Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-07-15
CHAPTER XIV.
(Continued.l

Slowly the crowd moved out OF
the court room. Benjamin Grim
shaw rose and calmly whispered to
his lawyer. He had not spoken TO his
son or seemed to notice him since
the trial had begun, nor did he now.
Many had shed tears that day, but
not he. Mr.. Grimshaw never show
ed but one emotion-that or anger.
He was angry now. His face was
hard and stern. He muttered as he
walked out of the court room, his
cane briskly beating the floor, and
others following him, moved by diff
ferent motives. / was sorry for
him and If l had dared | should
have told him that. l was amazed
to see how sturdily he stood under
this blow-like a mighty oak in a
storm. The look of him thrilled me
it suggested that something was
going to happen.
The Silent Woman-as ragged az
ever-was waiting on the steps. Out
went her bony finger as he came
down. He turned and struck at her
with his cane and shouted in a
shrill voice that rang out like a
trumpet in his frenzy:
Go way from me. Take her
away, somebody. ! can't stan It.
She's KILN me. Take her away.
Take her away. Take her away
His face turned purple and then
white. He reeled and fell head
long, like a tree severed from its
|! roots, and lay still on the hard
stone pavement. 1t seemed as If
80 y fp
grew so white The Silent Woman
stood as still as he, pointing at
him with her finger, her look I'M
changed. People came running to-
ward us. l lifted the head of Mr..
Grimshaw and laid it on my knee.
1t felt like the head of the stranger
in Rattleroad Old Kate bent over
and looked at the eyelids of the
man, which fiuttered family AMI
were STILL
Dead" she muttered.
Then, as If her work were fin
! ished, she turned and made her
! way through the crowd and walked
slowly down the street. Men stood
| aside to let her pass, as if they felt
| the power of her spirit and feared
/ the touch of her garments.
| Two or three men had run to the
/ house of the nearest doctor. The
! crowd thickened. AS | sat looking
down at the dead face in my lap. a
| lawyer who had come out of the
court room pressed near me and
| bent over and looked at the set eyes
of Benjamin Grimshaw and said:
"She floored him at last ! knew
| she would. He tried not to see her,
bbut l tell We that bony old finger of
/ hers burnt a hole in him. He
| couldn't stand it. l knew he'd
blow up some day under the strain.
/ She got him at last"
who got him?" another asked.
"Rovin' Kate. She killed him
pointing her finger at him-so."
%She got an evil eye. Everybody
| afraid o. the crazy OIL Trollope!"
"Nonsensel She isn't half as
J crazy as the most of u.s." said the
| lawyer. "In my opinion she had q
good reason for pointing her finger
at that man. She came from the
same town he did over in Vermont
Ye don't know what happened
| there"
The doctor arrived The CROWD
made way for him. He knelt be.
side the still figure and made the
tests. He rose and shook his head
saying:
| Its all over. Let one o. these
boys go down and bring the under.
taker."
Benjamin Grimshaw, the richest
man in the township. was dead, anC
1 have yet to hear of any mourn,
ers.
Three days later I saw his body
| lowered into its grave. The little
broken spirited wife stood there
| with the same sad smile on hel
| face that l had noted when | frs
saw her in the hills. Rovin' Kate
was there in the clothes she haC
worn Christmas day. She wa.
greatly changed. Her hair wa:
neatly combed. The wild look haC
left her eyes. She was like ont
whose back is relieved of a heavy
burden. Her lips moved as she scat
tered little red squares of paper
. into the grave. 1 suppose they