The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-07-20

ner, which soon appeared IN the form
OF hand, the thumb and three finger.
| closed, while the index member pointed
to tho forthcoming message nearer the
center Of the grave.
This speedily showed in unmistakable
characters: .'Rube Did It!''
Excitement now ran high, some ac
| ceptfng the phenomenon as a serious
omen showing that the dead man ha6
come to an untimely end, while Others
ridiculed the idea OF its being more
than pointless freak of nature; no,
capable of explanation at present, il
curiosity.
Straightway the anxious ones tried to
discover the identity OF ''Rube," when
/ upon canvassing the town it was found
to number among its population four
Reubens, against not one of whom
could the most astnte point the finger
of suspicion
After this the rounded ridge of sand
became as bald as ever, and the expect
ant watchers began to conclude that it
had borne it's last fruit of mystery,
| when 10! third inscription grew on its
gentle slope.
This time on the extreme left stood
| out in bold relief a capital e. on the
right the letter f. Between these two
grew what was deciphered by some as
the word Justice" while others stout
ly maintained it was the proper name,
Justin" The last, by the way. was
Reuben Falconer's middle cognomen
1t is needless to say this rendering
made startling com mbination.
This lettering was destined to be
short-hved, for the following morning
the grave was as devoid of any living
substance as ever. But the end was
not yet.
A four days rainstorm soon came on,
compelling people as far as possible to
remain indoors, though l am in duty
bound to say that the village store,
kept by Squire Almont, was filed day
after day by anxious gossipers, whose
sole theme of discussion may well be
understood
Then, when the weather cleared away,
the first person to pass the place of un-
canny miracles was awe-stricken to be-
hold, not upon the grave this time, but
on the level plot near by it. in grass
grown letters foot in length, that he
who rode at a gailep might read, this de-
nouncement:
Jeremiah Lawson Poisoned by Reu-
ben Falconer."
There was no mistaking the words
this time. but how were they to be ac-
cspted? The lifelong lethargy of Soft
wood may now be said to have been
completely broken. Had the accused
seen this new declaration? 1t was not
believed he had.
81 tell you," said the squire, in his
ponderous tone, st is our bounden duty
to do sumthin'. l farmly b'lieve the
All-wise in His infinite wisdom has
taken this way to warn us of great
wrong which has been done and to
pint out the guilty man. l move
committee be 'pfnted to call upon Mr.
Falconer to ask his explanation in this
grave matter, that we may sift it to the
bottom. AS citizens of this law-abiding
town it is course of action we owe
ourselves and to him."
The squire, who had been justice of
the peace for twenty years, met with
no opposition to his plan; but, as it was
already late in the evening, it was
thought best to postpone the visit until
morning.
The final arrangements had been
hardly made when 4 newcomer entered
the store breathless and excited, with
the astounding announcement that
dead man was lying on Jeremiah Law
sons grave.
Even in this emergency the squire
proved himself equal to the occasion,
and after proposing to visit the scene at
once he suggested. "As this is solemn
proceeding in which it would ssem that
higher power than we poor mortals
has sumthin' to do, l move we invite
Parson Venera Bile to go with US"
The others gladly agreed to this plan.
the more superstitlous believing that
the presence of the man Of God would
eondone for whatever un6tness there
might be in this nocturnal meddling
with affairs they could not understand.
Accordingly the anxious party moved
swiftly, yet silently, toward the sacred
spot, led by their spiritual adviser,
whose thin hands were clasped nervous
" over the Good Book he had not neg
Iected to take with him. while his gaze
was turned alternately upward in rev
erence and ahead in mingled curiosity
and trepidation-
Upon nearing the place it was secn
that some one was still lying on the
grave mound, while TO their further
surprise second person was busily en-
gagged in uprooting the tiny blades OF !
grass that formed the unhappy notice. |
The last mentioned wes Reuben Fal- |
coner, who at sight of the unexpected !
procession started up with alarm, and /
he would have fed the place but for |
Squire Almont's stentor;an command to /
remain.
What do you want of me?" de- /
manded the startled man
"pray what business have you or this +
hallowed ground and ct this unseeE'ly +
hour?" asked the parson. who felt N /
duty bound TO say something
II calculate my er-and here is ss /
coed as yours" replied Reuben Faiconer.
his seIf-possessioa- That /
plaguey boy will persist Il spending I
half Of his time here, aad came 70 get /
him home. Seeing that grass there /
pulled it I'D. and | think you would +
have done the same under similar cir /