West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1899-05-25
A MOUNTAIN Girl,
A Sad, True Story Of Love and
Tragedy, as Related by a
United States Deputy Mar.
Shal.
Written Specially for The Argus.
CHAPTER "

Written Specially for The Argus
CHAPTER W
| The Mnrshal advanced cautiously to
the cabin, aud placing his foot ON tho
stoop pushed the dp~r wide cpep, Tho
sight that met his eyes caused him to
utter an exclamation that brought tb,,
rest OF the men To him in IA body. There
on the eoor sa, man, his face cover
cd with blood, md In his arms was
held tightly the form ufa womoA
The mans eyes were hRlfclosed and
he was mumblinR words OF endear.
nent TO the form he held so closely
In his left temple was IA iagged bullrt
hole, and all around il the fair skin
was burned with powder. There was
blood everywhere, ON tho floor on the
| cold dead face and hands and i'm the
long black tresSos OF the woman; ON
the face and hands and clothing nnd
ia the fair hair of tho man; the man
was breathing hard. and those looking
on the scene knew thut H. would not be
long until he too would be cold nna
pale In death. Tender hands sebarnted
the living from the dead, The form OF
poor Div was carried to the opposite
side of the roohh and laid oh the noor.
her limbs were composed reyerentlv;
"a sheet taken from the chest and
spread over the cold, rigid form The
ha'f dead form OF Bill was raised gently
to the bed, and one of the men poured
some whistey between the clenched
teeth. Water was placed on his face
and the blood wiped away After
awhile the eyes opened slowly and in
them was an intelligent look. Hnlf-
raising himself from the bed. rim
swept the cabin with one swift look
Ills eyes rested on the shect-covered
form opposite aud he murmnred
"Po po' Liz Aw, honey, yo' Bnls
"A cSmin' To 20 soon, soon" And then
bis gaze wandered from the corpso to
the faces of the men standing about.
All had gone ont Of the room but the
Deputy Marshal and old man Friezs.
BIZ presently addressed the former
"Yo' air ther burned Dcp'ty what
done all This" he said slowlyl "as'
wan tell yo' now thet it weren't mo as
killed ther other Dep'ty. IL wero Tom
as done it wi ther han cuffs lie done
IT afore / knowed IL, an this am a fac
50 help me God /"
There as mo- disputing, no disbeliey
ing tins death-bed con fessiou, ard tho
Deputy turned away with tears stream.
| ing from his eyes. Bill then told LIZ
father all about how his daughter had
overheard the conversation i'm his
tFriehe'sl cabin and how she had come
to warn him, ending his story bv tell
ing the old man and the Marshal. who
had re-entered, of tic hiding place of
ms money. and asking as n last favor
that they would use IL TO buy clothes
ana shoes and purity coffin" for Liz.
his was tho last intelligible sentence
mat Bill uttered 90 anyone. Through
out the day he muttored words of en-
dearment TO an Imaginary Lin, and
frequently he would reiterate that he
| mad no han in III KILN of In,
! Dep'ty." When twilight was failin0
oyer The mountains his soul took is
night. Bad news travels fast. and
long before poor Bill died so peacefully
all the dwellers among the hills knew
! OF tbs tragedy that had occurred and
Bits cabin was Over-run with svnpn.
thizing-if almost ignorant friends
who had known him and Liz. The
undertaken had come from the village
and had brought Two caskets which
| were the talk Of the country for lo,g
after. Two days later a funeral corteye
wound it's way from Bald Knob 10 the
village, The little church and tbo
yard roundabout were literally packed
/ win people who resided i'm the VILLAGE
and adjacent country. and who had
heard OF the tragedy. The money in
BilPs box had been more than sufficient
TO Jury both him and lin in "a manner
heretofore unknown TO the sinpIe
monntaineers, who had come down i'm
Hooks to the fuoersL pbe two casxets
were carried into the church and
placed SIDE by side. Ibo aged mini,.
Ter who conducted the service used os
his text Greater love than this
hath NO man"
At the conclusion Of the sim,le Inn,
Impressive service, the oaskets were
opened aud hundreds Of eyes qazed in
synptthy upon the face OF liz. now
rendered doubiy bea otifnI 10 death. 10.
ON the sofi, white shrowd that cIun0
about her upon the long, dark hair.
which had been plated and tvioed
round her shoulder and lay in &c heovy
coil upon her breast. and upon the
heavy antique jewels that adorned
her neck, her ears and wrists. And
just as sadly these people gazed npon
tho fair, handsofao. strong features of
biil, che mountain giant. They were
buried side by side in the little grave
yard md as Che heavy ciods ~ earth
pounded down upon The rough. boxes a
beiated robin sat in a tree near bv and
pipcd his beantifrT song