Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-07-15

whippoorwll in the magnolia tree was
free, but its notes came to the noon
sinners ear like knells of despair. The
sobbing of the wind and the whispers
of the rustling leaves brought to him
the sad murmurs of woe. How his
hands clinched the bars, and how from
the depths of his bosom came his words:
"Allie, Allie, my little babyl Are you
better. worse, dying?"
And the voices Of the night came to
him out of the dark shadows without
and sobbed:
dying, dying, dyingr'
The man started as though struck with
a bullet. He sank upon his knees,
bowed his head in his hands and wept
like a child.
"Allie, my baby-my baby!" came
from his lips.
Then he started to his feet; his hands
gripped the bars. They were firm; he
could not move them. dying, dying.
dyingl'' again came the whispering
voices of the night. And when the
agony of the whippoorwill's notes fol-
lowed, a superhuman strength from
some unseen power was forced into the
mans muscles and-the bars were sent
| away from the sockets like weak
weeds Freedom was before him-and
Allie, his baby.
The next morning when the jailer
made his rounds he found that the
moonshiner had escaped. The alarm
| was quickly given and posse of men
soon followed the trail leading up to
Eli Bargy's cabin. Some of the men
| said that it was foolish to expect to
! find him there, but Harley, the leader,
| thought different
The cabin was reached after a long,
wearisome ride. There was no sign OF
life without, and the men drew up
about the door while Harley approached
and raped upon it
| Come in
That's Ellis voice." came from one
of the men as he drew a revolver.
| Put that up, Jim. Unless 1 am
wrong there will be no need for force, u
said Harley, as he lifted the latch and
pushed open the door.
| CLIP
"Hushl Allie is dyingr' fell inter.
ruptingly from the moonshiner's lips.
Upon a pillow lay the little form of the
baby and above it bent the shaken
figure of the escaped prisoner. BY his
side stood his stricken wife, sobbing
and wringing her hands.
you've escaped us, Eli"
"You are a good man, Harley. DO
not speak; a word may rob my baby Oh
breath Of air. Poor little Alliel'
Harley bowed his head, folded his
arms. and leaned against the door
which he had closed
"Poor little babyl Little woman
MAY God care for you'll See, she
breathes slower. Don't die, A1liei DOM
die, my babyl''
The man lifted the pillow up and car
ried the little form to the light He
bent closely over it; be put his ear mex
to the baby's lips. Then a fash of sun
shine fell upon the little ones face, anc
when 1t faded it took with it the life Of
the child.
"Allie-is deadr' Eli laid the pillow
back in the crib and held his wife Close
to him while she sobbed.
eli, when you get ready come bacl
to the Jail Pm not the man to take
you there. Your trial is on for to-mor
row." said Harley, as he laid his hant
upon the latch.
81 will be there; you can trust me
Harley" came softly from the grief
stricken mans lips.
Harley went out and explained the
situation to his men, and they rode
away without the prisoner.
The next day, when the trial of the
moonshiner was called, Eli Bargy en-
tered the courtroom. His form trem
bled like reed when he leaned upor
the rail and pleaded guilty to the
charge brought against him.-H.
Keller. in N. Y. Independent.