The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1905-10-25

80 a5hS oNtlhNu " NdNNl WITCH Sllt
got inside the door. l took a step TO
ward her N put out my arms. She
looked at me, then she come to me, an
j held her.
"She didn't make a sound for a long
time. AS for me, | couldn't speak.
was jest as sure then's was afterward
that l never should hold her in my
arms ag'in. The first thing / said
finally, was:
"I was with Tom Merle in his new
house last night
"She gave little cry n clung closer.
"'Did he tell your she arst.
"'He didn't tell me anything much;
only he's rich now
"'Why didn't he tell? Why didn't
he tellY she cried out.
81 wouldn't help her. felt cruel. I
wanted to kill her. After long time
she lifted her head from my breast m
stepped away from me.
81 jest stood with my arms hangin'
down m looked at her. It's terrible to
love anybody's loved her then.
"'I'm goin' to marry Tom Merle she
said.
because you want to be rich?'
"'Yes.'
"My throat was so dry had to be
silent. 1 wasn't going to plead with
her. l couldn't do it.
"As soon as my voice came I said 4
guessed I better be goin'.' l turned.
stumbled onto my hat that I'd
dropped on the floor. l stopped to
pick it up. Somehow l was blind n
couldn't seem to see the door. When l
did get my hand on the latch she said:
"'Alf.'
"She was standing right there, with
her eyes on me.
"'Shall you marry Merle? I arst.
"She twisted her hands together. She
opened her lips; but didn't hear what
she said.
"'Shall you marry Merle? 1 said
loud.
"She nodded her head.
II opened the door m got into the
street some way.
"All the way home l had a powerful
wish to kill Merle m Ruth, n then
myself. I'd strange them, n then put
a bullet into my head. 1 went over
IN over it. l was so took up with my
thoughts I didn't git out at the right
deepo, but was carried past, m had to
walk ten miles home. When did git
home went right to bed n slept like
q log all night.
"Next day couldn't work hard
'nough. / was thankful to God that
stopped thinkin' of stranglin' them
two.
"But at the end of a month when
Merle N Ruth was married m went to
live in their new house, another idea
come into my mind, m couldn't git it
out.
"You see it's for this idea I begun
to tell you this, m l didn't mean to
make love story out of it, but it kind
Of seems as if l had; m / hate love
stories.
II used to drive by the Stearns house,
as we called it, twice every day.
Sometimes I seen Ruth in the yard
with Tom, but she never looked round,
though Tom used to swing his cap n
call out:
"'Hullo, All?
"You see he didn't know I had any
serious feelin, bout Ruth. don't think
nobody did, but Ruths mother. /
never reckoned even her father knew.
ut was tough when I'd see um
there's / went by.
Zone time when Tom come out to
send package by express, when he
handed up the bundle, something come
tnto my mind so strong I'd like to have
toppled off my seat.
longs l could.
81 would burn down that great
Etearns house. l wouldn't see it no
longer. didn't care who burned in it.
] would do it.
"You can't think what queer kind
of joy that thought gave me. P'raps
you'll say twas helish joy; p'raps
twas Anyway l didn't think of any
thing else all the way over m back
with the stage. Il was jests is had
found prize, or - nething like that.
i never thought about It's being wicked
or a crime or anything of that kind.
j was swallered up in the idea. L
didn't know l was bad kind of man.
Everybody'd have said there want
likelier feller in the whole town. /
never once thought of resisting the
temptation; it didn't seem a thing to
resist.
II didn't want to see anyone.
wanted to be by myself m to think it
over.
ut was Joy to plan over m over
how I'd do it. I thought of a good
many ways; but was goln' to take
time m not decide on any one way
right off. / set the night jest ten days
ahead. I'd do it on the midnight be-