Middletown transcript., 1892-08-25

. have registered 2.
q Certainly I will" WilIet answere
, slowly, taking the profered chail
Because you are accused of-murder
Murder of whom r thunder JacI
"Judge Belknap"
"Great God-Helen's father !"
"Just so. But she's a jewel, and
no mistake. She says she wouldn
believe it if all Raleigh swore it.
"God bless her p Jack said ferventl,
"You see," said Willet, "the cas-
stands this way. You left Raleigh Oh
private business, and no one excep
your father knew that you had gone
Your train had hardly rolled out o
the station before the fire bells begar
to ring. The Tracy barn you know
where it is, near the depot, but away
up in that big feld-was burning
furiously. Strange as it seems, Judge
Belknap was tied hard and fast in that
barn, and Dick Hewlie, at the risk oi
his own life, got the old gentleman ont.
But he was SO badly injured that he
never spoke at all except to call your
name distinctly, twice. You know
how such things 60, and in less than
ten minutes the crowd had worked
themselves into such another ferment
as never beheld. Your father is a
cool-headed man, if there ever was
one, and how he managed so promptly
to notify you and get you out of the
way is mystery to me. tell you,
man, he whitened his hair for you.
and now you've gone and ruined
everythingr"
"You'll see! r. said Jack gravely. "I
know what Judge Belknap meant by
calling my name. and the sooner I get
to Raleigh the better I shall be
pleased" =
While the friends walked to the
depot, the following dispatch was
speeding over the wires to Raleigh g
Jack Dietrich here. He says he
is on his way to Raleigh. l will see
that he gets there.
"W. J. ENGLAND, Sheriff, Sagsville."
Jack was not five miles on his way
before he became aware that he was
under close watch. He flushed hotly,
but tried to appear at his ease.
Sheriff England had missed the
telegram sent in reply to his own, and
when the train neared Raleigh he was
undecided how to act. He soon be-
came more confused than ever, for
every available space around the depot
was crowded with citizens in gala
attire, all pushing and crowding and
gazing at the incoming train.
"That is no mob" he muttered.
They look like halIelujah, every man,
woman and child of them !"
The train stopped. Passengers hur-
ried out. Jack and Willet going last,
and Jack noticed that a policeman
had boarded the coach from the rear
and was in close conversation with the
Hen who had been watching him so
closely.
What could it mean? Reaching
the platform he involuntsrily stopped,
for his appearance was greeted with a
shout that he had never heard equal
led. He stood as if rooted to the
platform, and gazed at the sea of faces
in way that seemed to increase their
energy a hundred fold. They jump
ed and clapped and cheered in the
widest delight, and when Willet found
his senses and told Jack to lift his hat
to the crowd, and Jack did it in a
dazed sort Of way, the very heavens
seemed to ring with the cheers that
went up.
It vas full half hour or more be-
fore he found himself in a carriage
with Willet and his father, listening
to an explanation of the unexpected
scene at the depot. The old man had
aged a great deal in the last ten days,
and showed it plainly.
"You see, my son." he said, eve
have had rough times since the fire.
Everything worked right against you.
The people seemed to lose their senses.
How you ever reached Sagsville alive
can LCli. OuF iuULHGT huu uAV6
suffered agonies. Late last night
there was a drunken fight in saloon,
and some poor outcast Of a fellow was
shot. He thought he was dead man,
and confessed 10 the Belknap murder
on the spot-said the judge sent him
to the chain gang once for seven years,
when be was innocent, and that he
vowed vengeance and took it. But
they tell me now that he will get well
-ouly to hang. Poor old fellow
His confession caused total revulsion
in the sentiments Of the people at
large, Of course, and in the midst of
the hubbub Willet's dispatch and that
of the Sagsville sheriff came. He was
very wise NOT to arrest you-I hear
he missed the return dispatch. But
here we are, at home"
Jacks meeting with his mother was
too touching to dwell upon. Her