Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1892-01-20

when he knows how l love you he
will not refuse
"But the old man was obdurate.
"'I will never give my consent he
said:. Jim Byrne will never be one
of my family
"When Jim hear that he was furi-
Gus. But he said little. He gritted
his teeth and then coaxed Mary out
Of her tears.
"Late one afternoon in September
Brent saddled his horse and started
for town. An hour afterwards the
faithful old horse came up to the
door, and with the saddle spattered
with blood. A search was made,
and in a narrow gully at the side of
the mountain road, they found the
body of Brent. A long, deep cash
had been made in his heard by some
heavy sharp instrument, and his
whitened hair was clotted with blood
He was dead, stone dead, and must
have fallen at the first blow. His as
sassin must have struck him from be-
hind, and then. as he fell from the
horse. caught him and dragged him
to the verge of the gully.
"In vain they searched for some
clue that might lead to the apprehen-
sion Of the assassin. One circum-
stance alone gave ground for hope.
When Brent left home he wore a
heavy brown worsted coat. When
found his body was coatless. His
assassin had carried his coat away
with him, but not entirely whole.
Between the teeth of the old horse was
found an oblong piece of cloth. 1t
was recognized as part of Brent's coat.
How he had got it was matter Of
conjecture, but it was plausible to be-
lieve that he had bitten at the assas-
sin and this was his trophy.
Brent was buried, the sheriff
made some spasmodic efforts to run
down the murderer, and then the
matter was dropped. Brent had left
enough to keep his family in comfort,
and there was no want in the house
on the mountain; but now that there
was no longer any one to object
against her marriage to Byrne, Mary's
heart turned toward the river man
with great strength, and she deter
mined that love should have its own
sweet way.
"In most stories that is where the
romance ends. With Mary Brent it
was only the beginning. She trusted
Byrne. She believed he was the
soul of honor. She had made him
her ideal and she never doubted his
honesty. She treasured his letters
just as she treasured the little piece Of
brown cloth that the faithful old horse
had brought back on the day her
father was murdered, and if she was
long in finding out Byrne's rougher
nature it was because she was all
trustful and faith. The knowledge of
her disappointment came at last, how
ever, and she awoke to find that her
idol was the meanest kind of clay.
at was shock, but a greater shock
was in store for her. One day, after
Byrne had been rummaging through
an old chest that in days before his
marriage had contained his worldly
possessions, he came into the room
wearing coat that made her heart
stand still with fear. 1t was the coat
she had last seen upon her fathers
back, and in the sleeve was an oblong
rent.
"She ran to him with her face white
and her eyes flaming with strange
light.
"'Jim Byrne,' she said, where did
you get that coat?
"He swore and said it was none of
her business. She did not speak
again, but that night when Byrne had
gone to bed she took the coat from
across the chair where he had thown
it, and going to the outer room, took
out the narrow piece of cloth she had
treasured so many years.
"There could no longer be any
doubt. Byrne had killed her father
to get him out of the way.
"When Byrne got up the next
morning his wife was missing. He
swore and vowed vengeance on her
when she returned, and then hearing
a noise outside, and going to the
door, was surprised to find the house
surrounded by men.
'"'What do you fellows wantY he
asked, calling to the sheriff, who was
coming to the door.
UtYnn Linn Rurnn' nnmn the an