The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1881-10-29

anu, rs he entered tnG mousse from 2
back door, his mother stepped in to
meet him. | heard him walk toward
his father. and heard the latter say, in
a questioning tone:
"Well? n
1--WE shot him."
"Dead?n
81 didn't stop to see. They're on my
tracks, and faint no use to run. don't
care, any way
don't like to recall the scene that
followed The very next moment the
yard was full of people, and the young
fellow, who made no effort to escape.
was taken prisoner.
A terrible fascination kept me on the
spot, though poor little Mary was
frightened almost to death, and Ike,
from the driver seat, was wildly en-
treating me to hurry. He did not un-
derstand what was going on, but he saw
the crowd, and heard their threats, and
didn't know but that he was to be their
victim.
could see the defiant face of the old
man, and | heard him tell the Sheriff,
who headed the crowd, that he had or
dered his son to shoot his enemy, and
that they might as well take him, too.
"Ef jeff Jarvis dies. Curnel, we Ii be
monstrOus apt to 'commodate you the
man said. Jest now all we want is
this young marksman,"
! AS they took their prisoner away, the
| poor mother followed in the front yard
where | was standing. Her eyes were
dry and her tongue was mute. She did
not bid her boy farewell, but she gaZed
at him with a look of such dumb de-
! spair as | never saw in human eyes be-
| fore.
| He tried to look bold and Indifferent.
but it was a pitt III failure, and as the
| gate shut behind him he glanced back
once, and l could see his lips culver.
| What comfort could | give the woman
| standing there? In a helpless, dumb
way she had been striving after bet
! ter life, but she knew little or nothing
! of either human or divine sympathy,
| but she listened to the few words | had
| to say, and when | told her the man
might recover, and Lloyd be acquitted,
! she seemed to arouse from her lethargv.
perhaps so, ma am" she answered;
"but we've gone all wrong, and |
reckon we amt goin' to be spared.
| Loyd's a good boy, a tender-hearted
] L u Il u
done better fur him than this. But he'
with bitter emphasis" he's harder
nor rock, and he don't mind blood
sheddin', and he gives his sons evil
counsel. You say you heard him tell
Lloyd to take the gum do you think that
would help him on the trial?n
told her perhaps it might, and gave
her my address, so that if necessary,
I a L.,
| My heart ached, as | drove Oft, to see
that motiOnless figure standing there,
her arms folded, and her despairng
eyes fixed upon the road down which
her son had been carried, prisoner,
and perhaps murderer
| 1t can be easily imagined that l fol-
lowed the report of Lloyd Stratton' s
| trial with interest. The man he had
wounded recovered, and though there
| had evidently been intent to kill, yet in
that rough and somewhat lawless COM
munty, that did not weigh heavily
against him. Besides, his youth, and
amiable, prepOssessing face and man
ner, had some effect upon the jury.
He was acquitted his father died
the very day his prison-doors were
opened.
i heard no more of the STATIONS I'M
til, about three months ago, happened
to be in the town of Almont, and, walk
| ing out one day, | met two wagons
heavily laden. The face of the driver
of one of them was familiar, and when
the woman sitting by him threw back
her calico sunbOnnet and ca. led out my
name, recognized my friends of that
memorable night in the forest. But
they were looking well and happy.
"Yes, we're goin' back to Carliny,"
Mrs. Stratton said, in answer to my
questions, "every one of us. Me and
Lloyd want TO 90 where we kin git to
church once in a while, for somehow it
seems as eff my boy and me has come
back from the grave. A good gentle
man talked to us when we wos in SIGH
trouble, and he gin LLOYD books to read,
and we're goin' to try and live better
lives, eff we kin, and perhaps the other
bows. too"
Not word of the dark spirit-the
wretched man who had been the head
of the family, and who had crushed
their lives and taught them evil. His
death was evidently relief, and in the
new life the mother and son had begun,
l felt that his memory would be put
aside, as we put aside all remembrance
of past pain and anguish.
God bless Lloyd and his mother in
their home and in their efforts to lead a
new YOUTHS Companion.