The Sauk Centre herald., 1909-02-18
THE LADY AND
THE LAW
Copyright. by Shortstory Pub Coz
By JULIA TRUITT BISHOP

enough he could hear, between the
these messages / called at police
swish Of the shuttle darting back and
forth through the parted threads. The
beat Of the loom went farther. One
could hear it away to the point where
the road crawled around the side OF
the opposite hill-boom-boom, BOOM
boom, with a steady relentlessness, as
though one Of the Fates were up there,
weaving the web of somebody's life;
or, perchance, a shroud for some one
who was about to be done with life.
Once in q long while there was a
pause, and then one knew that a
thread was broken, and that the un-
relenting Fate, bending over the loom,
was mending the thread, so that the
weaving could go grimly on. In those
pauses Of the loom. one heard hawk
shrieking far aloft.
In the cabin. silent child sat on
the floor, building a little house Of
sticks. and smiling at it dispassion-
ately when it tumbled down; after
which he built it up again. Not far
from the silent child was the silent
woman, weaving; pale, big-eyed
woman, keeping at her work with q
deadly composure. She wore faded
brown homespun dress, clumsily fash
toned, but on the wall in the corner
hung the decent black dress and the
decent black sunbonnet which she
wore abroad. When one is poor one
cannot mourn every day.
The bench upon which she sat as
she wove was beside window which
looked out across the valley and to
the other hill, and especially COM
manded view of that yellow road
rounding the shoulder of the hill. II
one were coming from town, for in
stance, the weaver would perhaps see
him on that point Of road, moving
along through the violet summer haze
and disappearing there; and, having
watched him drop down into the val
ley, would perhaps go on sending the
steady boom-boom across the echoing
slopes
The rider came on down the valley
and up the hill. The main road did
not pass the cabin, but he left the
main road and urged his horse up the
path to the door. The woman paused
with the shuttle poised for throwing,
and looked at him under somber
brows.
Well" drawled the man, slowly.
his hand on his sunburnt beard, 81
thought I'd come by an let ye know
they've cleared Bill Fowler" -
She had looked at him just mo-
ment, then the poised shuttle few on
its appointed path. and the loom set
up its dull beating again.
Looks like man can do anything
he feels like. these days, an come
Free" said the man at the door, throw
ing one leg over the horn of the sad
die and slouching there sideways.
Especially if he's got money. How
long is it since he killed Joe?-three
years, l reckin-an' they've had
changes of venue an mistrials an ap-
everybody was about wore out with
1t, an cleared i'm to git rid Of i'm.
An now, here e is. scot free. He
seemed mighty gay up in town."
The woman at the loom laid down
the shuttle and turned on the bench.
IF you-all have got any seeds to
spare ! wisht ye'd bring me over
some" she said. Il want to git ready
to plant my fall gardin."
The man in the door shot a swift
glance at her, and then looked away
with an air OF absorbed interest in
the landscape.
I'll bring ye over some" he said,
slowly Strengthening himself in the
saddle. Il jes' thought I'd come by
an let ye know. 1 got OF in hurry
before Bill ler town."
The woman did not answer with
words. She looked at him, and he
rode away, merely slancing in the
most casual manner towards that lit
tie line of road that rounded the shoul-
der of the opposite hill.
Riding blithely on through the free
air and the sunlight. whistling a gay
tune and smiling in between, it would
perhaps shock one more than the re-
coil of the horse. even, to turn sharp
bend of the road and come suddenly
face to face with a woman leaning on
q rifle. and looking at one with SON.
Der eyes.
He had never been a coward-had
he?-he could not remember-but
there was that in her face that was
not good to look upon. Without know
ing what he was doing. he dismount.
ed from his horse and left the animal
to Craze. which the horse did, very in.
differently.
$50 them lawyers has set We free,
Bill?" she said, leaning composedly
on the rife.
He tried to recover himself.
Not the lawyers, Ellen-the jury"
he corrected. "They said it was q fair
trial. You are too broad-minded to
hold a grudge against me. Ellen, after
all these years-and after the law
has declared that am innocent"
She still leaned upon the rife, but
she was smiling at him now. The
smile was dreadful to look upon.
I'm glad the law done all it could
fer ye." she said. gently.
Thank you. Ellen" he cried, re-
assured. There were times when /
felt dreadfully depressed, for it did
aeAm for awhile that-welI I didn't