Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1899-08-16
! They were married = few weeks age,
and live in the little cottage up there
on the hill"

sounded on the board walk outside and
the handsome young dentist passed
along, whistling merrily as though he
had not care in the world.
Course him, I would give all I an
worth to see him dead at my feet fol
robbing my life of it's JOY" said Tom
with clenched fists and blazing eyes.
| Voices sounded at the side door, and
we turned to see two sturdy farmers
holding a frisky colt and cycling Ton
suspiciously. They left the animal tt
be shod, and with a handclasp OF sym
pathy, 1 left him to his work.
This was upon Saturday. Upon Mon
day morning the village wae startled
by the terrible news of the dentist,
murder. He had been found less thar
a dozen rods from his home with hi:
skull crushed by blow from some
heavy instrument.
| The news spread like prairie fire
Bonnetless women came to the pos
Office, and their chatter was like that G.
an army of blackbirds in buddins
spring. Coatless men surged about tn
town pump who had not seen each 9th
er for months. From all country sidr!
they came, and the tavern bar engaged
the two village loafers and men still
clamored to be served.
Walking from group to group, en-
countered the marshal in company
with the two farmers who had visited
Toms shop on Saturday. They were
going toward the shop. They stopped
at the shop. My boyhood friend was
handcuffed and lodged in the calaboose
near by. Hardly had the door beer
closed when farm hand brought in :
bloody blacksmith's hammer. He hac
! picked it up in ditch near the scene
of the murder. Upon it's grimy handle
were the initials T. X.
Those who had known Tom Kelly
from a boy never lost faith in him; but
| there was the story of the farmers who
| had heard his fated words, and there
the mute evidence Of the bloody ham
mer, and he was held for several days
However, he proved complete alb
and was released.
Meanwhile the bereaved wife had
gone raving mad and up and down he1
little home she paced, calling day and
night her dead husbands name. Pite.
ously she prayed Heaven to restore
him to her arms. Frantically she
vowed vengeance upon his murderer
Again and again she shrieked: "Yom
Kelly, your blood shall atone for this. -
For she could not release him from the
dreadful accusation, though the law
was compelled by the evidence to do So
In maddened accents she plead with
God to strengthen her arm and nerve
her heart to kill the one who had bereft
her life.
One day when she was thought to be
sleeping, exhausted from her ravings
she was left alone for few moments
by her watchers. Guided by the Gun
ming of crazed mind, she arose quick.
ly, donned her bicycle costume, and
securing silver-mounted revolver
from the bureau drawer, slipped it in.
side her jacket, mounted her wheel and
rode toward the village.
had that morning ridden from my
fathers farm into the village, stop.
ping for my usual chat with Tom and
was barely started on my homeward
journey when I encountered her rid.
ing toward the s1nithy. Her once fair
features were convulsed with hate and
madness and she was mumbling inco-
herently.
AS we passed she glanced up, and
the next instant a shrek of rage and
a pistol note smote the air simultane-
ously. Her aim was wild, but realizing
in flash that she mistook me for Tom
Kelly, bent over the handle-bars and
rode with all my might.
I was a beginner on the wheel and
rode awkwardly and none too straight
or swift.
It was but the work of an instant
for the grief-crazed creature to turn
her wheel about, remount and take up
the chase. CHANGING back, could see
the distance rapidly lessening, for I
could scarcely keep my balance, while
my strange pursuer was mistress OF
her steed and possessed of the strength
of madness.
Again she fired and the bullet whizzed
past my head. Bending every muscle
l strove to control my machine, calm
my excited nerves and escape from pur-
suing death. Her third. bullet few be.
tween my arm and side and glanced
downward from the handle-bar. She
was gaining at every turn of the ped.
ais. What should I do? I dared not
stop Or attempt to convince her of her
mistake. I could not hold out much
longer. could hear the whirr of her
chain close behind me. I trembled at
the thought of a backward glance. Her
fourth bullet sung SO close to my cheek
that it's ashen pallor could not have
been distinguished from the gray dust
upon my clothes. I was losing hope
The only salvation I could hope for
was that she would empty the cham.
bers before her aim became true enough
to hit me.
Suddenly, glancing ahead, saw 8
long freight train slowly putting to-
ward the road nearly quarter of a
mile distant. In an instant my plan
was formed. Bending ever energy and
leaning low over the haadle-bars,
sped on like the wind, AMI terror lent
wings. I was surprised az my fearful
speed for the earth beneath was blur
and in agony lest a puactured tire
should plunge me headlolg to the