The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1892-02-05

Of the trust-was not apparent; how.
ever that might be, there Il was, claspsd
firmly in her arms, its bright red cheeks
contrasting with her whiteness, aud tts
fathers sunny hair mingling with her
dark locks
With some difficulty way was made
through the throng to her seat, which
had been placed on one side OF the
Judge. directly opposite the candle box,
took her place and never moved during
the whole of the trial, excepting as she
was required to testify, and once when
the baby tugged at some glistening thing
that lay hidden in the folds Of her dress,
at which she took pains to distract ito
attention with chip from the aoor. A
for the baby. 1t sat there with It's big
blue eyes open to their fullest extent,
entirely absorbed In the novel scene,
save at the moment when that irresisti.
BILE glitter caught its eye. :,
Every one being now present, the trial
went on in good. earnest. A number OF
witnesses were examined, whose testi.
mony showed that Gueldo had had trou.
bic with Blake, and more than once
threatened his life; that Gueldo's pistol
was one charge empty on the evening Of
the day Of the murder, whereas in the
morning it had been full; that he was
seen that morning around Blake's houaoSs
and more than that, Blake's. widow hoa
heard Gueldo's voice just before the 4
fatal shot, and had seen him retreatine
as she ran out. ''"F'--sas ~
AT this last point the Galveston law.
yer asked the witness few questions re.
garding how she knew 1t was Gueldo's,
and how she had recognized the voics
for his. She didn't know how exactly.
but was none the less sure for that.
There had been q rumor about that
some ono had heard Antonio make a
boast Of "having done for Blake this
ti,ne," but if there werc a witness fol
this he could not be found now.
And SO the prosecution closed.
The Galveston lawyer began by in.
volving in q whirlpool of helpless con-
tradiction the witness who had sworn to
having seen Gueldo near Blake's house.
Then he expatiated on the ease with
which one person may be mistaken for
another. and brought witness to show
how Gueldo had already. been said to re.
semble some one in the village. Finally
he produced three of the i'll conditioned
fellows before referred to, who swore
that Antonio was with them on hunt.
ing expedition during the whole Of the
day on which the murder was com.
| mitted.
1t was clear case Of alibi. Jack
Smiths astonishment at the ease with
which the thing had been accomplished
was unbounded. He threw a disguised
look toward Pitblado, but the judge was
nonplussed and didn't seem to be inter-
ested with things in Jake's vicinity.
"Gentle,nen of the jury" said be,
"the verdict took turn I didn't alto
gethcr expec'. don't know as there's
much to be said. ls'pose you've got to
go by the evidence. an that don't need
arg explainin. Ef you kin make out.
accortlin ter that, that Antonio Gueldo
killed Jem Blake, why. jest recollect
that's what yer here fur"
Jake Smith figdeted about on his box
and cast anxious glances through the
open door toward the clump Of nopalss
where the jury was deliberating.
Antonio talked and laughed in an un-
dertone with his counsel, and Blake's
widow sat staring at them with COM
pressed lips and strong expression Of
determination coming into her face.
1t wasn't long before the jury filed IN
again. all seating themselves but the
IL,
wiping his forehead with his shirt
sleeves.
Strengthened ii out. have ye::" asked
he. nodding to the spokesman.
The man nodded i'll return.
"Yer see" suid the spokesman, with
a hesitatiny and disappointed air, "ef
yer hadn't a-s'orrallea US with sticking
ter the evidence we might a done bet
ter. but accort!in to that Antonio wasn't
thar when the murder was done, an eff
he weren't thar he couldn't "a done it,
an eff hs didn't do it, why-then-of
course lle's-rot guilty."
| Pitblado didn't dare to look at any
body: he stare! mp at the rafters. down
at the table. nowhere In particular. and
then turned half way toward the pris-
oner.
"You kin co." said he at last. and
with great deliberation. "but don't stay
around here too long,"
There was dead pause, during which
nobody moved.
Jake Smith exploded o single cuss
word which he had held in for some
time past, and Blake's widow stood mp.
"Have you got through, judge" she
asked.
"Waal-l-s'pose so.
"And there is nothing else to be donet"
81 am afraid there amt"
"And he's free to go:"
| "Y-a-s."
Antonio Gueldo arose With an insolent
grin and picked up his hat.
The baby crowed, for it saw the gilt.
tering thing again.
There was sharp report-Antonio
pitched forward In a heap upon the floor
and Blake's widow stood with the pistol
pressed to her breast.
A line of thin blue smoke curled from
the muzzle Of the weapon and formed q
halo around the child's daxen head. The
glittering thing was quite near the little
hands now. and they took it from the
yielding grasp of the mother.
Blake's widow looked steadily at the
figure on the fioor--icwas quite motion
les; then she turned and went through