Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1892-12-04
CHAPTER II.


| and refinement In the widest frontier
territory OF the United States that such
a man had his own good reasons for be-
Ing there. The inference was correct
one. John Lee was man with his
tory-an unpleasant history-and he
went to southwestern Arizona to begin
life over again, and to ''grow up with
the country" The day after the town
meeting, the remarks Of the new settler
anent Jail birds and the subsequent con-
fusion of DR.. Lee furnished the topic Of
| conversation throughout the settlement.
At the noon hour several miners and
others gathered, as was their won't, in
front Of Andy Dunbar's store. Jim
Hawkins, whose faith in Lee was still
mistaken, was there and bore as long as
he could the generally unkind remarks
which fell upon his ear.
Boys" he said at last, "you don't
give the doctor fair shake. You've
knowed Doc. Lee longer good deal
than you've knowed this Teller Caldwell.
and yet just because CALDWELL gets up
and makes some dirty remarks which
amt proven, not by jugful, you jump
on the doctor with both feet. Wait and
see what Lee has to say for himself.
I'll just bet any OF you lads an even
thousand that Caldwell is q liar, and
will crawl down from his perch. Here's
the cash-who wants to cover it? Put
up or shut up!"
The men felt somewhat ashamed OF
themselves, and no one cared to accept
Hawkins bet The old man continued:
tsrnh aeafo 4noe nno fEfnu I3ll r1rOpoisa vOri
boys. IL CadEN& ant or won't prove
his words, jim Gins is a-going to
lick him clear ), rizona. Yes, sir,
that's what I'm gohe do, Reeve or no
Reeve; and If the justices SaGts to have
me arrested for assault, I'll pay good
round fine with pleasure"
Jim Hawkins blood was hot and his
fingers tingled. He was an old west
erner, aud had lived most OF his life 10
communities where law and order were
only theories. But the old AnglO-Saxon
comes strongly to the surface In west
ern men, and his love OF fair play was
as keen as his hatred for a slanderer or
a coward. He felt that he could not
wait week to thrash Caldwell, so on
his way home he stopped at John Lees
shanty. The doctor was busy writing
in the room that he called his surgery.
There was blank dull look upon his
face, which did not brighten as usual
at the sight OF his friend, and neither
of the two offered any greeting 10 the
other.
''Doc," said Hawkins shortly and ex-
citedly, twas you ever in jail?"
eyes, Hawkins, / was"
Those words cost John Lee his best
friend, Just when he needed him the
most. II he had only qualified his re-
ply, or IL Hawkins had pursued his in
curry a little further with view to
learning particulars, the result would
have been different. But no more
words were spoken and Jim Hawkins,
shocked and disappointed, walked away
to his mill witha faltering step. For II
there was In Sawmill Flat that day a
man with a heavier heart than John
Lee carried, that man was honest Jim
Hawkins.
That same night John Lee lay down
as usual upon his rather hard couch,
but he could not sleep. He lay awake,
Illuminating upon the mysterious ways
OF Providence and Of mankind. He
had never in his whole life done
aught of which he need be ashamed;
and yet he had been incarcerated
tor weeks in prison, had been put upon
his trial for murder, and acquitted only
because of persistent disagreement in
three different juries which had been
impanelled to try him. He had left his
native land with the dark shadow OF
suspicion resting upon him-a shadow
which many OF his friends were utterly
powerless to dlspel. Despairing Of ever
regalning his old standing ia any En-
glish community, John Lee, hoping
against hope that he might be justified
In the sight of his fellow men before
death should claim him, emigrated TO
the western world, and took up his
abode on the frontier OF civilization.
And as he lay upon his sleepness bed, he
| could not but think how very small, az
| ter all, the world is, For be had trav-
eled c, 600 miles to escape the sneers and
black looks Of those who had mistrusted
him, only, when time was beginning to
heal his wound, to find himself con-
fronted by one of the men who verify
believed him guilty Of foul crime.
Lee had seen this man Caldwell several
times during the six months residence OF
the latter at Sawmill Flat; and yet, al
though something about the man had al
WAYS seemed familiar to him, he had,
strangely enough, never made Darius
| Csdwell's acquaintance. But when, at
the town meeting, the man arose and in
hard tones utterly void Of feeling asked
the assemblage II they wished to elect q
! iailbird or murderer for their mayor.
Lee In q moment recognized him as q
member OF one OF the juries that had
tried him az one of the York assizes.
Far into the night the doctor lay
thinking about the cruelty OF his fate.
It was two o'clock perhaps when he fell
into a troubled doze, only to be awak
ened by q hsmmering upon the door OF
his shanty. He started up but half
awake, and went to the entrance, al
most expecting to see the cold blooded
juryman.
"What now?" he asked, loudly and
roughly for John Lee.
The door was now open, and by the
moonlight he could see man, haggard
and weary, and covered with dust. In
the left hand he held the rein Of saddle
horse. and Lee could see that both
horse and rider had travelled a long dis
lance.
"Air you Doc Lee9"
lam"
"I'm from Rosario, near the Mexican
line. It's 20 miles from here. We've got
the yellow fever-got it bad. The
towns picketed, and Pm the last man
ont. We only had one doctor, and he
died tending the first case. We heered
YOU doctored yellow fever in Louisany
two years ago. Is that right?"
sYes IL ia. have seen 4 good deal Of