The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-11-10

~.vveant looked g. Ned.
sort ~ scratching, like sons
sornerhfng-slsppiRg down. And
N boxed In the cupboard, and there
a. 10 one there
1901. >.s-s as weil as grewsonle. Ebzn
- ia vet forehead again and stared
!. s1s cupboard door.
- doctor ought TO be sent for said
su1sst good can ne do-nowT. rnoaned
.ssuuie, with SOD.
~ can tell US how she died. perhaps,
and whea
1Ess / drunk last nizht7" asked he.
sTeu. had no idea you were. until you
-. "a sleep with your head On the table"
ssqaea I suppose must have been" nut
- tne sergeant. And yet
~ stooped short. Noise OF footsteps
- voices in the street outside attracted
ss.sr attention, and Ned looked out OK the
I. vas by this time past O'clock. and in
"a gray Of the morning, through a light.
can rain a growing crowd % people was
smrrylng along the village street toward
- Griffin. Ia the heart Of the crowd.
ssgklng and gcsticuiating furiousiy, was
psbers France. he was slstIeSa. and his
rssfea black hair gave him a Wild appesr-
49,
rbarge Of keepers. rather than the leader
q tie throng.
On ora side OF him walked the Village
fnpstabie, listening 70 his narration IN a
sss4le manner proper TO his profession.
f,o the other was the local doctor. thln.
wora-Io5kng man OF 3 or so. who had ep-
4arpatly found no jewel OF great price
saen he lighted upon this quiet country
sszeslce. lie asked France few questions
u he walked along under his alpaca UNI
h~s;ia and elected from the excited man
ne whole story OF his misfortune. and Of
ne suspicious which IL had aroused I'm his
mind. al told IN such loud voice that the
erowd accompanying them could gather 1t
a. they ran.
Hush said the doctor, warnlngIy: "you
esnt want oil the parish to know what YOU
think til you're sure yourself. do you.
nAr!'
But Robert France stopped short, and
passed his broad brown hand through the
lzngles Of his hair.
what do / care? What do / care who
hears VINO knows?" cried he wildly.
What does Il matter2 Haven't lost nv
wife. in the most horrible way, too? And
WIN should spare the feelings OF the brute
gao killed her2'
"Hash. man. He's got to be tried before
ysu hang him. and arrested before he's
tTied You must let VS., who are less preiu-
saed than you. have a look around bsf0ra
you can say who did TT
Il don't suspect" shouted Robert "I
tell you ] know. Why. any one can tell
You this fellow was her sweetheart years
ago and how she threw him over for mo,
and how he went for a soldier, all for that,
and how he threatened her then"
Aye, aye. so he did. I've heard him say
taings myself. In them old days" remarked
an old man in eorduroys. VINO was one OF
the crowd
But young chaps say things when
they've just been lifted they forget Tong
before the months out" observed Eheyl'
Trend the saddler. who had come out OF
bis house 10 find out what the commotion
sas about. lie was with me pretty nigh
al day yesterday. was young Miles. and lie
never said a harsh word OF the woman"
Tie vas TOO artful for that" said Robert
France. Listen. don't care who knowsi'
Ahd having reached the space before the
door or the Griffin, he swung violently
around. and under the old sign, which
freikcd on It's post in the morning wind. he
faised one arm aloft and harangued the
crowd with passion IA his eyes. his voice.
hls fierce gestures, his awarthy face
'Listenl I've lost my wife. the only crea-
iare ! cared about in the world, and |
don't care for my life now. And l tell YOU
tAat y this man, this fellow who tried TO
steal her from me. who laid his VIE hands
upon her and strangled her, II he. / saw.
s9esn't swing for this. why, I'll swing FOR
am ! swear Il, ! swear it, Before hea-
ven swear it,'
Ills slid words. and looks. and tones. his
me.o-dranauc speech. above all--tho whirl-
Wind or passion In whinh ne was speaking
AMI acting, impressed the crowd. sent "A
Silver through the coolest.
They had most Of thom known this man
for years. aud had looked upon aim, for
faefaf sssf ME 81 -
rose and suilen fellow. whose jealousy
made both him and his wife wretched. and
whose ih-iemper was = prOV6rb. Now for
the frst time they recognized that the man
vas moved by a passion deeper than their
own; they sympathizod with him. were
sorry FOR him. flushed and attentive they
stood. huddied together IN the rain listen
Ing 20 the story he poured forth with pas
on-whlto lips. with clenched and shaking
hands
She and had a quarrel yesterday morn
Ing. God forgive me- Nothing but TIT
such as husband and wife have sometimes;
and perhaps I was 20 blame
AVE. that I'll stake my life yea were. q"
put Ia the saddlsr in0ppertunely
But thu crowd silenced him. There vas
81 honesty about this admission on Robert
frances part wiasch brought them round
% his side stitl more
Yes. yes; I was 20 Blame" he repeated
"But when this fellow turned up. this
Mics, as he ala during tho morning. I was
ready enough 10 make q up WITH her, but
she wouldn't II was his Influence that
He was coming between husband and wife
afoady"
''Shamef" cried an indignant voice.
Ana there wcro muTmurs o. sympathy
Robert went on.
And when J ordered him out OF the
haese as ia right enough 30 do as [
12ught-though perhaps I WAS wrong"
No 40, you were rtght. Bob" cried a
snnathzcr.
Then SIZE hid herself away from mo
iala me she vas going Ia her fathers farm
aod-and =" Roberts voice falterca--"T
never saw her again. alive"
There Was silence followed by mur-
gafs iho man might have BEEN % blame
2 BIS treatment Of hts Wlfe. bat after all.
aeFe WAS aman feeling enough and 90
ssTe undrr a.s rough WAYS and his surIy
ts'sue ftoaert went en-. speaking now
FeTy rapidly ana IN lower voice:
hat shc never went n the farm; she
sever left -ae house At all / know ~;
- sure os d. SAc Just shut herself up
ss3 managed % let ih.s Miles have word
eaeTe she was And asked ;he fellow %
per Wishing 90 be friends r I could
'' an ola acquaintance. ana thinking
81 PERTAINS done him wrong And no
Am'nel drunk Won can ask the gentle
In Na9 Ras wish us. and he'll tell YOU
"e sh2m0ed e : say. 50 that he SHOULD
.0 "a She house Aud then 10 She ms8-
- % ne night : heard cry it was her
ssAe c1F.os out And rushed along
80 corridor. calling. and ;hen beard his
go. eHd ran "a the room where I had
SIM A-3 there saw my poor wife.
Is oa -Ao floor. and the wreteh stran~
IS aes vita A-s alras- And she gave her
s@tt fFF ag 1 e.ef t.s