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

voice shook little as he said:
"I never was so sorry to do thing
in my life, ALI. I don't understand It.
don't understand 1t. l hope some
thin'll come out. I can't believe it.
II told him l didn't know what he
was talkin' about.
"He shut his mouth tight and didn't
say anything more.
"You better believe l grew more N
more dazed.
II saw crowd round where the
Stearns house was.
Some of the men left m come along
with us, all of um lookin' curiously at
me.
What do you think it all meant?
They'd took me up for settin that
fire; m me asleep in my bed all night
Il felt exactly as If I'd done it. But
/ hadn't, you see; had 1? Fore God,
I can't to this day git t5 the rights of
that question.
They'd found my tin can bout a rod
from the fire. 1t had my name
scratched on to it SOS the grocer'd
know it when he took it to fill it.
"Worse'n that; l was seen with
bundle Of wood m that can goin' into
the back gate of the Stearns place bout
an hour fore the blaze come out. M
l was seen runnin' across the fields to-
ward home. 1t was moonlight by -
o'clock, m clears bell
Il was in my shirt-sleeves m trowsis,
N no hat, when l was seen last. My
hat was found near the house that was
burnt. 1t was my hat, no mistake.
Il remembered the half dry mud on
my boots that were kicked off in the
woodhouse.
What do you make of it? 1t was a
clear case enough. l hadn't no de-
fense. How could l have? l got
lawyer jest to please mother-she was
bout wild. But my lawyer couldn't
do much. He tried to git up an enten-
uatin' plea that l did it in my sleep;
but folks want goin' to swalleB no
such stuff as that. How could blame
'em? l didn't
1T was proved as plain as day that
I set fire to the Stearns house, an l
had to go to prison.
Il never seen my mother after was
sentenced. She had fever an died.
That took hold of me for a spell; but it
wore off some.
You see l never said a word to any,
one how I'd planned TO burn that house
till years after. Do YOU think did it?
You do? Well, 1 expect 1 did; but it
was unbeknownst to me.
"a minister told me the guilt was on
my soul when planned it. 1 dunno
bout that. But let it go. We can't
know the rights of it.
II must tell you what happened after
I'd ben in prison a year.
II was told to go into the visitors
room as some one wanted to see me.
I didn't guess who It was. There sat
woman with thick veil on. If her
veil had been twice as thick I should
have known the turn of her shoulders.
The sight made me faint. I leaned up
against the wall. I didn't try to speak.
She didn't speak either, for several
minutes. She got up from her chair
m stood holdin' onto the back of it.
"'Take of your veil,' l said; n she
did.
God! what makes a man love so2
There she was very white, m lookin' at |
me with them eyes that killed me.
"'I couldn't help comm, she said.
IT'S ben the one thing I've wanted to
do since you've ben here. 1 wanted to
tell you 1 knew you done it, m I
didn't blame you. Yes, you done it;
m I forgive you
"Her eyes KEEP on me SOS l couldn't |
be rough's I'd meant to be.
"'You forgive me?' I said. That's a |
queer thing for you to come to me to
say
Eyes she repeated, 4 should for |
give you anything you did. 'Tain't |
likely should expect you to forgive |
me. I can't ask it-I can't ask it.
"Her voice began to quiver. She |
stopped. She turned her face away.
81 stood up there like stake stuck |
in the ground. All 1 could do was to |
look at her. didn't reckon I should |
ever set eyes on her ag'in. And amt.
'What was the use of tellin' her that |
I didn't do that deed; leastways that l |
didn't know done it? 1 knew in my |
heart had planned and meant it.
"After while she said she must go, |
N would l say goodbye? She held out
her hand. 1 took it. l didn't speak. |
My throat was shut up. 1t was all I
could do to breathe.
"She went out Of the room. neard
something fall in the passage. l heard !
somebody say, She's tainted 1 was
taken back to my cell.
THAT was long while ago. I think
of it good deal, m Pm powerful sorry |,
for the feller that went through 1t. AS
I set here by this popple swamp it don't
rightly seem as IL twas me.
Last year when was pickin' berries
on the upland yonder, I come upon a
young gal. She didn't see me at first,
but / seen her m l had instant Of
thinkin' twas Ruth, just as she was
years ago. 1t was Ruth's daughter. 1t
was the gal you love, young man. She
tried hard not to seem frightened when