The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1884-11-01


seriousness; she looked neither to right
nor left, and the weeks wearing away
found her with face still turned upward
to the long, narrow window, patient,
quiet, fixed, the child always beside
her, mute and motionless as herself.
Sometimes second pair of hands
grasped the bars. That's Tim young
er brother" they told me, "It's nigh
about six year sence they dropped Their
man, and 'twan't in a cool-blooded
murder neither They've trailed about
God knows how and He only knows
when, keepin' out n the Sheriff's way,
and wherever they've went she's went,
too. and sence they've been here she
comes in every little while and stays
round like this yer. Jtm's her hus-
| band, you know" All, as If l didn't
| knowl
My heart ached for her and / used to
long, vet dread, to see her face. But l
never did, though once she removed the
faded sunbonnet as she passed me in
the dim twilight, going down to the
camp in the edge OF the thicket, where
she and the child slept at night under
the dark sky with its solemn stars. But
it was so late that could see only a
lonely pallor and sunken eyes that
seemed not to see.
One morning at last saw her climb
into rickety old buggy. drawn by the
meager gray horse that had been
staked near her camp. saw her settle
the child in her lap, grasp the reins
and drive slowly up the long hill that
leads out of the town. At the top OF 1t
she paused and stood up in the buggy,
looking back. Her slender form was
sharply defined against the early morn
ing sky for q moment can see it yet!
Then she sank back into her seat, and
presently she had passed out of sight.
The mountains that had been
wrapped in purple mists when they had
sent their sweet, fresh breezes into the
heart of the midsummer, stood up blue
and clean against the cold, gray sky OF
Novemb Der. All day long norther had
been roaring down from them, twisting
the bare. thorny branches of the mes
quite thickets, creaking the limbs OF
oaks; whistling through the dry grass
of the little prairie, striking like solid
thing upon the shivering sides of the
shelterless, gaunt, long-horned cattle,
and sweeping with moan into the
streets of the town. The little town
itself, all the warmth and color blown
out of it, looked deserted, for it was
Sunday, and every man was housed
with his own in the glow of his hearth
: fire.
AS night fell the wind grew keen.
er, with b suggestion of sleet upon it.
The old stage numbered in, arousins
the dogs as it passed, but presently
these dropped into Stiffness again. The
lights behind the windows began to dis
! appear. and one by one went out
In the square stone jail where the
, guards watched and dozed alternatel,
: in the hall below, and in the cells abov,
! the prisoners shivered on their scanty
pallets.
Down the long hill, close upon mid
night, into the midst of this stiffness
:, and gloom, rode two score and more o
men. Grim, silent and pitiless. will
! faces yelled and belts bristling will
!. weapons, they came like phantoms from
some unknown Dark.
!, The heavy thud of ponderous bean
upon the door of the jail! The guard
: within start to their feet. The prison
ers grasp each other in a hush of ex
= pectation into which creeps the hope O
. deliverance. Again and again the dul
= sound mingles with the ever-increasin,
:, roar of the wind and the rain. The
= there is the crash of splintering WOO
:. and rush like that of doom, silent an
mighty, up the narrow stairway, wit
', the white and stricken guards driven o
y before. DeliveranceP The solid Ike
- groans in the lock, the smoky lam
r throws a ghastly glare into the col
= cell. And present.
= energies into the freezing night air
70 long, double file of men whose face
= are hidden, but whose clenched hand
g betray too well lack of mercy; and i
= !, the midst thereof walk two barefooted
- u half-naked, shivering creatures, wit
= the ropes already knotted about thei
= necks.
70 And so silently hurries this ghostl
,s procession up the wind-swept hill an
!, across the barren heath that not eve
~ the watch-dogs are aroused from the
= slumbers. One old hunter, indeed, lift
- - his head from mis- pillow with the il
= stinct OF danger upoh him; rises upo
:. his elbow and listens to the soughing
~ the wind, while the glow of the dyin
- fire reddens the barrel of the rifle swun
y above his door, laughs contentedly {
J, he hears nothing else and drops bac
10 into dreamland.
~ Behind the iail-doors are left vic
70 open, but the other prisoners, froze
7 with horror, cover back into their eel
:, and pray.
10 And out yonder the work is Finishes
- finished remorselessly and in silenc
~ One of the victims, indeed. begs for II
~ lie of his young brother. aud the 9th,
"a prays that he may be shot But that
5u all Rnt whita and cold alraadu hafo