The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1878-02-14

an I saw Tom Jacks face. watched
EN-. They were talkin' an laughin'
quite frien'ly, Tom struttin' about like
a dancin'- Jack. Then he come up to
her agi in, pulls at her dress an kisses
her, she a-laughin' an a-strugglin'
with him, as she'd done with me a
thousan' times. I lifted my rifle,
thankin' God there was load in it, an
shot. I'd as lief ha' hit 'em both; but
only Tom Jack dropped, and Little
Betty stood screamin' over him an
wringin' her hans. 1 flung down my
rifle an run to the woods. was thar
all that night an yesterday, walkin'
walkin', walkin', till another night
come; an swum the river befo' sun
up this mornin'."
you fo' yer sin!'
"Sin, is it?-sin to shoot such man?
Don't talk to me about sin, old Nelly
Mitchell"'
"Thar! thar! poor boy! Don't look
at me SO wild. What kin do for you,
honey?''
Whatever you do must be done
soon,' he said sullenly, II saw some
men leave Hopetield as started here;
they must be nearly across
II amt got place on de yearth to
hide you, Phil. 'thouten you kin git in
de chimley; they'll never think o.
lookin' dar. You kin keep in all day,
and steal off when night comes. l
think you'd better take ter de woods
ag'in."
Il won't do that-not unless want
ter go blind crazy
"See'f you kin crawl in de chimley.
Oar amt been no fire in it for a month
o. Sundays. 1t smokes so bad can't
cook nothin'. You kin stan up, an I'll
put cheer in dc fireplace, and pile it
up wild my ole clos ter hide yer legs"
"LeOk out, Aunt Nelly, an see #
they're COMM"
She opened the door cautiously: 81
see three men at de landin', Phil, but
dey amt a-comin' dis way. Dey's
struck across Front Row."
They're off my track. They'll look
for me in the very slums l meant to
hide i'm
"For all dat, dis amt a safe place
fo' you, Phil
"Do you want to turn me out of your
house?''
"God forbid, you po' boy! Stay and
git what comfort you kin. Stretch yer
self out on dat bed dar and try ter rest.
I'll watch out fo' YOU"
He threw himself down and tried to
sleep, but in vain. His blood began to
burn and race in his veins; pain struck
at him with Il thousand whips. He
held his hands over his mouth to keep
himself from screaming aloud.
Toward noon he heard, as from some
far-otf place, Aunt Mely's voice: Phil,
honey, dey're comin' back"
He sprang up and thrust his head
recklessly out of the door.
"Git back, Phil" said the old wom-
an, sharply: II kin tell you all der is
to tell. Dey's stoppin' now at house
on Promenade street. Dey's DRAWN
water at de well by de wood-pile, an a
little girl is talkin' to dem.''
'She gave me some buttermilk this
mornin'; she saw the way come. I'm
a lost man."
mo, you amt. You jis. git right in
de chimley, an I'll deal wild 'em If dcy
come arm roun' dis house,
BY the time he was well in the hid
ing-place the men had turned toward
the negro quarter. Aunt Nelly sat down
and went to work quietly on patch
work quilt, ready to receive them with
proper surprise and dignity. But
when they came the work tell from her
hands, her skin turned ashen-gray, she
shook in every limb, for Tom Jack
was the first man to burst into the room
Tom Jack, strong in virile life,
angry-eyed, long knife stuck in his
belt.
Aunt Nelly was shrewd old soul; she
recovered herself quickly and said moth
ing. "Phil sartinly shot somebody"
she thought, "an' I'll iis' hor my
tongue till see how things is gwine
ter turn out"
''Where is Phil Vickers?'' said Tom,
in voice husky with passion.
''Phil Vickers? Why, amt seed de
boy sence l went over to his house
bout week back to git a settin' of
eggs Miss Betty'd been savin' up for
me-"
"Now come, Aunt Mely," said one
of the party, good-humoredly, "you
needn't lie. Little Sally Polk saw
him come right in yer do. We left a
p'liceman huntin' him in the city, an
was on our way back to Hopefield when
the child told us whar he were.''
80 my soul! What's poor Phil done
dat you're all a-huntin' him like pack
o. houn's?''
'.Phil's had little shootin' affair.""
said the good-natured man.
Who'd he shoot?'
who'd he shoot?" cried Tom Jack.
The sweetest, brightest creetur' the
Lord ever made my sister, Nancy
Jack"
In the dreadful silence that followed
a convulsive, gasping sound was heard.
The next moment Phil Vickers sprang
out, his hair and clothes covered with
mold like specter from the grave.
els this true, boys? Did l kill Nancy
Jack?" he said in harsh, hollow
voice.
Jack sprang at him, his knife flash
ing in the air. But he was caught and
held back by one of the men with him.
Softly, Tom, softly! Let Phil have
fair play"
"Fair play for man who shot down
my sister in cold blood?''
"As God sees me, Tom, l thought it
was you kissin' Little Betty"
That's an argument. Tom," said
the third man, who had a long, sad
face, and who fingered over his words
as if he were patting them that's an
argument as I'll 60 down with the jury.
1t was night; you an Nancy are alike
in the face; you've got no whiskers, you
know, Tom. How was Phil to know
that it was Nancy a-showin' herself off
to Little Betty, dressed up in your
clo'es for Moddy-Gras frolic?''
As he heard curious change came
over Phil. His knees began to shake
pitiably, his body to collapse. He held
out his hand as if trying to steady HIM
self, and grasping onlv air. he fell