Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1878-03-07

agony, lie, IN one snort sharp point Ol
time. But he drew back and walked
on with long quick steps. ~ ~,
Aunt Mely's house was poised on the
side of the bluff like a rocking-stone.
Back of 1t was a struggling garden
protected from the goats by queer
sort of fence made of all the refuse stuff
Aunt Meley could find-broad planks,
old fence rails, sticks of wood and
brush heaps. OF the house itself you
could not say that one part was worse
than another. Ii seemed to hang to-
gether by attenuated threads. Sam
son in his days OF bibs and long gowns
could have brought It about his ears
with vigorous infantine kick. The
chimney was remarkable. It had been
dsubed with mud and stuck with clay,
and on the outside Aunt Nelly had
nailed a shining sheet of tin. -r
The old woman was bustling about
indoors when q shadow came between
her and the sun. She looked up and
saw mans form in the doorway:
'Lor' bless my soul, Phil VIckers! Is
dat you? What's de matter wild your
Pm in great trouble, Aunt Nelly. ]
want you to help me-hide me- r.,
Hide you? Why, what hev you
been doin'? ...-....r ~
He pushed his way beside her into
the room.
She follower him and shut the door.
What have you done, boy? she re-
peated. -,
'Ive killed Tom Jack, if you must
know
Killed Tom Jack! Phil Vickers, you
God fOrsaken creeter! " hat did you do
that fOr?' ..-.-... ....
His eyes sparkled; he forgot his ter
rOr; his voice rose to shrill key and
shook In speaking. Aunt Mely, tell
me this: Have been good husband
to Betty Hill?'
Yes, you have, Phil; come what
may, I'll always bar witness to dat
'I've loved her, Aunt Nelly, and you
know it. She lay on my heart day an
night. thoug she was true wife
to me- 4 u. T- r" -fis-
so she was, Phil-so she was. Many
an many's de time she's said ter me,
My Phil's de sweetest, kindest boy
that ever lived.'' las gf ss
He broke into howl of anguish:
Now you hear what that counts up
ter. got home Monday night from q
days huntin'; had a deer on my
shoulder. 1t was the day befo' MOddy
Gras, you know; we was comm across
next day to see the sights. / had been
whistlin' loud, but / stopped when !
got in hOllerin' reach o. the house, and
slipped to the Winder to see what Little
Betty was dOin'. An thar, shO' as
thar's livin' God, standih' by my
wife, his arms round her waist was q
man! Things sWum befO' my eyes for
a minnit: then the pine knots blazed
mp an l saw Tom Jacks face.
watched 'em. They were talkin' an'
laughin' quite frien'ly, Tom struttin'
about like a dancin' jack. Then he
comes up to her ag'n, pulls at her
dress an kisses her on the bare neck.
she lau5hin' an struggljn' with
| him, as she done with me a thousand
there was load in 1t, an shot. I'd as
Jack dropped, and Little Betty stood
screamin' over him an wringin' her
hands. / flung down my rifle an run
to the woods. / WAS thar all that night
an yesterday, walkin', walkin', walk
in, till another night cOme;an' l swum
the river befO' sun up this mornin'.
God forgive you Phil! God forgive
You fO' this sin!'
Sin, is it?-sin to shoot man who
wants to reap a crop I've fenced in?
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. Il saw some
men leave Hopefield as started here;
they must be nearly across
i 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 ell day,
and steal off when night comes. l
think you'd better take to de woods
sgin.'
Il won't do that-not unless I want
ter go blind crazy
See # you kin crawl In de chimley.
Oar aInt been no fire In it for a month
o. Sundays. 1t smoke so bad cant
cook nothin. You kin STAN up, and
I'll put cheer in de fire place, an
pile it up wild my ole clothes to hide
yer legs
Look out, Aunt Nelly, and see If
they're cOpiln.'
She opened the door cautiously: Il
see three men at de landin, Phil, but
dey amt comm dis way. Dey's
struck across Front Row.
They're off my track. They'll look
for me in the slums l meant TO hide
in.'
For all dat, dis amt a safe place for
you to hide in
DO you want to turn me out OF your
house?
'God forbid, you po' boy! Stay an
git what comfort you kin. Stretch
yerself out on dat bed dar an try to
rest. I'll watch out fo' yOu.'
He threw himself down and tried to
sleep, but in van. His blood began to
burn and race in his veins; pain struck
at him with q thousand whips. He
held his hands over his mouth to keep
himself from screaming aloud.
Toward noon he heard, as from some
far off place, Aunt Mely's voice; Phil,
honey, dey are comm back
He sprang up and thrust his head
ana neck out OF the door.
Git back, Phil, said the old woman.
Il can tell you all there Is to tell.
Dey's stoppin now at q house on Prom.
enade street. Dey's drawin water
at de well by de wood pile, and q
little gal Is talkin to dem.
She gave me some buttermilk this
mornin; she saw the way ! come. rmI
lost man.
mo, you aint. You jis git right in
de chimley, an I'll deal wild dem If dey
come rarin roua dis house.
By the time ne was well in the hi
ding place the men had turned toward
the negro quarter. Aunt Nelly sal
down aud went to work quietly ON a
patchw work quilt, ready to receive them
with proper surprise and dignity. But
when they came the work fell from
he- hands, her skin turned ashen gray,
she shook in every limb, for rom Jack
was the first mau to burst into the
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