Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-07-13
The Light IN
the C1edrinQ
Bv IRVING BACHELLER
Copyright 1917. The Bobbs- Merrill Co.
CHAPTER XIV.
The Rnlt Falla.


Three times that winter I had
seen Benjamin Grimshaw followed
by the Silent Woman clothed In
rags and pointing with her finger
Mr.. HaCket said that she probably
watched for him out Of her little
window above the blacksmith shop
that overlooked the south road
When he came 10 town she follow.
ed. l always greeted the woman
when l passed her, but when she
was on the trail Of the money
lender she seemed unaware Of nv
presence, so intent was she on the
strange task she had set herself. II
he were not in sight she smiled
wnen passing me, but neither spoke
nor nodded.
Grimshaw had gone about nj,
business as usual when 7 saw him
last, but | had noted a look OF ths
worried rat in his face He had
seemed to be under extreme irri-
tation. He scOlded every man who
spoke to him. The notion came 10
me that her finger was getting
down to the quick.
The trial of Amos came on. He
haG had blood on his feet" as they
used to say, all the way from Lick
itysplit to Lewis county in his
flight, having attacked and slightly
wounded two men with a bowie
knife who had tried to detain him
at Rainy Lake. He had also shot
at an officer in the vicinity OF Low
vile. where his arrest was effected.
He had been identified by all these
men, and so his character as a des-
perate man had been established.
This in connection with the scar on
his face and the tracks, which the
boots of Amos fitted, and the brok-
en- gun stock convinced the Jury OF
his guilt.
The most interesting bit Of testi-
mony which came out at the trial
was this passage from yellow pa-
per-covered tale which had been
discovered hidden in the haymow
of the Grimshaw barn:
"Lightfoot waited in the bushes
with his trusty rife in hand. When
the two unsuspecting travellers
reached a point nearly opposite him
lie raised his rife and glanced over
its shining barrel and saw that the
lllSlL Vi MS outlet NOuAu Cut the
threats of both his prosecutors. He
pulled the trigger and the bullet
sped to its mark. Both men pIung-
ed to the ground as If they had been
smitten by a thunderbold. Light
foot leaped from cover and seized
! the rearing horses, and mounting
one of them while he led the other,
headed down the trail, and in no
great hurry, for he knew that the
lake was between him and Blldgett
and that the 1atter's boat was in no
condition to hold water"
It was the swift and deadly exc
cution of Lightfoot which Amos had
been initiating, as he presently con-
| fessed.
l knew then the power of words
even foolish words-over the
! minds of the young when they are
| printed and spread abroad.
l remember we'll the look Of the
venerable Judge Cady as he pro-
nounced the sentence Of death upon
Amos Grimshaw. A ray of sunlight
slanting through a window in the
late afternoon fell upon his graci-
Gus countenance, shining also, with
the softer light of his spirit Slowly,
solemnly, kindly, he spoke tho
words of doom. 1t was his way Of
saying them that first made me feel
the dignity and majesty Of the law.
The kind and fatherly tone Of his
voice put me in mind Of the SUI
premest court which is above all
question and which was swiftly to
enter Judgment in this matter and
| in others related 10 II.