away
and others feared to come. No more bitter cup was ever handed man to
drink; but he quaffed it, dregs and all. One awful unnamable fear,
involving the motive of the crime, haunted his soul. The family
physician was sent for and said tenderly, as he came from the room of
the murdered girl, "It might have been worse." Through the dark sorrow
of Mr. Daleman's soul there shot a gleam of joy. The two men clasped
hands in silence. The horror was less.

The whole city was soon in a furor of excitement. Bloodhounds were put
on the trail and about noon a Negro who had been tracked was
apprehended, sitting quietly on a bridge a few miles out from the city.
He made no effort to escape, and manifested no surprise when caught.

"Have they killed anybody else?" was his first and only utterance to the
officers who took him in charge. His captors did not deign to make
reply. The Negro was handcuffed and led back until the party arrived at
the outskirts of the city. The patrol wagon was telephoned for and the
Negro was soon safe in the station house. News spread like wildfire that
the criminal was in the prison and soon the street was full of
thousands. A mob was formed and an assault was planned upon the prison.
The chief of police came out on the steps of the building and, with
drawn pistol, declared that the majesty of the law would be maintained
at all hazards. He then retired within.

Nothing daunted the mob surged forward. The chief of police came forth
again and in a manner that left no room for mistake, declared that only
over his dead body could they take the prisoner. His long record as a
daring and faithful officer was well known and the mob now hesitated.

The sheriff of the county was out of the city at the time and one of his
deputies was in charge of affairs. This deputy had been laying plans
with a view to being the candidate of his party for the office of
sheriff at the next election, and he fancied that he now saw an
opportunity to curry favor with the masses. He elbowed his way through
the crowd and held a whispered conference with the leader of the mob.
Thereupon the leader took his place on the steps and harangued the mob
as follows:

"Fellow citizens, do not despair. The voice of the people is the voice
of God, and your voice shall be heard this day. I assure you of this
fact. I beg of you, however, that you now disperse. You shall meet again
under circumstances more favorable to your wishes."

The pers