The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1900-06-22

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lent spirit.
"Some men," shuddered our hero.
"could justify themselves in such
case as this, but shall never be able
to forget. My ideal mantle Master
of the World--would have found way
to avoid what did. If only had of.
fered no resistance. sgd Hart would
have been alive. and land Evelyn"
There his agony overwhelmed him
and he threw himself on his bed again
and pressed his hands over his eyes.
The strains of an organ swelled up
from the nearer church and stole into
his room; voices began to sing. The
singers broke down and merry laugh
tcr-the laughter Of free, hopeful peo-
ple-rolled after the fleeing strains OF
music.
Suddenly there was sound Of KEY
being pushed into the lock and the big
door swung open. The voice of the
jaler cried:
wake up thar, Mr.. Fanshaw. I've
fetched yore brother up to see you!"
Dave came in with a candle which
the iailer had given him, and he stood
with it in his hand, awkwardly shift
ing his big feet in their new shoes. till
the jailer had locked the door and
had gone.
Il come on. Ron" he said. las soon
rs | could after | got home, and Miss
hasbrooke had drove up the second
time to tell me what you'd said. She
lowed she had took you to the sher-
| iHs house. She was a-cryia' as If 'er
heart I'd hreak-she could hardly talk.
She begged me 10 come on an offered
me money to buy anything that might
be needed"
81 hope you didn't take It, Dave"
burst from the prisoners lips.
mo, | didn't take it; somehow
didn't think you would want help from
4 woman-you are not that sort"
what do people think about it,
Dave?" Ronald took the candle from
the poor fellows quivcring hand and
placed it on little shelf on the wall
"Sympathy's always with the dead,
ut first" answered Dave. 81 never
have heerd as many good things said
about George Washington as l have
about sgd Hart in the last three
hours"
Ronald sighed dcspondently.
81 presume that they blame me?"
"Somc few lowed that you ort not
r-buckod agin i'm that night at the
swamp"
But the boy was innocent" said
our hero.
THAT'S fact, Ron; but mountain
folks don't reason that way; they only
remember how mad you made i'm
when you turned his cake to dough.
They don't admit that you was right
kaSe they don't want to know how
nigh they come to murder that night
The Niger that did the deed has long
ago met his God. but some of 'em
try TO believe he was innocent. Let
a body have even a spindlin' excuse,
and he'll clear his own skirts. Do you
reckon they will let you out on bail?"
"Mr. Ratclf is going TO help me
try for it," replied the prisoner. 1--WE
shall not know what can be done till
after the trial Monday"
Dave moved towards the door as If
he were ready to 60 but he fingered
81 reckon" he said, as his eyes
roved about the bare room, that you
feel n little lonesome heer," Receiv-
ing n nod from his brother, he went
on: "You needn't look to pa for help,
Bill Tygh limited to i'm this evenin'
that folks would naturally expect him
to sign yore bond, an it made i'm as
mad as a wet hen. lie swore like rips
fur fully five minutes on a stretch, an
said somer about yore bein' no son
o. hisn. Ma run out to him an
slapped 'er hand smack dab over his
mouth, an toll i'm to shet up ur she'd
make i'm regret it TO his dyin' day.
They both went off in the smollehouse,
jowerin' like cats a-fghtn'. | slid up
agin the wall o. the smokehouse to see
eff l could make out what was wrong.
Thar they had it up an down fur half
an hour but | couldn't catch head MIR
tail of it, But it seemed like pa had
committed some crime or other durin'
the war, up in Tennessee, an she was
tbreatenin' to give him away. They
kept bringing yore name into the
fuss, but couldn't tell why they did
il. You was too little durin' the war
TO "a done anything wrong"
Ronald made no comment on these
remarks; indeed he had caught only
about half of what his brother was
saying, so far away were his thoughts
from any row between his mother and
father
Noting his inattention, Dave shook
the iron door, the signal agreed on
| no hin, and fha ioilar 70 ip1ioot 20
ride before me-" he explained, I'M
be in Monday sure"
And when the jailer and Dave had
departed with the candle, Ronald lay
down on his bed tc spend his first
night after killing a man.
CHAPTER VII