Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1893-01-28

The wielder CT the verdicts of the law
sat back tilted in chair, his hat upon
the nape of his neck, his brown jeans
trousers disappearing in clay-colored
boots. Facing him, on the other side
of the insecure table, sat the victim of
the offense and the other plaintiffs, hel
brothers and Budd Wayne.
To these the accused never turned his
eyes. Whether, without looking he
could see the slim, delicate brown face
of Idelia under It's yellow sun bonnet,
the young man himself probably best
krew. There was nothing in his aspect
which could be construed as indicating
repentance. He sat stoiid and uDmoved ;
and only once the suppressed fires came
to the surface, and that was when Budd
Wayne stepped up, as upon an impro-
vised witness stand, and made his CIR
cumstantial deposition.
"Thls hyar Rufe Pierson has been a.
haugin' round to Tennent's and a-tryin'
fur ter git Ileely ter choose him ruther'n
me this we're long spell. He lowed ter
me ez how she didn't set no store by me,
but was abein' compelled into giyin' her
cornsent ter marry me jist along o Ike
an' 'Liiah--them two brothers o hern
a-settin' thar. An he war mighty vio-
lint an got PLUMB crazy onct, bekase l
tole him I had powerful pore 'pinion
of emmy man what couldn't git no gal
his own, but he'd to KEN a-querrelin
and a'-fghtin' around fur them tibet set
mo- store by him"
The prisoner started to his feet with
the dark blood swelling the veins in his
neck aud forehead. But he was con
strained into his seat again promptly.
Idelis's brown eyes, IN whose depths
there was the touch of yellow one sees in
an autumn leaf, had been raised one mo-
ment in startled alright. Then they
had dropped again and the yellow sun-
bonnet framed IA face as still as before.
The Judge projected another jet OF
tobacco juice at the cold stove. A bag
of apples was brought in and circulated
among the lawyers. The jurors sat in
bovine immobility. The trial went on.
1t was proven satisfactorily that Rufe
Pierson was a sufficiently reckless char
acter; but then again it was proven that
he meant no harm by the girl, or by any
one else; that he had captured her by
main force because he wanted to marry
her, thereby also saving her from the
tyranny of her brothers. With these
brothers it was apparent that she had
had no particularly happy life. They.
too, were "powerful no count critters, !"
supposed to be more or less given to the
Continuous consumption of illicitly dis
titled whisky and "applejack.
In view of all these things the final
verdict consisted in tiue of $500, which
Rute Pierson and his brother were called
upon promptly to pay.
Five hundred dollars meant the selling
of one or two of the Pierson "beastises"
and of much other struck" beside; but
this could be lived through. This was
not what the Teunent brother and Budd
Wayne, in his vindictiveness, uneasily
spiced with the corrosive tang of jea-
lousy, had expected. They drank deeply
and talked late the following nights,
and the more they talked aud drank the
hotter grew their disappointment aud
wrath. From this condition to deter
mination to take retribution into their
own hands aud dispatch it more effec
tually than the law had done the step
was but snort.
Meantime great change had come
over Rufe Plerson. His friendllness ha ]
given place to logged melancholy.
"T'warnt til payin' o the fines l
minds" he said to his faithful heuch.
man aud brother. ''But I've KEN TO
see ez Ideely an me amt fixed ez
lowed we was. allus lowed she he'd a
notion O keepin' company together with
me same EN- he'd with her. N
lowed eff TUX her away from them
brothers o hern she'd show me how it
war with her feeliu's. But she amt
done it. Ye knows, l reckon, thet l
never sot out ter do her no hurt, but
was jest meanin' to stop this yere fool
shnass 'bout'n Build Wayne. Bat she
alt UGH 5U COAG hh IN iOhN WV
doesn't see clar in this yere consarn no
mo Gals air quare an Later all, ldeely
amt a-minded ter keep fer me, but air
thinkin' o that yere Budd Wayne
why, the mounting amt no place fer
me no mo-. n air agoin ter git shet
Of it.
The brother took these gloomy pre-
dctious OF departure as he took all
other decisions emauating from the same
source. No Que contradicted Rufe Per.
sou and what he said he would do he
usually accomplished.
A strong wind had blown up from the
west, bring the singing smell of the
smoke with it. The night was warm for
all that A young moon hung like vel
low sickle over the top of the pine plan
tation back of the Persons house. 1t
was a wondrous night for Shosoever
could see the beauty of it. But the two
mouutainecrs werc thinking OF other
things
A quick advancing sound aroused
Rufe's attention. lie was about to start
to his feet when the door was pushed
open and Idelia, her cotton skirts blown
about her by the wind, her brown eyes
dilatei her breath short, stood upon
the threshold.
al KEN ter warn ye, she said, in lit
tie gasps. "Ye hev got ter look out.
L;jah "a Ike N Budi Wayne air all
drunk an hev Disseminated ter KEN
yerc n DO some hurt to somebody's |
hearn EN- talkin'."
Rufe took his gun down from the
wall
Amt they satisfied with the verdict
gi'en agin me9" he demanded grimly.
Let EN- come, theL ~
Bat now there was another sound be-
fore which the girls face grew paler
still. Yet what would her brothers aud
Budd Wayne be doing on horseback!
Aud these were the sounds OF horses
hoofs. They were near the door now.
They stopped. Rule went forward.
So ne one called out OF the warm, trans
parent darkness. Idella, all her senses
recognized the voice. On,
intereession of Providencel
This was no other thai Rick Martin, the
of the district, out with
posse of one on some official errand
connected with horse thief,
DRAWN! rein at the Persons door to ask
some information about TIE road. To
fy to his horses side aud pour out a
statement o! the intention of Budd
Wayne and her brothers WAS with ldelis
the work of moment.
AN bein' ez they sir dancin' drunk