Waterbury evening Democrat., 1891-04-29

watched the gurgling water from the
bridge, and crept on up the winding
road under the trees, it found John
Earring on the crest of the slope. His
eyes were peering at the ground, for
he had thought he could see bv the
light of the midnight moon that there
had been struggle there, and his
blood sank down and chilled through
all its channels when now in the grow
ing dawn he saw red pools where
Maun's innocent life had been emptied
into the grass. With a cry of pain and
horror he ran to and fro looking for
the body; others came painting to the
place, but he was following dizzily
where some bleeding weight had been
trailed toward the river, and they
poured after him. Half way down the
hillside he picked up piece of paper,
and glanced.at it and threw out his
hands with a acknowledgements
movement as if he had been dealt
blow in the face, his eyes seemed to
contract and grow sightless for mo-
ment, then they suddenly dilated and
he gave kind of wailing, fierce cry
and crushed the paper in his hand and
went on. At the rivers brink there
was nothing, only some blood-drops on
the stones Sand the still water slowly
flowing by. In an instant he turned
and went down the river with a dozen
awe-struck men following, and there
All, God, that Cain was ever born! that
the passionate animal, man, should
ever outrun the angel, Reason!-there
under the clear water he saw the face
of Mauni With the first sight he gave
cry of pityand anguish, and reeled
aside with his hands smote hard against
his eyes. He had seen for the first time
in his life the wreck, Disagreement
and cruel ruin of beauty that he loved.
At that the old lawyer came crashing
through the brambles down the hill
side. He might have came out of a
grave. he looked SO CHASTITY, battered
and old.
Don't let him come here!" John
Earling cried wildly, don't let him
see her! In the name of God, men, re-
strain him! Keep him back! 1t will kill
him! II will kill himr'
Some ran before him, but he hurled
them out of the way and came straight
to the waters edge. Then Salvo Popp
and others while memory remains viii
never forget the cry that came from his
lips at sight of his murdered child.
''Maun! Maun! Maunp' he walled close
over the waters that covered her like
sheet of glass, and he held to her cold
hand wailing like one that is lost as
derby, fearfully from her soft bed and
laid her down on the grass with the
first sunbeams of the morning stream
ing across her face. There lay the
willowy form which had moved like
music to John Earling. His heart
seemed bursting with the sight He
had his arms about the old lawyer,
holding him in his wildness, and the
two men, pale, torn, bleeding and dis
heveled, swayed to and fro in agony.
Slowly the old father slipped down,
the young man following him with
hands to prevent his falling, and kissed
and fondled the still wet face and
mass of tangled oozing hair and moaned
and lay there with his forehead be-
tween his arms upon the ground roll
ing his head in anguish. There lay
the man who with his eloquence and
legal wilcs had set many a murderer
free. There, gentlemen of the bar, and
sirs of the ermine, lay a successful
criminal lawyer.
Suddenly he sprang up with his gray
hair struggling about his face, his eyes
fevering wildly out, his fists clinched,
and the veins and cords at neck and
wrist distended, knotted and working.
80, who has done this? who has done
thisP" he cried, hoarsely, shaking
his trembling fists above his hoary
head. 30 God! o Father of
wrath! give him into my hands! Give
poison, that 1 may dash it in pieces!
that may have justice! o that may
have justicem and he started wildly
from the place and wavered and stag
gered and gasped and fell prone among
the brambles and was still. John Earl
ing ran quickly to him and lifted him
up. and thew dashed water in his face
and over his head again and again. In
a few moments he opened his eyes and
\ stared about him. John Earling stood
so the stricken man might not see the
murdered girl. ''Is it SOP" he whis-
pered, looking piteously up in the
| young mans face.
Yes" he faltered.
A dull blind expression came into the
| pleading amber eyes and the old man S
head sank down. 81 meant her for
you," he murmured, land meant her
for YOU"
Strong hands carried him back to the
road, and a carriage was brought and
the palsy-stricken man drawn slowly
| home. When they had gone, John
Earring, with that sad anger, that
burning sorrow moving all his blood,
turned to the men and said: ''Gentle-
men, friends, let me in this poor IA
theirs stead thank you for what you
have DONE. Now let US find the man
who did this awful deed. First find
Fowler, Joel Whitney's book-keeper,
and -apprehend him at any cost.
have evidence pointing to him. One
of you be kind enough to bring the
coroner"
Then some of the men fastened
away, two of them watched by the
dead girl, and John Earling went inch
by inch over the ground where the
body had been drawn. He gathered
some shreds of her dress from the
shrubs, and found a button with a lit
tie strip of gray cloth attached to it
| and some of Maun's hair caught about