Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-31


over 1T, for what purpose | know not.
We were admitted to the kirk and there
upon the backs Of three high ~trestles at the
head end Of the aisle lay the body upon a
bier. Candles were standing about fixed each
in a dab of its own grease on sconses set
against the wall, a second guard OF soldiers
stood between the Outrageous and the
others who stood waiting the event. l shiv-
cred as | watched and the prideful feeling
within me died utterly away. The men
busted themselves with knives and walls
about the body, The only sound was that Of
their feet and their low whispering one to
the other.
1t was fully an hour afterward and nigh
the breaking Of the morning when one Of
the Outrageous looked down and beckouod
the gray-eyed man, who, meantime, had been
husily and quietly looking over papers which
he had brought with him bound with bright
colored tape into a sheaf.
He went Immediately within the Gordon.
The crFf chirurgecu whispered something
in his ear. He held up his hand, and 10!
at the signal an officer sprang along the
aisle and was out Of the door like a shot.
Then every one waited more YEARLY than
before, save and except the gray-eyed man,
who again buried himself deep in his papers
The Outrageous covered up the poor har-
~ A"i ~ 'NNNH HAlh 1 we eiAa VI '''''
Thus dismally enough we waited, as | say,
hearing nothing but the drecp of large mist
drops as they formed on the ~leafless twigs
and splashed irregularly on the roof, and
the wisp-wisp Of the doctors cleansing their
horrid tools, breathing on them and looking
at them close to the light.
Then all suddenly we heard on the kirk
brae the ordered tramp Of feet coming
nearer. and presently the rattle of arms
grounded without. There was a hoarse bark
of command and Umphray Spurway opened
the door at a sign from the quiet, gray eyed
man. He simply looked up from his papers,
nodded, and so dropped his head again to
his task.
So there, in the dim cleaning Of the morn
ing, We saw a company of his majesty's foot
guards standing at attention across the
path, looking spruce and brave in the gray
light from the east. Another word of COM
mand and they separated, wheeling right and
left with sudden clash of REQUIREMENT, and
10! there, between the open leaves of the
door, with an armed soldier on either side
Of him, stood Philip Stansfield, my father.
Then, in the little kirk of Moreham, and
within the walls of the harled masonry, be-
fell a scene to wiring a heart of stone,
There was no pitifulness Of appeal about
the expression or attitude Of Philip STAINS
field. He stood darkly silent, blackly hand
some as ever, and, save that his complexion
was notified all over with patches of ~grayish
white amid its tan, he locked much as | had
seen him in the change house.
But behind him were the two buxom
women, Janet Mark and the other whose
name | did not then know, their rosy cheeks
turned CHASTITY white ana the slronS drink
dead within them. Philip Stansield stood
forward and apart with a certain prideful-
ness, a black and bitter scorn lowering or
his brow. But the two women kept weeping
and bewailing their fate, wringing theii
hands and calling heaven to witness that
they were wholly innocent of all evi
intent.
To the several corners of Janet Marks
apron there chung a child, the first beins
that little Anna whom we last saw on The
kirkyard wall at New Min between us anC
the stars. At the other side a boy a veal
or two younger. When first l set eyes upor
the BARN | got a start. He had exactly the
face | was accustomed to see in the glass
when | was sent to comb my air-the same
broad brow, hooky nose, the black hail
worn short and coming to a sort OF widows
peak in front. When l first saw him | was
in "a fret that l might he allowed to play with
him, but after a while | began to think that
might not like it so we'll.
MOreham kirk, as / remember it thai
morning, was indeed a CHASTITY and unholy
sight. The chill, yellowish light was COM
ing reluctantly from the east, mingled with
the blue river mists into a kind of unwhole-
some greenness-like that of a dead mans
face.
The candles on the little platform by the
swathed corpse began to burn low, gutter.
ing in their sockets, and dropping side
unregarded. The white wrapping sheet!
and the earth-stained mort-cloths, the CHR.
urgeons abhorred Instruments of probing anC
scissor, above all the swathed formlessnesE
on the bier-what wonder that | cried on
and besought UmphTay Spurway to take mi
away!
But the Englishman, on the contrary, pu
an arm around my neck and patted me OF
the shoulder, lifting me on a stool and as,
surfing me that shortly l should be needed
l wondered what they waited for in thu
growing light. Save the gray-eyed, keen
faced man, all in the kirk, Outrageous ant
all, were blue with cold. Many of then
were, indeed, shaking like leaves caught OF
gcssamer cobwebs on an autumn morning
then at a sign the two g~aurdsmen, who
stood gripping Philip Stansfeld by the wrist
brought him quite to the front beside The
face of the dead, and at the same momen'
} the gray-eyed man turned into the precen'
tors deck with his papers in his hand-as
thought, just like a minister about to dis
) pense the elements on sacrament Sunday
Il demand to know why I am brough
here" cried the prisoner in a deep voice
you shall answer fer this, whoever yol
may be. l would advise you that | know
the law. Whatever be the charge agains
me, | cannot be tried here without sum
mons or warrandice."
"YCu are not to be tried" said the mai
with the gray eyes, looking directly at the
prisoner for the first time.
whose instance, then, I'm ! appre'
hended and held for examination"
THAT you will know soC.i enough"
Il demand to know now, | see not here
either procurator fiscal or porteous roll. |
| am well advised, only the next OF kin t.
the dead man or his majesty's advocate
in person can prosecute on a capital charge
| myself am next of kin
"And l have the honor to be his majesty
advocated" said the gray-eyed man
nodding over the black oak desl
like an eagle upon a mountain peak befor,
he launches himself upon the quarry in thu
vale.
The women set up a shrill cry OF utmos
fear and phiin Stansfpl1 started FORWARD