The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1932-04-01
CHAPTER IV-Continued

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One day Mr.. Smithers sent Shad
down to Cyrus Doolittle's with a pack
age Of medicine which had come up
on the stage for old Oscar. Perry, the
father-in-law Of Cyrus. Here was the
Inflated house which Shad was never
to forget. The old gentleman was sit
ting In wheel-chair. He had the
worried, sorrowful look Of the strong
man who has had his warning. He
had been partly paralyzed by
stroke. His daughter, Mrs. Doolittle,
opened the door for Shad. She was
an erect handsome woman with face
somewhat careworn but still comedy.
The house had gloomy and de-
pressing atmosphere. There was
solemn note in the ticking of the old
family clock. After all, houses have a
kind Of character. Cyrus Doolittle
and his son Moses, boy Of Shad's
age, were cleaning pair Of colts
tethered on the barn floor. His er-
rand accomplished, Shad went out for
a look at the colts. The boy turned
from his work to speak to Shad. His
father rebuked him. saying:
"Come, boy, I'm in hurry to get
away. Bring the harness"
Turning to the young clerk. he
asked: young man, are you loafing
today?'
mo, SIR"
''Well, you don't seem to be very
busy"
The tall, brown-bearded, gray-eyed
man had spoken In his hustling man
ner without stopping his work.
Late In the afternoon of the men,
orable tenth of November Shad had
gone down the road some two miles
to collect bill. Darkness overlook
him on his way back. He was hun
CRY and hurrying with bicycle lam
tern In his hand, so as not to be too
late for his supper. When about a
quarter of mile from the store he
dimly saw a man approaching him at
a rapid pace. He could hear his foot
steps on the rough frozen road. Shad
stopped. The man had turned sud-
denly, some sixty PAGES from where
Shad was standing, got over the fence
and hurried away in the darkness. AS
Shad came near the store he saw a
crowd Of people in the street. Men
were shouting. Hysterical women were
crying. Shad ran toward the crowd
in front of the store. Bony was there.
whats the matter?" Shad asked.
"What's the matter! Why, some
man just bust into Cy Doolittle's
house-not ten minutes ago-an' shot
up the hull family. murdered 'em right
an left. The oil man Is killed. Mis-
Doolittle an the teacher is over to
Silas Meriwether's mos dead an
bleedin' awful. 1t was like a battle
in the war;"
A singular paralysis of fear and dis
tress had fallen upon the good people
of that village. A few men had
rushed out In the roads and fields In
q vain quest for the criminal.
"Come oni I saw him." Shad said
to Bony, and the two ran at top speed
down the road toward the fence where
Shad had seen the man climb over
the fence and vanish In the darkness.
1t was near the Doty place. The man
must have gone around the barns and
then whittier, 1t was impossible to
say. The boys were In deadly fear
of finding the criminal but saw no.
body.
"We're darn FOOLS" said Bony as
they were YEARLY walking back.
"What would we have done with him
an what would he have done to us2
They say oil Bumpy Brown is the
murderer"
Lord. mol" Shad exclaimed. ut
can't be-"
LESS he's gone crazy. Two men
have run down the river to see II he's
to home"
So began the widest night in the
history OF Amity Dam.
Divested Of all the excitement and
wild rumor Of that night, this is the
problem-one of the most remarkable
In the criminal records of our country.
Mrs. Doolittle, her invalid father,
her son Moses. boy Of twelve, and
Henry Pierson, a handsome we'll
dressed young man of nineteen from
Ashfield who was teaching In the
school at Amity Dam. were sitting
around the evening lamp, about seven
o'clock, the work Of the day being