Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1901-06-29
CHAPTER NyIIL
A MATTER OF INTEREsT.


Postum Ridge. The people, forget ting
their everyday duties, 49fieefed in little
groups and all day long talked In low.
hushed tones of the terrible thing that
had happened. A thousand questions
Tere asked, many of them or a most
frivolous nature, but propounded in all
seriousness; "a thoHsandi stirmiseS were
made, and those who happened to pos
sess Hffseess.freHtSof iufornatiea4Felati
to the one subject of absorbing interest
Repeated pi6t inI0rmation, OVER and
over again for the delectation Of their
less fortuna te fellow 4nbftals. 49, s
IN a little quiet place like Beelsett's
MnlA where 2bsd few 'chingS' out of the
common ever transpire. a MURDER is an
event; Of supreme Importance 1t lis
sufficient TO claim the entire aud undi-
Yided attention of the peQple for a day
and to remain. the chief topic of con-
versation for a-week or even month
1t, is an event which marks an epoch
aud from which time is reckoned
Lying in state i'm a little wareroom
just off Hicks store was all that re-
manned of james Melvin. Jim Thorn
IN passing through Sim Banks wood
had found the body lying across a little
footpath. in almost the1same spot where
Melvin and Louisa had met Thorn. in
a mild state, of excitement. had, 3D.
peared at Hicks store to report his
lind. Hicks and Others had repaired to
the scene and had removed the body
to town.
Soon the news spread. and in an in
credibIy short time everybody at Beck
etts Mill knew OF the tragedy. Then
the people came to see and to ask ques-
tons. OF course every one. man. wo-
man and child. had to pass through the
little wareroom and look on the life
less form Then. having looked. they
gathered in little knots to talk ii all
over O.. t,.rt
Jim Thorn. having been the, fortu-
-nateone to make the find, occupied the
pedestal OF chief importance, in, the. VIII
lage that day. Wherever he went,
whichever way he turned. there was
,.aap eager group about him, listening
anxiopsly Tor every word that fellfrom
his lips. Time and again, and always
to Interested listeners, he repeated Che
story of the find down to the minhtest
details. Aid the story film Thornotold
was this: ltDiOG lJtu oanoo
.When i got up this morniu9 IL saws
ntc mySwoman, says L. fLuGindy, IIsguess
''Fu;test step over .tO,1ue Beckettlsi pas
ture an look HI that caif OF uIue' So Joe
. aRome's lbeenu ON a dtradel for right
smart IMhile, an he's; been, aaYsntip, me
ito Hake a calf he's got, oyer. thar.
WAL put on my hat an went over TO
IQeso but, Ices woman told me Joe
-W3p,t al, home, but that. he'd gone Off
TO look for q, pig that'd strayed away.
SGT Jest went an looked at Hfhe 2alf.
made UP my mind Joe wanted too
much forSit, ntlfen staIHeeti back acrost
thewoods iorshomeo dgaal, assi HYf Tx ed
rtghtismart pieceran. sVHz a 4gOinJalong
with innya hesdI sorter odowBb la thinkin
r5bout somethin, YAep all atJopse Lrblpd-
er glanced up, an right thar before, me,
net six feet away. laid thai dead man
ibs2graai but ] IbetEpu 1umBed4 On boil
lered" some one exclaimed. $50
s3 TsO co5i sayS tbs spsssaEkSs 9rts lSGHt Of
''' n bd9tfSsve+sS' he Replied. cai i never
moved inch, nor / never gre a
s6tea k?S VTIpI o. ntInIa or
''aaNvaaEt obet YOU was ekeesed any
how" Iol29dsnt stjfG sfnE
rHb,;sis, Iswa'ptaskeerehono nary a
cgtntn nnonelthanI am thisI minute"
DIG Du1oeciD him?" lsonTnbodS eask.
eds Il oD3Dhoenoo OF
OK "Se;ck didn't te0h him. 4SuA 1t want
Seause2kmaso afaarsl, III. E9ewed- Aeb.
by it mought be ag'in tAe. LBYg ap /
want tiiggeFdR on ,si5tigRb into no trouble
TRSsSFse' Y SiP snoFaf' paass, afte2 xAiel
some enc Said HimmpfessiS9lyp p aaA5
- lord, jest 70 think 6f7a fenef waikiki
up On to a desfRd 1n3no like 1thats on J
land, aw6hidnfto go d6neat feseHsihir
OF o@afIhso:1 bet pa 'g-bsAn sfseered
ah-P69R jdtapea aAsholiePeSA toofan
ipeeiaaf Pdanosf' brDkesmy aeck a igutir
> ayR4o fr1n0tha rbubondG" r,7 M
~ tdIaad0of gracious. . smother exclaim
eds "ie shat hadoa'i been me, in place o
Jim Thorn, I'd "a been skeerea plumb
: out of 9yrslSin. az I'd Jest "a tore tn
earth up an knoekedI the bark Omen al
&s I3geess g9unf thar a-gEt9t55hbI r5S9SStt o
IL the truth had been ktfH&bwn.i the 6nl
= reason jim Thorn o didh1t knock tn
Dirk on the AttifIea6Ss getting ouassp 4hos
woods way Secaaise ntAe sBRAe was to
tight TO be- kHocaSeJp She sBht aRatsw a
something no one save Thor1i9enew
and he4laaEso taez aJrpmehtionIng it. :.
sThen Jim EanrtI had togo oapto Sir
'sBankS w0Odatapcl show where, til
body had been found and explain 1
5s7ae3sp jsft.bsR it had lain. .4e ha
~ to show 6he, e!Hans positl9g, 81 the peac
the fee3SaRd tRe h9a R5S and df1SSSSSgbe +
,w iS fhs PRECISE .d Attitude OF ms shS ~h9l
1Id .e9atfYRfsr thafbe i8ad to IAFdjw aaaaIh o,
he had mafe thSb 6IgGGo1fT e sr9gsi arfsF no,
behad aeted IaSd wAge SIC IA daiBne n
q l4teSv9pS 18TH fi2SsSsoa lt?o 4nnhis abiald b
VI g6ihg SslRAfsh - FeheAfsaI9j phissnoy
ments. ssbE9issv no Nss
He Observation-Disclosures the pat
where NeTvfn mad fallen to represei
tlfe4etSi1fe Then Me- NNsaS,a little wa
on an&DkurRf6g, iva Inaa nIantie-l slowI
II 3(n8~sfAJ1itS JRzk0n l.. n, :