Marble Hill press., 1909-07-15

beF was IN MS accustomed
SAl&I place with Judge Grower
~ in the chair. When the
routine business was fin.
ashed the chairman rose and said
We now will hear from Judge
Stoakes who we trust has story rela.
tive to circumstantial evidence. Judge
Stoakes
Judge Stoakcs, a large man OF dig.
nIiied presence. whose silver hair
alone bespoke his 70 years, rose and
began:
My story Is Of the troubled days
tn Missouri following upon the civil
war, when factional rancor still ran
nigh and the conqueror and the con.
9uered lived together in outward
amity out with secret suspicion
had just hung up my shingle in A
htt!e town in the southern part Of
the state which had been the hot.bed
Of factional warfare, now captured
by Lyon, now held by Price. and re.
peatedly preyed upon by the rowing
bands Of irregulars of either side
Among the most noted leaders Of these
latter was Col. Jim Farrar Among
the northern sympathizers he was
ciassed with Quartrell and the Youn.
gers, but when the struggle was over
ne settled down quietly in the little
town of Chester, and his tall form,
ais howing moustaches, his campaign
hat and long coat became him as the
costume did many another warrior Of
the lost cause
Col Farrar's household consisted
Of but one daughter II years of age
and of that rare type of beauty which
% often crops out in ar adventurous
and warlike stock. Her name was
Lucille and she soon set the heart OF
every young man In a flame. | my.
self fell at the first glance, and as
look back down the long stretch of
years | can see the black hair. the
rosy lips and the flashing eyes of Lu.
cile FarTar as | watched her In silent
alteration in the meeting house, upon
the street or flying along on her pony
which seemed as full of life and
spirits as its fair rider
1t was silent alteration upon the
part of us ALL for never a glance did
the fair Lucille have for any of US
But when Melvin Leisure came to
Chester it was different Something
In her woman's heart must have
drawn her toward him. for all the in.
difference and all the scorn were
gone and they gave themselves up
willingly to a love that quickly ran the
Eamut from passing interest to pas,
sionate devotion.
The very mention Of a suitor for
his daughters hand was sufficient to
send Col. Farrar into a rage terrible
To witness. He noted the growing
intimacy Of Lucille and Leisure with
jealous anger But he could not watch
her always, and many time when he
was away looking after the interests
of his extensive plantation near the
towE we less fortunate youths saw
Leisure starting on long walks with
the fair Lucille,
Melvin Leisure inherited all the
firey impulsveness of long line OF
French ancestry and was not the
youth to brook long this uncertain
entente of his lovemaking He had a
big plantation several miles from
Chester and had moved into town for
the social advantages that looked
large to us then. He was amply able
TO support matrimony in a style equal
to the best in the community. He
was handsome. studiouS and courtly
in his manners and seemed to be
eligible from any point of view. The
local Madame Grundy could find no
reason why Melvin Leisure and Lucille
Farrar were not a perfectly matched
couple.
But the rock on which their happi.
ness seemed destined to break was
that of factional rancor. Col Farrar
was of the south unreconstructed and
yunreconstructable. Gaspard Leisure,
Melvin's father, had cast his lot with
the north and had died at his own
doorway defending his property
against the enemies of his adopted
flag
Melvin Leisure was no match for
Col. Jim in Drawn or buster, but he
hesitated not to go TO him with his
suit. and the storm he provoked | give
YOU as 1t was later reconstructed
through the searchings of the law.
Never. by the Almighty. never'
nroared the colonel Before | would
see my daughter married to one of the
accursed assassins " my country
would slay her with my own hands.
Cot out OF my sight and never dare
- -aise your eyes to daughter Of
"a. /. a-rars.'