The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1897-02-13
could swaller SO much drink-like

speaker.
''Liz!" he suddenly exclaimed ane
with somewhat more energy than he
had displayed in his narrative, for hi:
breath had failed him several times,
"Liz, Liz don't look at me like that
I Gamma bear it! I canna!" and he
broke off into long groan.
His wife dropped her eyes, but still
sat like q statue, with her hands
clasped in her lap. The injured man
struggled for breath, and then went
on:
81 know'd Liz wor fond o Jem,
cause he wor fair and handsome, but
I loved her the bestest. Ay, though
we be navvies, doctor, we can love
only some people thinks as how we
just pair Oft like! But they're wrong.
Well, to be gettin' on wi my story.
LIZ 'ere had no eyes for me when Jem
wor about, and I got jealous. All the
old friendship tween me and Jem WOE
gone on my side, and began to hate
i'm. The crisis came one night when
I meets Liz a.comin' from the tunnel,
which wor then bein' bored. lwor on
day duty, and Jem wor workin' at
nights, cause then we worked day and
night in shifts. She had ta'en him
down some supper, and I could see how
things wor goin'. So I up and tells
her Of me love, and axes her to
marry me. Liz treated me bet
ter AN I thowt she would have
she just says, Bill, l don't
dislike ye, but I like Jem better, and
I've promised 'im.' Iwor furious
thee'st remember it, I dessay, Liz
but she jurst turns on 'el heel and
walks off, sayin' as when the drink wor
in the wit wor out! I had had drink,
thee know'st. I went down to the
tunnel and meets Jem a.comia' out wi
truck o. muck-we coll earth muck,
thee know'st. I didna lot him sec that
I wor angry, so l just jokes wi him
like. As I wor goin' through the tun.
mel thowt struck mo; if wor just to
come up behind Jem, and gle i'm a
push in front of the truck, it would
perhaps lame i'm, and then perhaps
Liz would IA be bothered wi a lame
chap. left the tunnel and went
ONE, but I didna sleep that ERE night.
Next day l took Jem's place driving,
and 'twere then I worked out my
plans. Thee know'st there be timbers,
called side trees, on each side to sup
port the roof O. the tunnel til tho
brickies take the work in hand, and l
thowt as how, if I wor to hide in one
of them just in the darkest place, and
when Jem comes on just put out my
and and gle him push, it would do
Ill / wanted. I shanna forget that ERE
day! The idea growed on me, and
when I left work, made up my mind
to do it. So I walks down about 8
O'Clock the same night, and just as I
reached the open cutting, heerd Jem
wish Liz good night. I wor fair mad
wi jealousy. / had murder in my
art. Keepin' out O sight O. Liz, +
creeps down just in time to see Jem
take the horses back into the tunnel
to bring load o muck up. j creeps
down in the darkest part, and past
the she'd where Bob Dalton WOE pump
in alr into the tunnel, wi'out bein'
seen. I know'd every inch O. the
place, and I 'ad made up my mind wheer
to hide. I soon 1ound it, cause I 'ad
put q big stone theer. Besides, 'ad
picked out spot which wor always
wet, cause of a spring which We had
tapped above, which wor always run
MIN. Then it strikes me as how, if /
wor to put the stone in Jem's path, he
might stumble DER it; so I puts it
theer. I 'adna long to wait afore EN-
comes down the tunnel, which wor a
bit on the incline.
my art begins to thump until
wor afraid Jem might ear it, but just
then he comes up to wheer I had put
the stone. He stumbled DER it. and
the horse swe;ved q little, but he
nearly recovered hisself, and so puts
out my hand and gently pushes i'm.
He falls down on the line, and the
t,uck goes DER i'm, cause 1 heerd i'm
groan. slipped behind the truck,
and out again into the cutting wi'out
bein' seed, and bunked off back to the
town. l wor scared! Next mornin'
heerd as how Jem 'ad met wi acci.
dent, and that he had stumbled DER q
stone, supposed to have tumbled from
truck aforc his, and the truck 'ad
broke his back. ! wor a bit sorry at
fust, and then begins to be afraid
they might trace it to me. But I said
nowt to nobody, and the inquest said
as how 'twero accident, and I didna
trouble myself. Then Liz and I wor
spliced, and though We havena pulled
together both the same way, yet
would a done anythin' for her! Thee
know'st it, dostna, Liz?"
The woman looked up. Her face
was pale in the extreme; her black
eyes blazed, and her fingers twitched.
She rose and approached the bedside.
Murderer !"she Missed betWeen her