The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1892-01-29
THE ALIBI.

trial was to come off directly.
The extraordinary interest in the af-
fair was less due to the murder and its
peculiar circumstances than to the fact
that this was the first case tried at San
Saba in any more formal court than the
time honored institution of Judge Lynch.
AS there was no place specially ar
ranged for the trial, Judge Pitblado hos
pitably offered the use of his shed. Here
a rough table and chair We're placed for
the Judge, the other necessary furniture,
/ intended to represent the dock, the
stand, etc., being eked out with boxes
from Silas Bagget's grocery store.
Jake Smith looked at these prepara-
/ tons for time with frowning discon-
tent and then strolled down the road,
turning into the lane that led to Blake's.
When he reached the door of the shanty
! he leaned against the jamb and poked
/ his naked head inside, tanning himself
/ in an embarrassed way with his greasy
fragment Of a hat. He had come there
with the intention of saying something,
but the sight within made him forget it.
Blakes widow sat there, as she had
pretty much all the time since the MUIR
+ der, staring straight before her, with
her chin in her palm. The sunlight
struck through the foliage of the red
oak trees that grew before the door, and
checkered with the Pickering brightness
| the floor and cradle in which Jem's baby
was sleeping.
Tbara II woo i11ct n hoI hoa,, throc
days ago could it be only three days?)-
just as it had been when she went out
| that morning to look after the drying
clothes and left him standing in the door
/ by the cradle chow fond he was of the
babyD-just as it was when she heard
the crack of the pistol and ran in with
an awful sense of suffocating fright
just the same as when she had found
him lying upon the cradle, dabbling its
white linen with his blood and the baby
playing with his hair. She screamed
once, the first and last complaint any
one had heard her make; then she was
quiet and helpful through it all-when
men came and lifted him up; when they
4 had laid him on the rough bed in the
other room; when they carried him to
( the grave, she following with the baby
/ in her arms.
Jake Smith was trying to find the link
missing in his thoughts; he shifted with
perplexity-or something-and Blake's
widow looked up without speaking.
Jake nodded pleasantly four or five
hines.
sspoo+xy ,b;,,Yoro,, oe11o1 he
& Blake's widow smiled sadly, bent over
the sleeping child and smoothed the
Clothes with tender touch.
Il They're agoin ter try him in a court
Jake went on, IAN don't believe"-
"Try who-Antonio" She turned to-
ward the burly figure in the door with a
flash of interest in her black eyes.
eyes. The jedge is making court
put of his shed. hope it'll turn out all
right, but it seems like givin that Mexi.
can devil chance he oughtn't ter have
HE can't get clear, can he?" she asked
rocking the cradle gently and patting
the coverlet
81 don't see how, but he's got some
kind of law cuss to speak for him-a
teller that stopped here day or two age
on his way to Galveston-and it makes
me kind O. nervous"
Blake's widow did not appear to no.
tice the last remark, for the child, dis.
turbed by the talking, had awakened
and sat up in his cradle with a wonder
ing look
"Pooty, amt he?" said Jake. regarding
the small figure with interest. Looks
just like-ahem-you. Poor little-l-
Abe stammered, and treated his hat
like mortal enemy. "Of course he'd
had-you've got-there's nothin could
DO fur yer, maybe?"
She answered with grateful look, but
1t was accompanied by shake of the
head.
Jake bent down and with his big fore
hnger softly rumpled the hair of the ba-
oys head; then he went out and left
Them, Blake's widow sitting as he found
her and the baby staring down. the path
after him.
He walked on until he reached the toL
OF the little hill. where he could look
Gdown upon the roof which covered the
Nouo oCeHo uo udu JUST lelI. heIo he
seemed to have half mind to turn back
lor he hesitated and stopped; but he
changed his partial intention after lin
gering moment and walked medita
lively onward. with the exclamation,
Wal, some women do beat the ID
Rmazin."
y, VI course everybody came to the trial
ne arrangements were soon found to
pc altogether too meager. Pitblado's
Pned was filed to overlooking and Bag
eet made clean sweep of every empty
oox in his store.
Antonio's lawyer, sharp eyed, sharp
FEATURED fellow from Galveston, had
pushed about with surprising agility on
lne day previous, holding mysterious
poIIerences with i'll conditioned fellows
~ =, Gueldos kidney.
Inc court was assembled, the jury had
zen chosen, and the witnesses were all
iesent save one-Blake's widow.
rretty soon there was a stir at the