Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1909-07-15

HAN Der was in his accustomed
$kISS| place with Judge Grower
~ in the chair When the
routine business was fin
qshed the chairman rose and said:
I'VE now will hear from Judge
+Stoakes who we trust has a story rela.
tive to circumstantial evidence. Judge
.StDakes"
Judge Stoakes, a large man of dig.
'nihed presence, whose silver hair
alone bespoke his 10 years, rose and
fSegan
My story is Of the troubled DAYS
In Missouri following upon the civil
war. when factional rancor still ran
nigh and the conqueror and the con.
quered lived together in outward
Amity but with secret suspicion. I
mad just hung up my shingIe In a
alILe town In the southern part OF
Ghs state which had been the hot-bed
Eot fractional warfare, now captured
oy 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
'iztter was Col. Jim Farrar. Among
-dle northern sympathizers he was
CHASED with Quartrell and the Youn.
aselS. but when the struggle was over
ne settled down quietly in the little
town of Chester, and his tall form,
nls flowing moustaches, his campaign
nat and long coat became him as the
costume did many another warrior Of
Ghe lost cause.
Col. Farrar's household consisted
al but one daughter, II years of age,
ma of that rare type of beauty which
80 often crops out In an adventurous
iAEa Warlike stock. Her name was
sLEcile and she soon set the heart of
every young man in a fame. | my.
self rell at the first glance, and as |
hook back down the long stretch of
years | can see the black hair, the
rosy lips and the flashing eyes of Lu.
Gle Farrar as l 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
sspirits as its fair rider.
1t was silent alteration upon the
part Uf us all, for never a glance did
the fair Lucille have for any of us.
Bat when Melvin Leisure came to
Chester 1t was different. Something
I'm her woman's heart must have
tragn her toward him, for all the in.
Inference and all the scorn were
gone and they gave themselves up
willingly to a love that quickly ran the
: samut from passing interest to pas.
N-sionate devotion.
1.-The very mention Of a sutton for
his daughters hand was sufficient to
send Col. Farrar into a rage terrible
M 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
c0i his extensive plantation near the
town we less fortunate youths saw
!IesBure starting on long walks will
tLhe fair Lucille.
iMelVin Leisure inherited all the
Hrey 1mpulsiveness OF a long line o
French ancestry and was not thu
youth TO brook long this uncertain
entente Of his lovemaking. He had |
Ibig plantation several miles from
CHESTER and had moved into town 70
ufhe social advantages that locke,
large to us then. He was amply abb
10 support matrimony in style equa
10 the best in the community. H
was handsome, studious and COURT
in his manners and seemed TO b
.zMgible from any point of view. Tn
local Madame Grundy could find n
reason why Melvin Leisure and Lucil
Rarrar we're not a perfectly matche
couple.
~But the rock on which their happ
ness seemed destined to break wa
NAT of fractional rancor Col. Farrs
sFas of the south unrecOnstructed an
unreconStructable Gaspard Lessur,
AaslVin's father, had cast his lot wit
me north and had died at his ow
doorway defending his propert
against the enemies Of his adopte
nag.
Melvin Leisure was no match Il
<E,oa. Jim In Drawn or buster, but /
lR,aadtated not to 80 10 him with h
ssnif, and the storm he provoked l gi'
yoa e. Il was later reconstruct
through the searchings Of the law.
Never, by the Almighty, never
reoared the colonel Before wou
saes my daughter married to one Of Il
,aecursed assassins Of my country
rOuia slay her with my own hand
,xset out Of my sisht and never da
20 raise your eyes TO a daughter
sshs EarEarA'