The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1907-01-19

danger in which it threw me, did not
dare to tell my mother for fear it
! would make her last moments miser-
able. So told her that the poor wom-
an had understood what she wished.
but was too terrified to move or speak,
and this satisfied my mother and made
her last breath one of trust and con-
tented love. She died as l drew the
dagger from her breast. and, seeing
this. was seized with horror Of the
instrument which had cost me such a
dear and valuable life and flung it
wildly from the window. Then lifted
her and laid her where you found her.
on the sofa. That the dagger was
an old time gift of her former lover.
James label, L did not know. much
less that it bore his initials on the
handle"
He paused. and the awe occasioned
by the scene he had described was SO
deep and the silence SO prolonged that
a shudder passed over the whole as
semblage when from some unknown
quarter a single. cutting voice arose in
this one short. mocking comment:
"Oh. the fairy taller
Was it Amabel who had spoken?
Some yet thought SO and looked her
way. but they only beheld a sweet.
tear stained face turned with an air OF
moving appeal upon Frederick as X
begging pardon for the wicked doubts
which had driven him TO this defense.
Frederick met that look with one SO
severe it partook Of harshness. Then,
resuming his testimony. he said:
cit is OF the label brothers must
now speak, and OF how one Of them.
James by name. came to be involved In
this affair.
when l left my new found mother,
! was in such a state of mind that |
passed the room in which my new
found father sat sleeping. with scarcely
SO much as glance. But as 1 hasten
ed on toward the quarter where the
labels lived some compunctions OF pity
for his desolate state caused me to fall
ter in my rapid fight. so that l did not
reach the house quite as quickly as I
might otherwise have done. When I
did. l found 1t dark. as l might reason
ably have expected: but. remembering
the extreme anxiety which my mother
had shown in their regard. even in her
dying moments. l approached the front
found it open. Greatly astonished. at
once passed IN and. seeing my way
perfectly in the moonlight. entered the
room on the left. the door of which also
stood open. IT was the second house I
had entered unannounced that night,
and in this. as in the other, l encoun-
tered man sitting asleep by the table.
Going up to him, I saw 1t to be the
elder Of the two, John label, and, per-
ceiving that he was suffering for food
and in a condition Of extreme misery, I
took out the first bill my hand encourt
tered in my overfull pockets and laid il
on the table by his side. AS / did 30 he
gave a sigh. but did not wake: and. sat.
Isfied that had done all that was wise
and all that even my mother would ex-
pect of me under the circumstances,
and fearing to encounter the. other
brother if / fingered / FASTENED away
and took the shortest path home. Had
/ been more of a man. or il my visit to
Mrs. Webb had been actuated by a
more communicable motive, l would
have gone at once to the good man
who believed me to be of his own flesh
and blood and told him of the strange
and heartrending adventure which had
changed the whole tenor of my
thoughts and life and begged his ad
vice as to what l had better do under |
the difficult circumstances In which
found myself placed. But the memory
of thousand past ingratitudes, to- |
gether with the knowledge of the shock |
which he could not fail to receive on |
learning at this late day and under con- |
ditions at once 50 tragic and full OF |
menace that the child which his long |
buried wife had once placed in his |
arms as mis- own was neither of her |
blood or his, rose up between US and |
caused me not only to attempt silence, |
but to secrete in the adjoining woods |
the money 1 had received in the vain |
hope that all visible connection be- |
tween myself and my mothers tragic |
death would thus be lost. You see, I |
had not calculated on Miss Amabel |
Page"
The fash he here received from that |
lady's eyes startled the crowd and gave |
already suffering under |
shock after shock of mingled surprise /
and wonder, his first definite idea that |
he had never rightly understood the re-
lations between these two and that |
something besides Justice had actuated /
AmabeI in her treatment Of this young
man. This feeling was shared by 9TH
ers, and a reaction set In I'm his favor /
which even affected the officials who
were conducting the inquiry. This was
shown by the difference OF manner now
By the coroner and by the
more easily impressed Sweetwater,
who had not yet learned the indispen-
sable art Of hiding his feelings. Fred
erick himself felt the change and show
ed it by the look OF relief and growing
confidence he cast At Agnes
OF the questions and answers which
now passed between him and the vari-
ous members OF the jury need give no
account They but emphasized facts
known and produced but little
change In tAe general feeling. which
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