Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1871-02-22

proceedings were becoming II hsoti4Oiy
thoughtful, hailed him as a relief
For he was not, certainly, an impO5-
ing figure. Short and stout, with
square face, sunburned into a prefer
natural, redness, clad in a loose duck
"jumper," and trousers streaked and
splashed with red soil, his aspect un-
der any circumstances would nave
been quaint, and was now even rtdi-
culous. As he stopped to deposit at
his feet a heavy caTpet-bag he was
carrying, il became obvious, from par
TALLY developed legends and lnseElP-
tiOns, that the material win WnlciI lI
his trousers had been Patcheu IiaI Il
been originally intended lot a lesS
ambitious covering. Yet ne auVaHceu
with great gravity, and aIter haNll6
shaken the hand Of each person III
the room with labOred cordialityi ne
wiped his serious, perplexed lace on
red bandanna handkerchief, a shade
lighter than his complexion, laid his
powerful hand upon the table tosteady
himself and thus addressed the
Judge:
II was passin' by, ," he began by way
of apology. land I thought I'd just
step in and see how things was gittin'
on with Tennessee thar, my pardner.
It's hot night. i disremember any
such weather before on the Bar"
He paused a moment, but nobody
volunteering any other meteorological
recollection, he had recourse TO his
pOcket-handkerehief, and for some
moments mOpped his face diligently.
"Have you anything to say in be-
half of the prisoner ." said the Judge
! finally.
THAT'S it, )" said Tennessee's Part
ner, in a tone Of relief. II come var
as Tennessee's pardner, knowing him
nigh on four year, of and on, wet and
I dry, in luck and out o. luck. His
ways amt alters my ways, but thar
amt any Iveliness as he's been up to,
as / don't know. And you sez to me,
sez -confidential-like, and be-
tween man and man-sez you, DO
/ you know anything in his behalf%
and l seZ to YOU, seZ I-confidential-
like, as between man and man-'what
should a man know Of his pardner ?"
/ "Is this all you have to say 2' ask
/ ed the Judge, impatiently, feeling,
perhaps, that dangerous sympathy
4 Of humOr was beginning to human
I iZe the Court.
That's So" continued Tennessee's
I Partner. at amt for me to say any
| thing agin' him. And now, what's
! the case? Here's Tennessee wants
money, wants il bad, and doesn't like
/ to ask his old pardner. Well, what
does Tennessee do? He lays for a
stranger. And you lays for him, and
YOU fetehes him, and the hOnOrs is
easy. And / put it to you, beini a far
minded man, and to you, gentlemen,
all, as far-minded men, ef this isn't
So"
Prisoner" said the Judge, inter-
ruptIng, ''have you any questions to
ask this man ?"
mo! nOu' continued Tennessee's
Partner, hastily. II play this yer
hand alone. To come down to the
/ bed rock it's Just this: Tennessee,
I thar has played it pretty rough and
expensiye-like on a stranger, and on
this yer camp. And now, what's the
fair thing? Some would say more (;
some would say less. Here's seven
I teen hundred dollars in coarse gold
and a watch, its all my pile-and
call It square ~ And before q hand
could be raised to prevent him, he
.
bag upon the table.
For moment his life was in jeOplr-
dy. One or two men sprang TO their
feet, several hands grOped for hidden
weapons, and a suggestion to throw
him from the window" was only over
ridden by a gesture from the Judge.
Tennessee laughed. And apparently
ObliviOus Of the excitement, Tennes-
sees Partner improved the OppOrtu-
nifty to mop his face again with his
handkerchief.
When order was restored, and the
man was made to understand, by the
use of forcible figures and rhetoric,
that Tennessee's ofense could not be
condoned by money, his face took a
more serious and dsanguinary hue, and
those who were nearest to him noticed
that his rough hand trembled slightly
on the table. He hesitated moment
as he slowly returned the gold to the
earpet-bag, as if he had not yet en-
tirely caught the elevated sense OF
Justice which swayed the tribunal,
and was perplexed with the belief
that he had not offered enough. Then
he turned to the judge, and saying :
"This yer is a lone hand played alone,
and without my pardner," he bowed
to the Jury and was about TO with
draw, when the Judge called him
back. fyou have anything to say 70
Tennessee, YOU had better say it now. u
For the first time that evening the
eyes of the prisoner and his strange
advocate met. Tennessee smiled,
showed his white teeth, and saying,
"Euehred, old man :" held out his
hand. Tennessee's Partner took il in
his own, and saying, AZ just dropped
in to see how things was gettin' on, "
let the hand passively fall, and adding
that ait was q warm night again
mopped his face with his handker-
chief, ands without another word
withdrew.
The two men never again met each
other alive. For the unparalleled in
suit Of bribe offered to Judge Lynch
! who whether bigoted, weak or mar.
, row, was at least incoTruptible firmly
fixed in his mind Of that mythical
: parsonage in wavering determination
, Of Tennessee's fate; and at the break
, of day he was marched closely guard
ed, to meet it at the top Of Marley:
, Hill.
, How he met ii, how cool he was
> how he refused to say anything, how
+ perfect were the arrangements Of the
j. committee, were all duly reported
, with the addition of a warning mora
> and example to all future evil-dOers
in the Red Dog Clarion, by its editor
!, who was present, and to whose vigOr
Gus English / cheerfully refer thu
4 reader. But the beauty OF that mid
!. summer morning, the blessed amity
\ of earth and air and sky, the awaken
: ed life of free woods and hills, tn
a Joyous renewal and promise Of Nature
! and above all, the infinite Serenity
], that thrilled through each, was no
: reported as not being n part OF tn
= eociaI lesson. And yet, when tn
. weak and foolish deed was done, ant
|. a life, with its possibilities and respOn
= sibilities, had passed out of the mis-
I shapeR thing that dangled betweel
. earth and sky, the birds sang, th
flowers blOOmed, the sun shOne a
-. cheerily as before; and possibly tn
l Red Dog Clarion was right.
:. Tennessee's Partner was not in tn
\ group that surrounded the Ominou
tree. But as they turned to dispers
- attention was drawn to the sirgula
~ appearance of a mOtiOnless donkey
a cart halted at the side Of the road. 4
"a they approached, they at once recOl
= nized the venerable Jenny and th
a two-wheeled cart as the property