The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1893-05-30

in and placed IN the bed. While 6
physician, who had accompanied the
carriers, was examining his injuries,
Mary followed the men down stairs.
She was thoroughly active and earnest
now, and calling their attention in the
sitting room, she said:
MEN, Reginald Brown has done
this. 1 know it. He was here this
afternoon and he threatened Mr.. Blake.
Mr.. Blake was here to night, and when
told him of Browns threats he called
him a coward. At the moment he
called him a coward I saw a face in the
window there, I told myself at the
time 1t was only the shape Of the frost
on the pane, but now l know it was
Brownlooking in. He heard Mr.. Blake
all him a coward, and he has pushed
him into the gully for that and other
reasons. Go ana do your duty"
The accusation was as a draft of air
upon their sm%ouldering hatred of
Brown. The whispers of the life he
had led in the West sounded again in
their ears as loud co%rrob0rating voices.
There was not q man in the crowd to
whom James Blake had not shown his
fairness and generosity. Of course
the scOundrel Brown had committed
this deed. He had thought to cover
the act under the probability that a
man cou'd easily slip into the gully on
such az icy night. One Of the men, a
burly, resolute fellow, who had often
denounced Brown, constituted himself
leader and marched the crowd off to
Browns residence.
Notwithstanding his p~rotestations of
innocence, he was rudeIy taken from
the house, hurried before a Justice and
lodged in Jail to await the result of
Blake's injuries. These were a broken
leg, q rib, and an internal injury which
the doctor pronounced serious. In ad-
dition, he had been almost frozen. Had
he not pr~ovidentially lodged against a
tree, he would have been dashed to
pieces on the rocks in the gully, or,
escaping these, would surely have
persisted in the awful cold of the night.
The narrowness of the escape sent a
shudder through all the community,
and as the facts of the case were freely
and closely discussed, opinion as to
Browns guilt became fixed, and indig-
nation increased as the horrors of q
lonely death in Blackman's Gully were
graphically detailed.
Meanwhile, with remOrsetul solici-
tude, Mary Graham watched over
James through the long hours Of IN
consciousness. He was near death
but at last one day, when she and her
father sat by the hearth, talking in
alternate hope and despair, the doctor
came down from the sick-room and
told them that the young man would
live; that be had just come out of a
quiet sleep; and that in view Of the
seriousness Of the charge against
Brown, a question az to his guilt would
not harm the sufferer.
Mary and her father assembled to the
sick room, and James feebly welcomed
them.
James," said the father, do Tot
excite yourself at the question I am
going to ask. You know, I suppose,
that you were found down in Black
mans Gully. A man is in jail accused
of pushing you down, and a word from
you will decide his guilt. Did Regi-
maid Brown push you into the gully?'
Brown push me into the gully?'
Blake repeated, weakly, but in great
surprise. "Why, what made you think
that2 Of course he did not. 1 was
careless, and I slipped on the ice and
fell down myself"
Farmer Graham FASTENED away, and
James, reaching out his trembling
hand, asked:
MARY, l know I mustn't talk, but
how aboutmy answer Arey you ready
YETI"
"Oh, Janice, how cruel I was toy0u,'
was all che could say; but he knew
from il what the joyful answer was
an answer which he was only too glad
to meet by relinQuishing his resolution
not to come and live on the farm
Yankee Blade.
A SUGGESTION FOR A PRESI-
DENT.
A story is told that the late R. B.