Middletown transcript., 1915-05-22

ness IN her movement, q dignity ana
grace which spoke Of ease, not shock
What II she had not seen! What II
my deed was as yet unknown! Might
l not have time for-for what? ! did
not stop to think; just pressed on,
saying to myself, Let Providence de-
eide. II meet any one before reach
my own door my doom is settled. II
do not"
And | did not. AS turned into the
lane from the ravine I heard sound
far down the slope. but 1t was too dis
tant to create apprehension, and l
went calmly on. forcing myself into
my usual leisurely gait, II only to
gain some control over my own emo
tions before coming under Oscars eye
That sound have never understood
II could not have been Scoville. 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 IL 1t was he. and
some other hand threw his stick
across my path. whose was this hand
and why have we never heard any
thing about It? 1t is a question which
sometimes floats through my mind
but ! did not give 1t a thought then
was within sight of home and Oil
ver's 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
ly looked at the clock. 1t had
stopped. Not at the minute-I do not
say 1t was at the minute-but near
very near the time when from an
innocent man l became a guilty one
Appalled, at the discovery, 4 fed tC
the front. Opening the door, looked
out. Not a creature in sight. and moi
a sound to be heard. The road was
as lonely and seemingly as fOrsaker
as the house. Had time stopped here
too? Were the world and its inter
ests at a pause In horror Of my deed
For a moment l believed 1t; then more
natural sensations inte-vened, and, re
joicing at this lack of disturbance
where disturbance meant discovery
l stepped inside again, rewound thu
clock, and sat down in my own room
My own room! Was it mine an!
longer? Its walls looked strange; th'
petty objects of my daily handling
unfamiliar. The change in myself in
fected everything l saw. l might hav'
been in another mans house for al
connection these things seemed t
have with me or my life. Like on
) set apart on an unapproachable shore
l stretched hands in vain toward al
that | had known and all that ha,
, been of value to me.
But as the minutes passed l begal
to lose this feeling. Hope. which
thought quite dead, slowly revived
Nothing had happened. and perhap
! nothing would.
: Men had been killed before. and tn
slayer passed unrecognized. VIII
might it not be so in my case?' II tn
woman continued to remain silent;
for any reason she had not witnessO
the blow or the striker. who else wa
there to connect me with an assaul
, committed a quarter of a mile away
2 No one knew of the quarrel; and
they did, who could be so daring a
to associate one Of my name with a
I action so brutal? A Judge slay hi
I friend! 1t would take evidence of
8 very marked character to make eve
I my political enemies believe that.
: AS the twilight deepened rose froI
t my seat and lit the gas. must nc
be found skulking in the dark The
a | began to count the ticks measurin
0 off the hour. ~ thirty minutes NOR
| passed without a rush from without
e might hope. If twenty?-if ten?-the
= it was FIVE! then it was
e All! The gate had changed to. The
I were coming. could hear steps
voices-a loud ring at the bell.
Z! moved slowly toward the front.
), feared the betrayal which my ash
n face and trembling hands might max
l. Agitation after the news was to /
s expected. but not before! So lie
n the hall dark when | opened the doc
And thus decided my future.
It For in the faces of the small crow
Y which blocked the doorway | detecte
II nothing but commiseration; and whe
e voice spoke and | heard divers a
g cents Burcharged with nothing moi
IT grievous than pity. realized that n
e secret was as yet unshared. and. Sc
II ing that no man suspected me. for
J. bore to declare my guilt to anyone.