Marble Hill press. (Marbel [sic] Hill, Mo.) 1881-1923, 1915-09-02

'lohs oeIore coming under Oscars eye
That sound have never understood
II could not have been Scoyille, since
IN the short time which had passed he
could not have fed from the point
where | heard him last into the ravine
below Ostrander lane. But, II not he,
who was it? Or II It was he, and
some other hand threw his stick
across my path, whose was this hand
ana why have We never heard any
thing about it, 1t is question which
sometimes floats through my mind.
but did not give 1t thought then.
! was within sight OF home and Oh.
vers possible presence: and all other
dread was as nothing in comparison
to what felt at the prospect OF meet.
/ ing my boys eye. My boys eye, my
( greatest dread then. and my greatest
dread still! In my terror Of 1t walked
as to my doom.
/ The house, which had left empty
| found empty; oliver had not yet re-
| turned. The absolute stiffness of the
rooms seemed appalling, Instructive
~ ! looked at the clock. II had
stopped, Not at the minute do not
say II was at the minute--but near.
very near the time when from an
innocent man l became a guilty one
Appalled, at the discovery, ! fled to
the front. Opening the door. | looked
/ out Not a creature In sight. and not
a sound to be heard The road was
as lonely and seemingly as forsaken
as the house. Had time stopped here,
too? We're the world ard its inter.
ests at pause in horror OF my deed?
For a moment believed 1t then more
natural sensations interviewed. and. re.
Jo'c'uc at this lack Of disturbance
where disturbance meant discovery,
/ stepped inside again. rewound the
clock. and sat down IN my own room.
Ny own room, Was it mine any
longer IT'S walls looked strange the
pery objects OF my daily handling.
unfamiliar The change In myself In.
sected everything saw might have
h'on III another mans house for all
connection these things seemed to
have with ne or my life Like one
So apart on an unapproachable shore
stretched hands in vain toward oil
that had known and all that had
been ot value to me
But as the minutes passed | began (
to lose this feeling. Hope. which I
thought quite dead, slowly revived :
Nothing had happened and perhaps /
nothing would
Men had been killed before. and the
slayer passed unrecoguized. WHY
might Il not be so In my CASE II the
woman continued to remain silent: II
Tor any reason she had not witnessed
the blow or the striker. who else was
there to connect me with an assault
committed quarter OF mile awavP
No one knew OF the quarrel. and II
they did, who could be so daring as
to associate one OF my name with an
action so brutal? A Judge STAY his
friend IL would take evidence OF n
very marked character to make even
my political enemies believe that
AS the twilight deepened rose from
my seat and lit the gas ! must not
be found skulking in the dark Then
began to count the ticks measuring
Of the hour. II thirty minutes more
passed without a rush from without f.
night hope. If tweuty?-if ten then
{ was five! then it was
All! The gate had changed to. They
we're coming, could hear steps
'oices-a loud ring at the bell |
moved slowly toward the front | It
cared the betrayal which my ashv
ace and trembling hands might make I
agitation after the news was TO be
but not before, So | left f
he hall dark when opened the door /
md thus decided my future. $
For in the faces Of the small crowd c
'hich blocked the doorway detected +
othing but commiseratiou: and when q
voice spoke and heard divers &C b
ents surcharged with nothing more f
rievous than pity. realized that my .
ecret was as yet unshared. and. see u
lg that no man suspected me. | fore. y
ore to declare my guilt TO anyone 4
This sudden restoration from sound
'ss depths into the pure air OF respect Il
nd sympathy confused me; and be a
ond the words Killed, Struck down a
y the bridget" heard little. TIL Il
Iowly, duly. like the call OF a bell ri
suing from a smothering mist
lught the sound OF name. II struck s,
~ ear and gradually II dawned upon d
~ consciousness that another man a,
ad been arrested for my crime and Il
lat the safety. the reverence and the "
that were so dear to A,
Q had been bought at a price no man 70
honor might pay If
But ! was no longer a man OF honor. Re
was wretched criminal swaying W
'ove a gulf OF infamy In which had Al
en- others swallowed but had never
canned OF being engulfed myself I OF
'ver thought OF letting myself go 10
u at this crisis-not while my heart ID
as warm with its resurgence into the on
q life IN
And so ! let pass this opportunity nc
? confession Afterwards II was too ba