The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1894-11-29
CHAPTER XVI.
A GHOSTS DISPATCH.

| A GHOSTS DISPATCH.
! On the morrow, on the converting OF
court. the jury were escorted to their
seats by the Sheriff. and the crowd of
spectators eagerly sought to read the
verdict in the jurors faces. A painful
silence possessed the vast audience.
/ 1t was known late at night that a YER
dict had not been agreed upon. The
contest in the jury-rOOm had excited
the people to high pitch of anxiety,
and while to the spectators the case
appeared to have but one side, yet the
long time the jury were deliberating
had created a feeling of doubt just SUI
ficient to make the audience eager to
| know the verdict.
The Clerk: Gentlemen of the jury,
have you agreed upon verdict:
| Foreman: We have (handing q
paper to the clerk
Clerk reading the paper: We. the
| Jury, find that the document purpOrt-
| ing to be the last will and testament of
Andrew Nordrum is forgery.
The audience ached to testify in
cheers and other demonstrations of APP
| plause it's approval of the verdict, but
| the previous warning of the court, and
| the threat of the Sheriff to arrest the
| first person that violated the order.
| kept the assemblage from giving vent
to their pent-up feelings.
The courtroom was quickly emptied.
and once outside the building the crowd
vert wild with enthusiasm. In the
excitement Grounding had disap-
peared, and Martin and Hickman were
never more heard of in that part of the
West. Fortunately for them they had
/
by hurrying out of town.
| The excitement over the will case
soon died away. Months passed rapidly.
No matter how black heart the per-
senator of Louis Patterson may have
had. he seemed to possess the power
to bestOw upon Mary Nordrum love as
sincere as that which springs from a
heart that never knew ought but limo
cence.
Patterson continued to faithfully
serve his employers, but no sooner was
he off duty than he sought the company
of Mary NOrdrum, Hours were daily
spent in talking over the events OF
their childhood and hardly an Incl
dent. no matter how trivial, could be
referred to by Mary, but the impOstor
was able to take the subject from her
lips and complete it.
sometimes when his thoughts were
fixed on other scenes and other events
which many knew nothing of. she
would gently chide him for his indif
ference to her prattle, and then he
would recover himself only to wonder
whether there was any suspicion Turk
ing in her heart of his deception.
do you remember that beautiful
} summer evening Louis. when we were
enjoying one of those delightful sails
} on the lake, and when we saw the sur
} accompanied in its setting by thai
brilliant light, and encircled by a sky
j of such radiant splendOr? How | die
laugh when you said the sun went dowl
into the water to kiss its shadow be
cause it had nothing else to kiss. d.
you forget it:
You know you said YOU had rather
. be boy than the sun. because YOU hat
something better to kiss than shadows
i. What a magnificent sunset that was
Louis, what can you be thinking of
you don't seem to care to be reminded
now of those happy, thrice happ,
hours. Why: l know do you wrong
Louis. to talk so. know am over-eX
' acting. But l should die were | t,
: think. that. recalling those scenes
painful to you. Or that you had lost in
: terest in them. They are among tn
l happiest hours of my life. Were the
not yours. dearest Louis"
i, YES. yes. love, but do not think be
g cause | do not on the instant grow er
Q thusiastic over your pleasing referenc
: to them. that have lost any interes
t in them. They were my happy hou,
too. my memory is busy filling my brai
Q with the recollection of hundreds
n other like scenes. or like incident
+ Prattle on. my love. and will neve
e tire of listening"
I? Nov that is charming. Louis.
d like to have you talk that way. VIII;
l. a merry evening that was. | can
drive it from me. even if | cared t
o Do you remember. Henry. when yC
e said the shadows chasing each 9th.
q across the meadows. through til
r pasture. and skipping over til
fields of grain. were fairies brin:
ing flour to make the whea
/, and told you the fairies got the 'lol
It from the great white clouds that we,
e floating over our heads? Didn't "
d both laugh at the silly things We bot
L. said? Some how or other. my heart
is not as light now as it was then. tt
Il recollection OF those innocent !ancit
l. brings no such thrill of Joy to my hea
as they didxhen. Why is it Louis"
''Oh. You are getting serious nov
r. Your cheerful disposition can not brot
h seriousness. and there is no serio'
l. side 10 beautiful sunsets and charnil
to fairy tales. There is really TO pla
ly for dependency in your heart. Mar
5. so away with II. ana tell me more abo
V. those fairies
10 The lovers separated. The one