Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-06-13

nent among those who opposed him
WAS the man who had married Diana
Worthington - Appleby. He even
went 20 far Is TO take the stump
against him, and at one place, when
Tom Mason, one Of Billy's ardent
friends, and he wero pitted against
each other they INDUCED In some
personalities. and Appleby 50 far
lost his temper Is to make some
threats against Mason. suppose
It didn't amount to anything, though
Appleby was bitterly disliked by his
neighbour; but toward morning
Toms horse strsyed into the town
riderless and covered with blood. and
they found Tom In . lonely part of o
sequestered road--murdered-shot
In the back. Appleby had been seen
to enter that road soon after Tom :.
Some colored men had heard shot
fired az they went home from work.
A dozen witnesses testified to his
threat-you know how the links In .
chain Of circumstantial evidence
tighten and tighten about the VIC
TINS neck; and the result was,
Appleby was tried and convicted OF
the murder Of Tom Mason. and sem
fenced to be hanged.
''Appleby was cordially disliked by
his neighbors, but after the sentence
was passed and the day OF execution
drawing near there was sort OF re-
action In public feeling; that maud
lin sentiment" interposed the colo
mel, testify, that prompts US to try
to save the sinner from the conse-
quences of his sin. You don't like to
have your acquaintance in the
stripes even II you don't fancy them,
and people were sorry for his wife
and children, and the result was a
petition was gotten up, asking for
executive clemency, and Diana took
1t herself to Billy. They say he read
it through, as she stood covering be-
fore him. and then looked ut her
with those stern, accusing eyes OF
his. The murdered man was my
friend, he said, and his blood cries
to me for vengeance. II the slayer
were my brother ] would give him up
to justice. Go; this is not the first
man your husband has killed. Years
ago you two murdered all that was
good in me- So he turned her from
his door.
mo other effort was made to save
him. People who knew Billy's inn
partial justice knew how futile all
further endeavor would be, and so
the days rolled on until the execution
was only couple of days of. Then,
suddenly, one night, one OF the men
who had testified to hearing the shot
fired, and to having seen the two men
enter the woods, sent for Uncle Ike
and confessed he had had an old
grudge against Appleby. and had
been lying in wait for him, knowing
he would pass that way, and hearing
a horseman coming he had fired and
fed, only to find, to his horror, next
day, that he had killed Tom Mason
instead OF his enemy. Afterward,
when suspicion pointed toward APP
pleby, he had gladly shielded himself
behind it. Now he was dying, and
dared not 90 intQ eternity with the
secret on his soul.
81 wuz In an about skeer'd to
DEATH, said the old man when he
told me this, but l knowed some-
thin mus be done to keep Marse
Billy from hangin' that man, 80
went home an reich down my coat
of de wall, an Judy, she saddle May
Jane she's my mule-an' l put of
to find Marse Billy. All dat night l
rid, an de mex day till bout dark,
till / come to de capitol an see de
light in de winder, an dere sot Marse
Billy. / cross up right clost to de
glass an looked in, an / see dat he
looked kinder ole an wore an mighty
broke, an / 'membered dat l amt
neffer seen de light in his eyes nor de
smile on his face since Miss Di marry
Mr.. Appleby-not once an knowed
cause she done dat no woman would
ever rest his tired head OH her breast,
an no little children ever play about
his feet-an' then / thought bout
what / come for, an l ciar to God,
Marse Dick, wuz skeer'd to go in.
By an by clock somewhere struck,
an 'membered dere wa'r't no time
to waste, an / pushed open de do
and went in.
"'"Dat you, Ike?" asked Marse
Billy, when he see me; an l say,
Yessir." An den he ok me what l
want, an l tell him an l say,
"Marse Billy, / come for Mr.. Apple
by's pardon" His face-hit looked
like death, hit was so white an
drawed, an then he says who's to
prove the truth of what you say?
an answered, "De grave. AN then
/ hear him say, right easy to hisself,
my revenge is in my own hands-a
life for life-an' they murdered
me-" Then he say out loud, I'm q
few more hours your message would
be too late-the scaffold Is already
built. What IL / refuseto listen to
your"
-" Marse Billy" 1 say, you
dasn't do it for yo' own soul sake,
but he didn't listen, an den l went
over an took his han in mine. lax
he was little child agin. an / says,
"Marse Billy, is been good SER
want to your" An he says, "A
faithful fren' that stood by me when
the worl' fell away, an helped put
me here" An says. rs / ever took
any pay?" An he says, None" An
l says, PAY me now; give me dis
mans pardon" Well, he set still q
while, an then he writ somethin' on
. x,ollo,, ,>ooar dot sav s'Raprieved