Middletown transcript., 1915-02-20

with q decided peak In front. My
husband wore such a cap-the only
one know of in town. What more
did l need as proof that it was his
shadow l saw?"
And wasn't it,"
Judge Ostrander, never thought
differently till after the trial-till
after the earth closed over my poor
husbands remains. That was why
could say nothing in his defense
why did not believe him when he
declared that he had left his stick be-
hind him when he ran up the blum
after Reuther. But later, when Il was
all over, when the disgrace of his
death and the necessity Of seeking
home elsewhere drove me into SELL
ing the tavern and all its effects,
found something which changed my
mind In this regard, and made me
confident that had done my hus-
band a great injustice"
You found? What do you mean
by that? What could you have
found?"
His peaked cap lying in a corner
Of the garret. He had not worn 1t
that day; for when he came back to
be hustled off again by the crowd
he was without hat of any kind, and
he never returned again to his home
you know that, judge. had seen the
shadow of some other man approach
ing Dark Hollow. Whose, / am in
this town now to find out"
Judge Ostrander was a man OF
keen perception, quick to grasp an
idea, quick to form an opinion. But
his mind acted slowly tonight. Debo-
rah Scoville wondered at the blank
ness of his gaze and the slow way
in which he seemed to take In this
astounding fact.
At last he found voice and with II
gave some evidence of his usual acu
men.
Madam, a shadow 10 an uncertain
foundation on which to build such an
ediflce as you plan. A dozen men
might have come down that path with
or without sticks before Mr. Etheridgt
reached the bridge and fell a victim
to the assault which laid him low"
II thought the time was pretty
clearly settled by the hour he left
your house. The sun had not sci
when he turned your corner on HE
way home. So several people said
who saw him. Besides"
"Yes; there is a besides I'm sure
of it."
81 saw the tall figure of a man
whom l afterwards made sure was
Mr.. Etheridge, coming down Factory
road on his way to the bridge wher
l turned about to get Reuther."
"All Of which you suppressed at th'
trial"
81 was not questioned on this point
sir"
''Madam"-he was standing very
near to her now, hemming her as /
were into that decaying corner"
should have a very much higher opin
ion of your candor if you told me thu
whole story"
81 have, sir"
His hands rose, one to the right
hand wall, the other to the left, ant
remained there with their palms rest
ing heavily against the rotting plas
ter. She was more than ever hemmeC
in; but, though she felt a trifle fright
ened at his aspect, which certainl!
was not usual, she faced him withou
shrinking and in very evident surprise
1T seems too slight fact to men
tion. and. indeed, had forgotten it til
you pressed me, but after we hat
passed the gates and were well GU
on the highway, found that Reuthe
had left her little pail behind he
here, and we came back and got il
Did you mean that. sir?"
81 meant nothing; but l felt sur
you had not told all you could abou
that fatal ten minutes. You cam
back. 1t is quite a walk from the road
The man whose shadow you saw mus
have reached the bridge by this time
What did you see then or-hear?"
Nothing. Absolutely nothing, Judge
was intent on finding the baby's pai
> and having found 1t l hurried bac
/ home all the faster"
And tragedy was going on or wa
) just completed. in plain sight fror
this gap~
81 have no doubt, sir; and if l ha
| looked, possibly John might have bee
saved"
The silence following this wa
! broken by a crash and a little CT,
Peggy's house had tumbled down.
The small incident was a relic
Both assumed more natural postureI
so the shadow is your greaS an
only point" remarked the Judge.
II shall not desist. Judge Ostrar
, der"