The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1893-09-02
But there We're two who seemed To

Them poor critters in the back row?
They dassent trust their own feelings
in h face of the others. Do you mind
that racket? That will settle their
doubts in short order. Now you shut
up, Patty. If / thought that one of nv
kin wouldn't rejoice in the death of an
enemy, I'd turn her into the street
without a shawl to her back or a shoe
to her feet"
Poor, poor Tommy. sobbed the girl,
as she trembled before the indistinct
sounds of wrangling that came from
above.
Patty Knowles shrank still further
away from the stony bosom and the
threatening arm, and tried t think, as
if thoughts would bring comfort. 1t
was all too awful to be real; she must
be dreaming; yet why could she not
awake? Was it true that she, with her
grandmother, was awaiting in court
the verdict which should shamefully
destroy their enemy, and that enemy
her old comrade Tommy Darling? All,
there were substances, not shadows,
| about her; her mind in its peaceful
slumbers had never imagined anything
so cruel. Yet he would be acquitted,
how could she doubt, when the jury
men as well as she had heard his frank,
simple story and had seen the candor
of his beautiful face? Had she not
watched them and detected expressions
of sympathy, Of confidence, on at least
two of their countenances? And if
these men had once trusted would they
dare to condemn? Then, indeed, were
they not the murderers who would slay
for relief from custody, from fatigue,
or from fear of their associates? Oh. a
dreadful thing was this law which be-
| clouded the truth when it was SO evil
dent! Hadn't Tommy explained that
he was removing the obstruction from
the track when the wildcat" so unex-
pectedly came around the curve and
struck it, and was derailed?
Couldn't they understand why he
had remained silent when asked how
he happened to be there? Surely, any
m could see that he had discovered his
brothers plot and had striven to
thwart it, but was now too loyal to i'm
plicate them. The idea that Tommy,
her gentle, true-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 inn
patiently in his char, and the district
attorney had smiled, oh, so ironically,
and shrugged his shoulders and said:
"You see, gentlemen. See?"
How could they see through all the
dust hat he had raised? And yet there
were those two, who had believed; per-
haps they would keep their faith. Oh,
Gsd, give them power! Since the jury
remained out thare must be some who
doubted, and if 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?
There came a roar from the jury
room and a crash as if a heavy settle
had been overturned. From the group
of court officers around the clerks desk
arose a guffaw. "Bedad!' cried a
| voice, ''the byes are lively the sight."
Lively! but how about that poor young
man awaiting their judgment in the
neighboring Jail. whose shadows the
| star of justice should illumine? Were
the issues of life and death to be set
tied in such ribald fashion? All, he
was deserted of God and man. but l
will be true to him," resolved Patty. as,
with firm-set lips and flashing eyes,
she Strengthened herself in unconscious
similarity to her grandmother. '1f 1
could save him l would die for him,
that l would"
The case which had occupied the Abb
erdeen Oyer and Terminer for the past
week was, as the district attorney had
said in his opening, lawful in the SIM
plicity and directness 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
nj evening the two elder Barlings at
the village tavern, and a quarrel and a
scuffie had ensued. 1t was the follow
ing day thata wildcat" train, Of which
young Knowles was engineer, was de-
| xailad and ho throrun from Tho aah ard