The Winslow mail., 1898-09-24
THE CASE OF BROWN
A Strange Story,
WHEN a learned judge acknowf-
Wv edges himself mystified and un-

WHEN a learned judge acknowf-
wv edges himself mystified and un-
| certain as to the moral culpability of
an offender against the law it is best
| to present the facts in the case and
| then submit it to the judgment of the
| world.
There is a struggling little village on
| one of the many mountains that dot
| the interior of Pennsylvania. The pic
| tureseue road that forms its main
street is part of the arched highway
| that reaches its-highest point in the
| center of the town and curves away
with graceful, even slope to the val
| lev on either side. Life in the village
was a monotonous routine and the
coming of an occasional artist or holi-
day seeker for q day or two was an
event to be discussed until it was re-
peated. When handsome young
man with several trunks arrived at the
old-fashioned tavern one day and an
nounced that he would make it his
home for several months at least,
there was sensation eclipsing that
created when a supposed Molly Nc
Guire had stopped an eveEing, years
before, to get his supper and inquire
his way to the nearest railroad sta
tion.
The new arrival, welldressed, re-
fined in his manners, but hearty and
democratic in his greetings, gave the
familiar name of Brown. In France
4ba Iap1lord would boca produced n
register and been backed by the law
in learning all important particulars
of Browns career. But there was no
need of such inquisition in this primi
tive village. Propriety did not exact
restraint of curiosity, and before
the young guest went to his room the
first night it was known that he was
a bank clerk in New York, that he had
come for rest and health, that he.
would fish and hunt and explore the
surrounding country, that he had
supply of books with him and that he
would be glad to call upon his new ac-
quaintances at their homes if it would
not be regarded as an abuse of hospi-
tality. He quickly ingratiated himself
with the men, and the women told each
other what q fne-looking, fine-spoken
man he was.
Before going to his room that night
Brown ordered some ale and sat down
with the landlord to enjoy it, the wife
of the latter being content with seat
under a protecting vine outside the
window. After praising the tipple,
| the tavern and the peaceful quiet of
the place, Brown expressed curiosity
| to know more of a certain Miss Pine
| ton, of whom some one had talked to
him on the train after learning that he
was going to summer with this par
! ticular landlord.
| Strange woman said the host.
"She lives just beyond the edge of the
village in the tumble-down house with
a high fence about it. She is 70 now,
and I'll venture she has had more than
one offer of marriage for every year
of her life. She is very rich, you know.
She had big fortune left her and she
| has doubled it three or four times by
good investments through the judge.
| But now she keeps it all in her own
house, mistrusting every one and lily
ing on less than the poorest person
in the village. She admits no one but
| the rector and goes nowhere but to
church.
Doesn't she know the danger from
! robbers ?''
Everyone is honest here, Nothing
! is ever stolen, and, besides, she has.
willed every cert to the church and
she says that heaven will protect its
own,
Sublime faith mused Brown, and
then he went to inquiring about
the streams and woods in the vicinity.
One of Browns first moves was to
ingratiate himself with the rector by
visiting him and regularly attending
upon the services, This also proved
the way TO Miss Pinctons esteem, and
soon he was 4 regular caller at her
house. working with her upon the
plans for rectory and parsonage that
were to be built with her money after
! she could no longer have the pleasure
of boarding it. Brown was also ia
vorite with the judge, as he was with
all the rest Of the people of the village,
for he gave fish and game to the
, housewives, gave pennies to the ba-
bies and taught thc little boys to swim.
One evening the community was
Mortified on discovering that the
miserly old woman had been stran
gled. The judge alone knew what
must be done and sent hurriedly for
the sheriff and the coroner. Investi
cation developed that there had not
only been murder, but robbery. The