Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1901-06-25
Of osns6qusncA came up for examina.
lion. pr. Brick had got the floor and
was pleading for post-mertem Hs

ton. Or. Brick had got the floor and
was pleading for post-mortem .s
once. In this climate and under such
conditions decomposition would be
SO rapid. said he. that "by tomorrow
his own mother couldn't recognize
him." But the proyost-marshal
drawled that he didn't see that fur
kher mutilation would promote tho
possibility of recognition, and Brick
was set aside.
1t was quarter to four when
young Mellen was hidden to tell
whether he knew. and what he knew
of the deceased. and ell men hushed
their very breath as the lad was
conducted to the blanket-shrouded
form under the overhanging gallery
in the open patio. The hospital
steward slowly turned down the
coverlet, and Mellen, well-nigh as
palhd as the corpse, was hidden to
look. Look he did, long and earnest
ly. The little weights that some one
had placed on the eyelids were lifted;
the soft hair had been neatly
brushed; the lips were gently closed;
the delicate, clear-cut features wore
an expression Of infinite peace and
rest; and Mellen slowly turned and.
facing the official group at the neigh
boring table. nodded.
"You think you recognize the de-
ceasedT came the question. IF 30,
what was his name?"
II think so. yes, sir. It's Foster
ct least, that's what heard it was."
Had you ever known him?-to
speak TOT"
"He was in the same detachment
on the train. Don't know as I ever
spoke to him. sir" was the answer.
"But you think you know him by
sight3 Where did you first notice
him7"
Think it was Ogden, sir. I didn't
pay much attention before that. A
man called Murray knew him and got
some money from him. That's how
came to notice him. The rest of us
hadn't any to speak Of"
Sever see him again to speak to
or to notice particularly after you
left Ogden7 Did he sit near your"
was the somewhat caustic query.
mo, sir, only just that once"
but you are sure this is the man
you saw at Ogden?"
Mellen turned uneasily, unhappily,
and looked again into the still and
placid face. That meeting was on 8
glaring day in June. This was a
clouded afternoon in late October and
nearly five months had slipped away.
Yet he had heard the solemn story
OF the murder and had never, up to
now, imagined there could be o
doubt. In mute patience the sleep
ing face seemed appealing to him to
speak for it, to own it, to stand be-
tween it and the possibility of it's be-
Ing buried friendless, unrecognized.
"It's--it's him or his twin brother,
SIR said Mellen.
"One question more. Had YOU.
heard before you came here who was
klled?"
Eyes, sir. They said it was Foster"
And now, with pencils swiftly ply
ing, several young civilians were edg-
ing to the door.
James Farnham was called, and a
sturdy young man, with keen, wealth
er-beaten face, stepped into the little
open space before the table. Three
fingers were gone from the hand he.
instinctively held up, as though ex-
pecting to be sworn. His testimony
was decidedly a. disappointment.
Farnham said that he was brakeman
of that train and would know some
of that squad of recruits anywhere,
but this one-well, he remembered
talking to one man at Ogden, q tall.
fine-looking young Teller something
very like this one. This might have
been he or it might not He couldn't
even be sure that this was one of
the party. He really didn't know.
But there was chap called Murray
that he'd remember easy enough
anywhere.
1t was utterly unnecessary, said
certain bystanders, to question any
more members of the guard, but the
provost-marshal did, and not until
1880 did he deign to send for the
most important witness of all, the
brother of the young girl to whom
the deceased had been so devotedlv
attached. They had not long to wait,
for Sandy Ray happened to be almost
at the door.
The throng seemed to take another
long breath, and then to hold it as,
the few preliminaries answered, Mr..
Ray was hidden to look at the face
of the deceased. Pale, composed, yet
with infinite sadness of mien, the
young officer, campaign hat in hand,
stepped over to the trestle, and the
steward again slowly withdrew the
light covering, again exposing that
placid face.
The afternoon sunshine was wan
ing The bright glare of the mid
day hours had given place within the
Enclosure to the softer, almost shad-
owy light of early eve. Ray had but
just come in from the street without
where the slanting stfnbeams burst
ing through the clouds beat hot upon
the dazzling walls, and his eyes had
not yet become accustomed to the
change. Reverently, pityingly, he
bent and looked upon the features of
the dead. An expression, first of in
credulity, then of surprise, shot over
his face.
He closed his eyes as though to
give them strength for sterner test,
and then, bending lower, once more
looked; carefully studied the fore