The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1893-10-20
VOL. XVI. RISING sun, CECIL COUNTY, MD, FRIDAY O(

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patiently in his char, and the district
attorney had smiled, oh, SO ironically,
and shrugged his shoulders and said;
"You see, gentlemen. See?"
| How could they see through all the
| dust that he had raised? And yet there
were those two, who had believed; per-
haps they would keep their faith. Oh,
God, give them power! Since the jury
remained out there must be some who
doubted, and if they doubted now why
should they not always doubt? Surely
talking ought not to change the i'm
preston the evidence had made, else
why should that evidence have been
| given?
The case which had occupied the Alb
erdeen Oyer and Terminer for the past
week was, as the district attorney had
said in his opening, lawful in the SIM
plicity and directness of it's proof" At
the further end of the county, amid the
arid sand plains, the Barlings and the
Knowleses had occupied adjacent
farms for many years. The railway
ran in front of their dwellings and the
young men had grown up half farmers,
half linemen, cleaning from the two
occupations livelihood and recreation.
There had been a constant feud be-
tween the two families, sprung from
some forgotten trivial cause, but en-
HANGED into bitterness through paucity
of daily interest.
There were three Barl;ng boys, Of
whom Thomas, the defendant, was the
Youngest, and one Knowles, the brother
of Patty. This latter had encountered
one evening the two elder Barlings at
the village tavern, and a quarrel and a
scuifie had ensued. 1t was the follow
ing day that wildcat train, of which
young Knowles was engineer, was de-
rallied and he thrown from the cab and
killed. Thomas Barling was seen run
ming away from the place where the ac-
cident occurred. His brothers disap-
peared,- but the detectives, melted by
liberal rewards, caused the arrest OF
the lad, claiming it was he who had set
the obstruction on the track
His presence, his fight, his terror,
certain incoherent words which he had
uttered on his apprehension, consti-
tuted the main points of the case
against him. His defense had been
necessarily brief consisting of his
youth, good character, and his own
story slightly corroborated-that he
had been engaged in removing the OBJ
structions, when the wildcat" of
whose existence he had not been aware,
came around the curve and struck.
But on the question of how he hap
pened to be there at just this time he
had remained silent,
Solemn1y the great clock in the court
room beat out the dragging moments.
The bailiffs droned stories and yawned.
The clerk scribbled on the back of pa
pers. The crier slept the sleep of child
hood and smiled over its reviving
scenes. The old woman sat erect, mo-
tionless, intent like another sphynx,
awaiting the elimination of burning
desires. Perhaps she alone could eX-
plain that ancient feud; perhaps, when
that bosom had been tender and that
arm softly responsive to caresses, an
injury to her beauty had been the
dragons tooth of this future. Perhaps
the past now returned to her; for ex-
pectancy hath it's panorama of spent,
but not dead, emotions. Certainly lit
tie Patty, as she saw the grim face
growing grimmer, grew faint with
dread, for in it's lines she read vengeance
upon Tommy and woe for herself.
There was sharp, demanding rap on
the door of the jury-room. Its drowsy
guardian sprang to his feet and un-
locked it. There were whispers, and
then once more the door was closed,
the bolt was shot, the sentinel sat at
his post. Once more, but with differ
ence. The man no longer lolled. He
was big with the consciousness that
every eye was upon him, big in the pos
, session of q secret which he had nc
right to know.
The great clock ticl1ed warningly, for
the hours of excitement are moments.
1t was nearing the time for the Judges
return. The clerk set dockets and pen
} and paper in order. The bailiffs shut
windows and opened doors and turned
up lights and took their stations. There
was one whose post was by the door al
the end of the gallery leading to the
, iury-room, which opened upon the
main stairway of the building. The
: guardian of the iury=room was his
/ friend, and, as he passed, whispered a
t single word, The bailiff stepped to his
) place and beyond. He leaned over the
rail and gazed down into the gloomy
: corridor. The front door swung open
, a digniied form entered. He recog
nized it, and in an instant was leaping
! down the stairs. And in another in
{ slant Judge Greengoods knew at what
t verdict the jury had arrived, knew that
: the solemn words which he had mental
ly arranged during his walk thithel
: had not been marshaled in vain.
Z Many sharp eyes had noticed the pass
ing of that single word from officer tc
officer, and ere the crier had begun his
l sonorous proclamation bailiffs and at
, torneys and sheriff and prisoner knew
that the verdict was guilty" Patty
: knew it, too, for she had watched thaf
, guardian at the door as if he held tn,
r portals of her happiness. Patty knew
t it, and great sob swelled in her hear
5 and hardened into q resolution. IL
t this moment of extremity, when hu
f man and Divine powers had coalesceC
Y against him, she would be by her ole
e playmates side to comfort, to sustain
y to blessl She looked at her grand
!, mother That expectant gaze had no
a yet changed into triumph. II will e
: little closer, so that 1 can find out,
i she said, and the old lady nodded al
t eager approval.
n Down the narrow iron stairway alonl
: the wall came the jury-swaggering