The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1897-12-16
5 The WaD Who )
; Gan0@ Back )
Joy Charles B. Lewis. Copyright, 1897. (

by Charles B. Lewis.

~ and weak on his feet, stood in the
open door of humble cottage just at
sunset and looked from gray-haired
man leaning l.eavily on his cane to a
gray-haired woman sitting YEARLY in
her chair with an open Bible on her
knees. lie opened his mouth as if to
speak, but no word was uttered. They
stared at him with widc-open eyes, but
neither spoke.
1T is I. Tom Manners-don't you
know me?"
Their lips moved aso if they whis-
pered, but he caught no sound.
''You thought me dead, but I have re-
turned. On the hill met a man who
told me that Ninta was lying here in
her coffin. Is it 500"
'Come!" replied the woman, as she
rose up with her book in her hands,
and walked slowly into the room in the
rear, followed by the lame and feeble
old man.
The young man advanced. In the
center of the room he beheld coffin.
They made way for him, and he looked
down at the face of the dead-the face
of girl who had died ere she reached
her Goth birthday. He bent over and
pressed his lips to her pale. cold fore
head, and father and mother sobbed in
their Threats and shed no tears.
"Why did she die?" asked the young
man, as he lifted his head, and new
light burned in his eyes.
ASK Travers," replied the father,
after long pause.
With face pinched and haggard-
with eyes which seemed to burn-with-
out further glance at the living or
dead-the young man walked out of the
room-out of the house-down the
dusty highway among the shadows of
night. When he had walked for mile
he encountered man on horseback.
He had been silent during his walk, and
his eyes had looked straight ahead, as
for beacon light. Now he screamed
out like wounded beast, his eyes
famed at the man in the saddle, and
there was terrible work for moment
The rider was pulled to the ground,
shouting, cursing and fighting, and
with knee on his breast and fingers al
his throat, the other held him as in a
wise. When there is a grip at mans
throat his muscles are paralyZed and
his life goes out like an exhausted can.
die.
The murderer did not run away into
The darkness. lie folded his arms and
stood there until a crowd of men came
along and saw what had been done. He
did not resist as they marched him of
to the Jail. When questioned, he made
only one reply:
'Ninta lies dead in her fathers house
and killed him!"
He had been locked up for "a hours
eating never lnorsel of food-sitting
on his prison cot with his head in his
hunds and thinking-ever thinking
when the sheriff came to him and said
Tom, l know how it was, and have
no word of blame. 1t was murder
however, and the people won't wait fol-
the law. They are coming here tonight
to lynch you'll"
what have I to live for?" asked
Tom, as he raised his head.
But you don't want to die like dog
I'm the law, but like game man and
hate coward. If you've got to die
take some of the mob with you.
can't leave you gun, but here's an
iron bar. If they break in your door
die like a man."
Through the barred windows, al
hour later, came sounds as of breakers
afar off-as of gale of wind moaning
through pines and cedars-as of wolves
snarling and growing and fighting
over their prey. 1t was murmur al
first, and the menace in it brought q
chill. The murmur increased until il
became roar, and no man was longer
in ignorance. The mob had gathered
for lynching bee. Three hundred mer
suddenly gathered in body and surged
across the public square to the Jail
The sheriff stood on the steps waiting
He knew that every man in the Grove
had a six-shooter; he saw score OF
sledge-halnmers and crowbars; hi
caught sight of half dozen coils Of
rope over the shoulders of the foremost
man.
you want Tom Manners?" hi
Uueried, as the crowd surged about the
front door. ,....
"Yes-open the door,"
"Softly. my friends! I am the law
There's three hundred to one, and the
law don't count, but I won't give ur
the keys!"
They swept him aside and brought
sledge and bar into play, and in GO sec
onds the door was down. Then mad
dened score rushed through the CORR
doris, and from cell to cell, utterine
threats and snarling at each other. A
cell ten they found Tom Manners await
ing them, and at sight of him they
screamed out in fury and exultation
They pounded at the lock. They bea
at the bars. They rained blow after
blow upon the hinges. The man in tn,
cell looked calmly out upon them a:
they labored, and they said to eacl
other that he was a coward and {
craven. After ten minutes work tn,
door was beaten down and three or foul
men sprang into the cell to seize tn:
prisoner. Then the iron bar was lifted
and the man was obeying the sheriff.
injunction to fight for his life. He bea
them down and he beat them back
They came again and again, but they
could not stand against him. With {
sudden hope. and leaping over the ram
part of bodies, he cleared path dowr
the corridor to the door, and landed il
the midst of the crowd outside.
As the men crowded and jostled ant
fell over each other, way was opened
for the prisoner, and after two minutes