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

Jem Blake was shot dead in his own
doorway by Antonio 0ueldo and the
trial was to come OF directly.
The extraordinary interest in the at.
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
rough table and chair were placed fc,
tho judge. the other necessary furniture,
intended to represent the dock, tho
stand, ETC.. being eked out with boxes
from Silas Bagget's grocery store.
Jake Smith looked at these prepara.
tions for time with frowning discon.
tent and then strollcd down the road.
turning into the lane that led to Blake's.
When lie reached the door of the shgnty
he leaned against the iamb and poked
his naked head i:,si:le, tanning himself
i'll AL embarrassed, way with his greasy
fragment of lat. He had come there
witt. IL" inte.!.i.:. ns saying something.
but tl:e sight within made him forget it.
Bls.se's widow sat there, as she had
pretty much all the time since the mur
der. staring s:.:aisl:t before her. with
lisr chin i'll her palm. The sunlight
struck through the foliage of the rc,l
oak trees that grew before the door. and
checkered with the Pickering brightness
the floor and cradle in which Jenl's S bal.,
was sleeping.
There it was, just as it had been three
days ago (could it he 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 doc,
by the cradle chow fond he was of the
babyD-just as it was when she heard
the crack Of the pistol aud ran in with
an awful sense Of suffocating fright
just the same as when she had found
him lying upon the cradle, dabbling TT:
whito 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 wa;
quiet and helpful through it all-whcn
men came and lifted him up: when they
had laid him OH the rough bed i'll t!e
other room; when they carried him tc
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
IerpleNity-or something-and Blake's
widow looked up without speaking.
Jake nodded pleasantly four or five
times.
"Pooty chipper?'' asked he.
Blake's widow smiled sadly, bent owe,
the sleeping child and smoothed the
clothes with a tender touch.
They're agoin ter try him in court
Jake went on. "an don't believe"-
TRY who-Antonio:" She turned to-
ward the burly figure in the door with a
flash of interest iii her black eyes.
Eyes. The jedge is making Il court
out of his shed. I hope it'll turn out all
right. but it seems like givin that Mexi.
can devil a chance he oughtn't ter have. Z"
"He can't get clear, can he?" she asked,
rocking the cradle gently and patting
the coverlct.
81 don't see how, but he's got some
kind of a law cuss to speak for him-a
feller 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 u wonder.
ing look.
"Pooty. amt he:" said Jake. regarding
the small figure with interest. "Lool,e
just like-ahem-you. Poor little-l-
a"-he stamlnered, 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 a grateful look, but
1t was accompanied by shake of the
head.
Jake bent down and with his big fore.
finger softly rumpled the hair of the ba.
by's head; then he went out and left
them. B!ake's widow sitting as he found
her and the baby staring down the path
after him.
| He walked on until he reached the top
Of the little hill. where he could look
down upon the roof which covered the
piteous scene he had just left. Here he
seemed to have half mind to turn back,
for 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
amazin."
OF course everybody came to the trial.
The arrangements were soon found to
be altogether too meager. Pitblado's
shed was filled to overfiowing and Dag
get made clean sweep Of every empty
| box in his store.
Antonio's lawyer. sharp eyed, sharp