St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1903-12-05

Ranelagh lifted the dead woman as
II she were a sick child. threw his
cloak over her and, carrying her out
to his wagon. placed her in sitting
posture on the back seat. Then.
springing into the vehicle, he drove
away.
He had a good mile to go, and half
the distance had been covered when
suddenly black figure sprang into the
middle Of the road, laid hold oil the
horses head and brought him to a
standstill.
1t was Schuyler Brant.
Hello, Dr. Harry! You're id unso-
ciable this evening. Ha, ha, ha, ha.
ha! Why didn't you stop and ask a
fellow to rider" And ere Ranelagh
could gulp his heart down. the man
had leaped into the wagon beside
him.
I'm at 1t again. DR.. Harry" the
man ratified on. But, say, has Mary
been to see your" he asked, lowering
his voice and throwing a strange ten
derness into 1t.
Ranelagh was now fighting for his
own life, and the struggle put unearth-
~ ken into his mind.
"Sh! for Gods sake be quiet. Brant!"
he whispered INTO the drunkard's ear.
"She's there behind us on the back
seat. asleep, WORKOUT. It's been too
much for herr" -
''Oh, what wretch am, DR.. Har-
ry!" moaned the man, leaning forward
and hiding his face in his hands.
At that instant the dead wife lurched
forward and sank in heap between
the seats, her chin catching on the
back of the front one.
Ranelagh felt her. and so did the
drunken husband, for her head fell
forward until her forehead pressed
against his back.
The doctor gasped and shivered as
II someone lad dashed knife into his
back. down, down to his very heart.
Was all lost? No, not yet! There
was one more card to play.
Dent stir, Brant!" he gulped. "She
is kneeling; she is praying! She's
praying for you. man! Don't stir! Let
her have her sleep Quit" And DR..
Ranelagh seemed to speak the truth.
for the shaking of the lifeless> form
was terribly like the heaving Of a
sobbing heart.
But Brant did stir. He half turned
and. patting that beautiful deaths
head. broke out weeping:
"Take heart, dear wife, take heart!
BY Heaven! I will be better man!
swear it. Mary. will swear it on the
little Bible mother gave mel" And
then, as IL some other thought had sud-
denly flashed upon him. he whispered:
Pull up, DR.. Harry. pull up! Let me
out! I'll run home cross lots and wash
up and put on other clothes Speak q
good word for me. DR.. Harry! Com
fort her! Drive slowly; get her Gained
down. I'll meet you at the door," And
shaking of the influence of the liquor
Brant sprang lightly out OF the wagon
and disappeared in the deep shadows
Of the increasing storm.
Like poor wretch condemned to the
peine forte ct dure. from whose
crushed breast a merciful hand might
suddenly lift the mass of iron, Rane-
lagh heaved deep and long-drawn
sigh, which sounded like a brother to
the blast which played around him.
Then. having driven somewhat nearer
to Brant's house, he alighted, took the
dead body of the mans wife. bore 1t
into a tEicket near the roadside, laid
1t upon the ground, regained his wagon
and drove swiftly homeward. after he
had turned around in front of the
drunkard's house.
Upon the preliminary hearing, the
village doctor told how the woman
had come to him complaining of her
husbands prolonged debauch; how he
had striven to comfort her and, the
rain coming on, had started to drive
her home; how they had met Brant;
how Mary had kneeled and sobbed in
the wagon, and how Brant had leaped
OUT and fastened across the field
Ranelagh could not remember that
Brant had said anything about wash
ing up and changing his clothes. The
servant was in the bedroom, undress-
ing. when she heard the doctors wagon
halt IN front Of the house.
When questioned as to whether she
heard Mary's voice downstairs, her re-
ply was that she had not, but that she
could hear Brant talking plainly:
that he rushed wildly from one room
to another, and that twice she had
heard him exclaim, by Heaven! AM
free at last!" And she was positive
that she heard the rattle OF the tin
basin when he took it from the nail
where she had recollected having hung
it.
On the eve of his trial Schuyler
Brant, driven to madness by the awful.
though unreal, fabric of his own guilt
thus reared by the hand of fate, stran-
gled himself to death with one of hiA
braces.
Ten years later, after Dr. Henry's
death, Retty Rcnelagh came upon he:
brothers confession.
It was mid-winter. fire was blazing
upon the wide hearth in that old New
England home, and she had but eng
step more to take when she fell IN 3
swoon, and the neighbors were hastile
called in and the world learned Of Dr..
Ranclagh's crime.
MENACE OF THE FOREST.
Continent VIII Dry Up II Present De-