The Wichita daily eagle., 1895-03-01

1
mo. there amt eri d big man in a
big white oyercoat. go int me out-oply
II of you. Wouldn't it On jury in a
| case of life and death Wouldn't bring in
verdict of guilty if ten men lad seen the
| deed done
Reckon you don't hold to capital pun
| ishments" said the other.
Don't believe any of the evidence, ~
| said white overcoat why, man alive,
| might have been hung myself on the very
| best OF evidence go years ago. 1 know
! what it's WORTH
''You didn't do it, them" asked very
little old man, with no hair to speak of.
You'd have sworn did, ;" said white
overcoat, in nowise offended by the ques
tion. so would Norris and Todd and
Jacquin. was young fellow then, just
| 20-big for my age, horrible temper, awful
fool.
Liked the girls, said white oyercoat.
Like 'em still was good looking but
Joaquin was handsomer, and Tilly Sparks
said so. Her cousin told me that she did
anyhow, and as I'd been paving atten-
tiorg to her it wasn't pleasant to hear
that on the very night when Tlly went
Ou % CHuTCn WIN JdCqulH
Its shame, Thomas said the
cousin. I scolded her for it, but she
laughed at re. Joaquin is 90 times
handsomer than Tom," says she, ''and
Ii like change why shouldn't I have
itf' And that's the truth, Thomas
We'll, says !, no doubt it is, and
girls are girls Let Tilly do as she chooses;
but, as for Joaquin, I'll spoil his beauty
for him.
with that went of in fury, mean
ing to thrash Joaquin next day. l hadn t
q thought of cutting his throat, but
meant TO give him two black eyes if l got
the opportunity.
"There was Norris in bed, home, sick
with a cold. 1 roomed with him. He was
a young man from Boston. All the good
young men do come from there. He
taught Sunday school and wanted to be a
minister, only circumstances hadn't per.
mitted.
g i couldn't close my eyes said Norris,
IF I'd talked like that. You've mention
ed the evil one Il times, and you've
spoken of the lake of fire and birthstone
Is times. You've gone through the bones
and j'ints that Joaquin is composed of like
sn anatomical work. and you've cussed
'em all separately and you've threatened
his life
Hold your tongue, yelled J. You
amt ordained Yet. Nobody is compelled
to hear you preach until you are. I'll talk
as / choose
''At this he tucked his tow colored head
under the sheet, and l put out the light
and turned into my own bed, but l
couldn't go to sleep ! was in such a tremOr
of rage. lay there thinking and think
ing, as If I'd been a machine made to
turn out Thoughts by the bushel.
Il thought how gloriously l could give
1t too Joaquin. One, two, three-smashi
One, two, three-crash, Down with him.
and all that, you know. thought should
like to break his nose and goUge his eyes
and leave marks on him for good.
After awhile / thought how I'd like
to have loaded pistol Then / remem-
bered that had one. 1t didn't belong TO
me. l was keeping it for friend. had
it in my bureau drawer.
Morris hadn't called to me as / went
out of the room, so l suppose he hadn't
heard me- but there L was in the street,
with the pistol in my breast pocket. IL
was not late yet-only 10. If Joaquin
had been SO greatly encouraged by TnIy,
no doubt he was with her yet.
Il took my way toward that we'll re-
membered door. 1 stood behind the lamp
pos: on the corner and took peep. My
suspicious We're correct. He had been III
and was just bidding Tilly soodby. / saw
him kiss her.
And the door shut, and on he came
toward me, whistling as il he'd swallowed
a canary bird. And behind him, from
under porch where he'd been hiding.
came mana great rough brute of a
fellow-creepinS, creeping on his track.
They were opposite my lamppost, and
/ saw the fellow draw pistol from his
pocket and take aim straight at Jacquin's
head. forgot all my own rage then.
My Godi Joaquin, take care of your
self, cried.
And there was the report OF a pistol,
and l saw him before me fiat on his face,
The murderer rushed down the street, and
! hnelt beside him. Blood streamed down
his temples all over my clothes, all over
my hands. speak TO me, Joaquin,
cried. And then hand came down on
my shoulder. and l turned. y policeman
stood there and beside him stood Norris
~ knew where your angry passions
would lead you, said ne. and in spite of
my cold followed. I'm very sorry for you,
Thomas
No one believed my story Of the man
who had followed him, and there were
witnesses-Norris and Ti!ly's cousin-to
attest to the fact that | had threatened
Jacquin's life. In fact, the evidence was
all against me. They didn't seem to take
ten minutes TO decide on the verdict
Guilty Sentence of death was pronounc-
ed upon me by the judge in less time than
can tell you of i5~''
TRAIN coming" cried the station mas
ter. Don't stop minute.
Good gracious" screamed the little
old man, 'how did it endi''
Convicted murderer, said the man
with white coat. Sentenced TO he
hung next Friday. Galiows built. Clergy
man with me. Letter 10 mother. Letter
TO Tiily. Black cap on. Bell tolling Out
on the platform. Crowd looking. Last
dying speech
The engine shrieked
Passengers, " yelled the voice az the
door.
what saved you?'' screamed the little
man.
sWoke up" said Thomas Thomas
Woke up then. Found myself in bed
Hadn't got up at all. Pistol safe in the
drawer. Norris snoring in the next bed.
All dream.
And the train was of.
Never touched Joaquin" said the sto-
" teller over his shoulder. ''Be married
Tiily. Goodbv. Exchange.
Ancient.
Editor-You say you wrote that joke