The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1893-09-01

had remained silent when asked how
he happened To be there? Surely, any
one could see that he had discovered his
brothers plot and had striven 20
thwart IL, but was now too loyal to i'm
plicate them. The idea that Tommy,
her gentle. truc-hearted Tommy, would
connive TO Stay the only brother OF the
girl he loved. And yet, when he had
refused to answer, the judge. who
surely should be impartial in action as
well as word, had swung around i'm
patiently in his chair. and the district
attorney had smiled. oh. SO ironically
and shrugged his shoulders and said:
"You see, gentlemen. Scc?"
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 il 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 directncss of its 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 Barring 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 al
the village tavern, and quarrel and a
scuffie 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 Darling was seen run
ming away from the place where the &C
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 SCI
| the obstruction on the track.
His presence, his flight, his terror
certain incoherent words which he hac
uttered on his apprehension, consti
tuted the main points of the case
against him. His defense had beer
necessarily brief. consisting Of his
youth. good character. and his owl
story slightly corroborated-that hs
had been engaged in removing the OBJ
structions. when the wildcat" o.
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 HI
had remained silent
| Solemnly the great clock in the court
room beat out the dragging moments
The bailiffs droned stories and yawned
The clerk scrubbed on the back of pa
pers. The crier slept the sleep OF child
hood and smiled over its revivinI
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, wheE
that bosom had been tender and tina
arm softly responsive to caresscs. al
injury TO her beauty had been tn
dragons tooth OF this future. Perhap
the past now returned to her; for ex
pectancy hath its panorama Of spent
but not dead. emotions. Certainly lii
tie Patty, as she saw the grim fac
growing grimmer, grew faint will
dread. for in its lines she read vengeanc
upon Tommy and woe for herself.
There was q sharp, demanding rap OF
the door Of the jury-room. Its drows,
guardian sprang to his feet and un
locked it. There were whispers. an,
then once more the door was closed
the bolt was shot. the sentinel sat q
his post Once more, but with differ
ence. The man no longer lolled. III
was big with the consciousness tina
every eye was upon him, big in the pos
session of secret which he had NJ
right to know.
The great clock licked warningly, TO
the hours of excitement are moments
1t was nearing the time for the Judge
return. The clerk set dockets and pei
and paper in order. The bailiffs shu
windows and opened doors and turne
up lights and took their stations. Their
was one whose post was by the door a
the end of the gallery leading to tn
jury-room, which opened upon tn
main stairway of the building. Tn
guardian of the jury-room was hi
friend, and, as he passed, whispered
single word. The bailif stepped to hi
place and beyond. He leaned over tn
rail and gazed down into the gloom.
corridor. The front door. swung open
dignified form entered. lie rccoa
nized il, and in an instant was leapin
down the stairA And in another in
slant Judge Grcengoods knew at wha
verdict the jury had arrived, knew tina
the solemn words which he had mental
ly arranged during his walk thithe
had not been marshaled in vain.
Many sharp eyes had noticed the pass
ing Of that single word from officer I
officer. and ere the crier had begun hi
sonorous proclamation bailiffs and q
torneys and sheriff and prisoner knc,
| L. A fsv,~tlex, pnt