Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1895-01-04


waiting for him, sxhaling an atmos
phere OF dignity that was positively
! oppressive
II demand IN explanation of this
oosrage,' exclaimed the prisoner.
Have care, young man" admon-
ished the squire. ''lest to your other
crimes you add the still more heinous
one Of contempt of court"
II may at least know Of what ann
accused" persisted Ray, mastering
his anger
You'll haye an examination to-
morrow" replied his homer. ''lE The
meantime it is my duty 70 commit
you"
The mittimus, already made out,
was handed to one of the officers, and
the line of march taken up for the
Jail in the order before indicated.
At the hour fixel for the examina-
ton crowd had assembled, the like
Of which had never beer seen IN
Gutchley since that memorable
Fourth of July which Squire Guilt
wum had rendered illustrious by de-
livering All grafton on horseback, In
full uniform, in the center of hol-
low square formed of the Cory
Grays," standing at present
With some difficulty the prisoner
was ushered through the crowd into
the magisterial presence and CON
fronted with his accuser-no other
than his fair landlady, whom the very
sight of him seemed TO give turn.
The magistrate begged her to COM
pose herself, which she did to some
extent. and after being duly sworn,
ard having chastely kissed the book,
shs proceeded
1t was not her nature, IL she knew
herself, to be suspicious. The late
Mr.. Peake (tears to his memory had
pronounced this the weak point in
her character Still, she noticed
marked want of openness in her
boar er She had observed 100, oc-
casional symptoms of levity i'll his |
conduct She would scorn to pry into
other peoples secrets, but when peo'
pie will leave their letters lying |
a bout other people can't help seeing |
what's in them sometimes. 1t was in
this way she had become informed OF
an atrocious plot against her own
life. Here the witness quite broke
down
"Did you find that paper in the /
prisoners apartment" Intercepted
the squire, producing the letter be-
fore referred to.
"I-I-I--I di- di- didn' sobhing.
Paper marked and read.
''Dear RAY: Your idea of killing
the widow is capital. Carry it out at
once. viii see you in day or two.
O."
A loud laugh in the rear Of the
crowd interrupted the proceedings.
who's that Conforming the court?"
shouted the squire.
mo offense intended" said a jolly, |
good looking gentleman, pushing his
way forward; but this is too good!"
'Hullo, Quartor' cried Ray; "a
pretty scrape that COMPOUNDED letter
of yours has got me into"
do understand yon to be the
author OF that eplStle!" inquired |
Gulliwum of the stranger.
The latter owned up
Arrest him as an accomplicep
commanded the squire.
BEG pardon" interrupted Mr..
Meek, the village pastor. "but hap
pen to know this gentleman. This is
MIR Quarto, the publisher. Their
must be some mistake here,
LET him explain it, then" said tn
squire.
The stranger asked no better Nj
Ray was an author who was writing
q novel for him, the heroine of which |
was a young widow, whom it had
been deemed advisable to kill off 10
the concluding chapter. And the |
bloody business" referred to in the
publis hers note chad that extent
no more"
Mr.. Quarto was cut short by a roar
of laughter in which every body joined
but the widow and the squire.