Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1883-06-02
my will was good for murder-look at

His eyes turn toward his breast
his right arm lies sriffiy across it clotted
with something that must be blood,
and the fingers look like the flesh of a
dead man.
think he understands that l am
sorry for HIM, for before my heart can
jump back to its right place again ne
drops the reins and touches his mangey
cap.
"I've been skulkin' in these ere
woods, mis-, nigh onto 9-week, aad
what with starvin' and the pain O
this, I'm most about dead pl lyed out.
IF you will cut across th9 fields to
that house over there" l say, kindly, l
am sure-for God knows l pity him
from the bottom of my heart" will
see that you get a good supper"
81 couldn't crawl there, much less
walk, and my time for suppers is over
for this word, reckon"
am so sorry for the poor, misery
ridden creature standing there in the
summer twilight, with the fragrant
woods all around him, and the birds
chipping sleepily in the trees--so very
sorry, and tell him so
He totters as l say it, and | am just
making up my mind that Calico and |
have a disagreeahle job before us when
he lays one miserable hand on the
wheel, and, drawing his face near
enough for me to see the ghastly seams
that want has scared there, cries i'm
ploringly:
"Thee's them that's hunting me to
my death; for Gods sake. won't you
help me?"
All my life have wanted to be a
man, and now the time has come to
act Ike one. am rubbing Calico down
in her stall-pa and being the only
men-I mean pa being the only man
about the place, we do this sort of
thing ourselves when the dear ol fel-
low h bibles down the pathway and
puts his head in the door.
ISIS" lie begins, with wide, excited
eyes, did you meet a big fellow down
the road-a dark chap with lots of
bumps and black, Fri 1zled whisker5?"
hal not and said so.
"Well, he came by here hunting up
some scamp who ROBBED a bank in
Richmond and got down to these parts
with the money in his pocket and a
bullet in his flesh. | started him down
the man road. L wonder you didn't
see him."
81 drove round by the MILL" an
swer. quietly enough, considering L
feel like tornado; "but he won't
catch his scamp tonight, dad"
"Think not? Why?"
Because I've got him snug in the
barnw
Goodness. gracious! then I'll
just"
He is making his way to warn JUS
tice as fast "a, his weak legs will let
him, when steady him against the
stable door and tlke away his cane.
"Dad, l cry, savagely, 81 adore
you, but if you take another step to
harm that man, why-you've only got
dozen daughters to go through the
rest of your life.''
"You! y gasps pa-and 1 wonder
the wisp of straw he has been chew
ing does not strangle him black on the
spot-"a child of mine help thief"
EXACTLY | and she means to make
you an accessory after the act. Now,
see here, pa, don't set up to be a
cherub, but when a fellow-creature,
starved and bleeding, asks me to help
him in the name of God, why mean
to help him if break every law in
Virginia to atoms so therel"
Pa looks stunned bit-as I Knew
he would-wavers bit, and tlien lay
ing one big brown paw on my head, as
likewise expected, knowing pas
ways as do, cries stoutly:
"Spoken like man, Sis; and now
let's have look at your villain"
When we stand at last before the
poor fellow, he looks so pitifully help
less stretched out there on the friendly
straw, that pas loving heart gets the
best of his law-abiding principles, and
he bathes the hurt arm as tenderly as
if it had never been raised in crime.
When pa first notices the jug of
water have brought from the spring
and the carriage-robe rolled up for a
pillow with the rough side in, he looks
at me wonderingly for a second, and
then CALCULATES with most contented
harpn IS:
"Thank God, Sis, you are only a
woman after all !"
Isuppose pa means well, but it does
not sound encouraging consideringrve
been trying to do my duty like man.
Even fathers are human.
ats no use," means the poor crea-
ture, when pa has done his best with