The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-01-15

"AIlCI Was on the next TlOOr. put not
 belng sleepy at all I sat down by the
 window looking out but not looking at
 anything. l was affected by my meet
 Ing With Harrison and Grey on the
 same evening, but it was not strange,
 as men of their temper were likely to
 be about the hotel. But it seemed to
 me that Wherever I went I was likely
 in some way or other to meet them,
 and that their lives had become inter-
 woven permanently with mine.
 l l had left my door open and in the
 hall outside the usual dim lights burn
 ed. From the lobby below came now
 and then the faint noise of talk and
 laugh, making a steady and pleasing
 hum in my ears, but I do not know ! how long I sat there. until suddenly
 the soft murmur ceased, making the
 silence by contrast painful. Then came
 a sharp, terrible sound, breaking the | silence, the report of pistol shot, and
 after it cry that I knew, cry that
 any one would know. though he had
 never heard it before. It was the death cry of man struck down by a bullet 1 Every nerve in me thrilled with hor- TOT. and for moment, l sat motion l less. Then I sprang to my feet, and
 ran into the hall. thence down the
 great staircase to the lobby. The plac
 was deserted. The clerk had left his desk and the loungers were gone. All l were crowding into the cafe, and I fol- | lowed them to witness a ghastly sight | The first thing that caught my eyes
 was the spectacle of a heavy. red | faced man showed violently against the i wall, and held there by a half dozen | barkeepers, pOrters and night watch men. A revolver had been taken from ! his hand by one of the porters. An 1 other man lay upon the floor, and a | dark clot of blood had gathered upon l his light waistcoat.
 : ran to Harrison, the fallen man, and knelt beside him. His face, as pale as the death that was so near. was dis ] torted into a kind of grin. but I felt only an overwhelming sense of horror He knew me and the thought that was in his mind came at once to the sur- face.
 l You are the victor again, MT. Clarke,' he gasped in tones, so low l that I only heard him. ''Ill soon be out of your way and when Grey hangs
 that he has killed me, not because of his wife, but for the sake of a str-'' | He was interrupted by a fit of cough ing and the blood rose to his lips. When the spasm ceased he said: '.I want to tell you that I did not reveal your identity with Charlie John son. I knew your secret or rather I divined it, but I could not fight you 1 in quite that way. It was Connor l who worked up the proof and made | IIlo CdIupdISH dSdlnSI you.
 T might have guessed it!" I ex- claimed. T wronged you there! But you will get over this!''
 My feeling of horror was succeeded by a personal grief. I did not want him to die. although I knew, and he he seemed almost like a friend who was slipping. away. lifted up his head, and when he died five minutes later, he died with his head on my arm. Death, I am convinced, has no terrors for those who are face to face with it, and when Harrison passed, the old smile of a little child going to sleep came hack to me.
 I laid his head back upon the floor and then rising I turned my attention to his slayer. The police had come and he stood handcuffed between two officers. My eyes met his squarely, and I have never before seen such look of mingled savagery, terror and despair on mans face. The hour had struck for George Grey, and he woman of unclean name. Yet his eyes made a kind of appeal to me, but I turned away with an uncomfortable shudder of repulsion and disgust.
 They seemed to pay a deference to me to await my order or suggestion because I was the Governor of the State, but I merely said to the police men. "Take him to jail at once," and the grim procession moved away.
 'It was practically an assassination" said one of the barkeepers as they went out at the door-he had been a witness of the scene and he kuew whereof he spoke.
 The body of Harrison was carried to his home and the city thrilled with she most sensational tragedy of it's gen. eration. Perhaps I did not realize how much it involved until read the news papers the next morning, because into the accounts came not only the names of Grey and Harrison, but Pauline HarmOn's, Alicias and mine. Again was the fair fame of Alicia blown up- on, but only by indirect suggestion and the inference was so weak that it must soon fall to the ground. Far down dne of the columns in the most sensational journal occurred the insinuation that after Grey was hanged the Govern or would marry his widow.
 When I read this sentence the parer fell from my hand and fiuttered to the floor. As God is my witness tilis thought had never come to me, that I l should profit by the murder of one man and the execution of another, and I | rejected it now with horror. I would not win Alicia in such a way and she would not have herself won in such a | way. Surely fate was making its grimmest jest of her.
 l LOOK the most conservative of the l newspapers, carefully reread the &C., count and the editorial comment upon 1 it. It was well known, said the paper | that Grey was insanely jealous of liar | rison, because of a beautiful woman of l reputation none too good, but no quar- rel had immediately preceded the mur- | der Grey had caught sight of Har- rison in the cafe and by sudden mur- ! derous impulse had snatched out Lis !! pistol and killed him. The editorial | comment was of general nature not | mentioning Grey's name. but speaking l of Kentucky's reputation for a too frae l use of weapons. and demanding the l enforcement of the laws. a demand 1 with which I was bound to agree. l think that throughout our union the ! crime of murder is far too common and is far too little punished. and, stripping myself of all personal inter- est. and looking at the crime nf Grey in cold blood, it seemed to me of a l character that could not easily be mo re atrocious. I knew we'll that it would give the whole State a shock of horrtr.
 My next news. that is. direct pef- sonal news, came from Jimmy War field. He seemed to divine that would be eager for details of a kind not to be found in the newspapers, and I have never known another man so ready and skiliful in the service of his friends. He returned to me in the aft ernoOn and he was very grave.
 ''T do not know anything that has stirred the State so much as this mur-