turned
towards the hurley figure in the door
with flash OF interest in her black eyes.
"Ics. The JcdGc is making court
out OF his shed. nope it'll turn out all
right, but it seems like givin' that Mex
lean devil chance he oughtn't ter
have"
ole can't get clear, can hc?" she
asked, rocking the cradle gently and
pattine the covcrlet.
81 don't see how, but he's got some
kind OF Il law cuss to speak Tor nina
Teller that stopped here 4 day or two
ago on his way to Galveston, and it
makes me kind O nervous"
Blakc's widow did not appear to no.
tice the last remark, Tor the child, dis
turbed by the taking, had awakened
and sat up in his cradle with wonder
ing look.
''Pooty, amt he?" said Jake, regard
ing the small figure with interest.
Looks just likc-ahem you. Poor
littlc-I-a-" he stammcrcd, and treat
cd his hat like q mortal enemy. "Oi
course he'd hai--you'vc got-thore's
nothin' | could do fur yer, maybc?'
She answered with Il grateful look.
but twas accompanied by n shake OF
the head.
OF course everybody came to the tlial.
The arrangements were soon found to
be altogether too mcagrc. Pitblado's