The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1904-11-24
pursuit of a ashland a rod-and a din.
The Judges Dilemma.

pursuit of a ashland a rod-and a din
| ner.
The Judges Dilemma.
Then the glimmer of a white dress
among the trees caught my eye.
Duck, judge. duck!" l Kissed. He
took the hint and slipped behind fallen
tree trunk that jutted far out into the
stream. just in time to escape the view
OF party Of girls-guests at the hotel
who were returning to lunch after a
morning ramble in the woods. AS the
party drew near recognized one Of the
young ladies as the daughter of a New
York friend Of mine. greeted her, and
purposely held her in talk for ten NOR
tai minutes. enjoying hugely the dis
| comfiture Of the immersed and invisible
judge. How much longer I would have
kept up the joke cannot say, but at last
an object, floating downstream, caught
my attention. stared at it with gasp
and as gazed it sank gently beneath the
surface of the water
1t was the judges trousers. Tossed
down in hurry too close to the edge of
the bank, mischievous eddy had caught
them and whirled them to a watery
grave.
MY dear young lady" said, 81 see
you are carrying big sea rug, doubt
less to sit on in the woods Would you
mind lending it to me? am-rather
thinly clad for this cool air. l will have
it sent back to you Tomorrow"
But We'll see you at lunch?" she re-
Joined. you said you were coming on
to the hotel"
Hardly to-day" answered. 81 am
not quite dressed for it,"
Lynched.
The sun was setting as two tired.
bedraggled, half-starved men Zone with
plaid sea rug draped gracefully around
him as a skirt) neared the Haskins cab
in.
Judge" said, pointing to distant
gap in the woods, do you see that man
Sinking along there with gun? That
is the fifth mountaineer armed that way
we've seen in an hour. There must be
hunting epidemic in this region to-
day"
The judge made no reply, but quick
ened his steps as much as the clinging
sea rug would permit.
AS We reached the cabin the door
hung idly open. From within came the
low sound Of heart-rending weeping.
AS our eyes grew used to the interior
gloom We saw from the doorway a still
form stretched out on the table Beside
it knelt woman.
Mrs. Haskins!" gasped the Judge,
what has happened"
The weeping ceased. and the woman
slowly rose and faced us.
my husband is dead" she said, sim
ply. HE died an hour ago. OF pneu-
monia."
pneumonia" echoed the Judge.
why, my dear woman, it takes weeks
for pneumonia to kill And only this
morning your husband was perfectly
we'll"
HE died of pneumonia, I tell you"
repeated the woman in the same lifeless
voice. my brother is doctor. He has
just been here, and he gave death GER
tiflcate for pneumonia"
Wife's Heroic Stand.
But, madam"
'Listen!" she cried, suddenly trans
figured. DO you think I'm going to let
my children grow up believing their
father was tracked down and lynched
by his own neighbors-my own brother
among them-for the murder of that
miser back on the mountains? I tell
you it's lie! He was good man. He
died Of pneumonia after lingering ILL
ness. And I've got the doctors Ger
tificase to prove it."
HE died Of pneumonia" solemnly
agreed the Judge. uncovering his head
as though in the presence of royalty.
(CopyriRht 1908 BY Josenh p Row,as>