Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1893-05-27
nerves being so shaken that IL seemed

nerves being so shaken that IL seemed
impossible for me to keep away from
the vicinity OF my great secret
"As l approached the building l
heard loud voices and hurried forward
with fast beating heart. My father
was seldom angry, hut before L en-
tered the barn l discovered that he
was scolding somebody roundlY. That
somebody was Jason, his head man.
who, although very good workman,
often made exasperating mistakes.
There, it was only last night, l
heard father say. that | told you to
put no more hay in that corner of the
NOW. because l wanted to save room
for the second cropo the same kind,
and heIe you have buried the west
lot hay under twenty feet of this
'interval" | never saw such fell
low in all my life, added father dis
gustedly.
"'Wal, / declare for t forgot
what you said. Jonas began, but |
heard no more of his excuse as few
by them toward the other end OF the
barn.
There was the place where l had
left the wounded man IN hiding, but
the NOW was filled almost to the
caves with hay, and under all that
terrible weight lay the unfortunate
criminal, Frank Najac.
Il screamed aloud as this thought
came to my mind and father came
running toward me. But he looked
over my head through the open door
at the rear, for, hurrying toward the
barn was a crowd of men headed by a
tall, black. whlskered man carrying a
rife. Several of the Others were
armed, too. Father evidently thought
that my cry was caused by their sud-
den appearance, and he stared at
them in great surprise as they hastily
approached the barn.
:. Out gunning?i queried father, OF
the tall man.
4" Yes cunning for a murderer,
replied the mau coolly. Been chas-
ing HIM for a fortnight. Tracked
him to the woods over there an hour
ago A woman down the road saw
him come into this barn, andy
ginger. boys, he's here.' he added ex-
citedly. Here's a blood stain on the
floor and here's one on the round OF
the ladder He's in the loftn
"Father was too greatly surprised
for utterance and sat weakly down
upon the wagon tongue. Jason, too,
seemed struck all OF a heap; but
managed to find my tongue at this
stage OF affairs.
"'He's under the hay in the cor.
ner, / said with a sob. II saw
him crawl under there before l went
to the mail
AN I've throwed two loads Of
hay on there since then, groaned
Jonas.
The men looked from one to the
other with rather white faces.
"This won't be any case fol
shootin', l reckon, said the black
whiskered man, who was the sheriff
OF the county, leaning his rifle in the
corner. Let's have your pitchforks
neighbor, and we'll get at him
Father hurried me into the house
and amid a passionate outburst O.
tears | told him and mother all abou
it. l was sick after that in good
earnest and it was fortnight before
| was able to be about again.
Then | learned that the man
had thought to befrlend because o
his innocence was a we'll know
criminal who had already served sew
eral terms in prison, his last offence
having been the murder Of an inOffen
sve old gentleman, for his money
But, poor creature, he met a terrible
, punishment for his crime, for, WheI
. they removed enough hay to get a
him he was already dead
Il don't think mother and fathe
ever told my part in the sad affair
) and there were no questions asked
T nor did they ever refer to the matte
in a way to attach any blame to me
but nevertheless the lesson sank dee
into my heart ! begged TINS bit 0
= paper from the postmaster and tackeI
2 it up in my room where it remained
2 till | left the dear old home, and the
! | brought it with me here. And d
! you think, with that reminder eve
before me- that / could again lon
( for more of romance than usual
falls to the lot of every day mortals?
? Yankee Blade.