The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-09
Copyrighted 1885, by the Author-An Rights
Reserved.
CHAPTER I.


"Id rather be dead than live the life we're liv-
hg," said Mrs. Sally Towns one day.
But you'd sight rather 1 was dead an
ywered Mr. Tom Towns, her husband.
II would not God knows that neither of usis
prepared to die If / was I'd pray to Him to
take me this day"
why, l thought you was always ready to sail
right away to heaven, and was jest waitin' to
git rid O me, and carry out some O your pro-
Iects."
Make as much fun as you please, Mr.. Towns.
You're man and I'm woman. You'rem my hus-
band and I'm your wife, You know you can in
suit me and abuse me as much as you please, as
you've been doing for the last twenty years and
better There's nobody and nothing to hinder
you. AS for the property, and you know that
ut least half of it came by me, you've already
given Ryai more than his part if you were to die
and a division was made betwixt him
and me and Wiley. And now you
say you're going to town tomorrow
and make another will and give to Ryal, not
only all the negroes, except Bob and his family,
but this very house, where was born, where
was raised, where married you, where Wiley was
born. Well. sir. the law gives you the power.
and you'll take it, as you've always done with
what power the law or anything else ever gave
you. Do it, sir; I'll never ask you again to re-
member me and Wiley in your will; and he'll
never ask you, as you know But even if you
could forget your wife at such time, I can't
see, for the life Of me, can't see how father
could forget his son."
The old man, who was full twenty-five years
her senior, looked at her searchingy
Don't you think that, with Buck Sinkler to
help you and Wiley, you could manage to get
RlongY"
She blushed deeply and instantly answered:
''Mr. Towns if I'd beer man like you. and
had the thoughts you've had or pretended to
have about Buck Sinkler, I'd have killed Buck
Snkler before now or I'd have killed my wife,
or I'd have killed her son that had my name, or
I'd have killed myself. I'd have killed somebody,
certain"
II 'spect you would"
II would, indeed. That's the difference be-
5weon people. You've limited and limited about
Buck Sinkler ever since I've been married to
you, as if wanted to die so tlsat-well, God
only knows what all your thoughts have been
and He knows that they've had no foundation
But when man like you wants to outrage the
feeling of woman, especially if she's his wife,
he wants no foundations. The safest piece of
meanness which man can do in this world is
meanness to his wife. The law gives him not
only all her property, but the right to abuse her
and SANDER her AS for Buck Sinkler, don't
suppose he's ever known of your thoughts about
him, or if he has he's too much elfrespect and
81 q m with yO oh <hopo
Respect for hisself and you too, hah!"
yes sir; respect for both. You don't seem
to understand how man can have respect for
his own honor and that of a poor, helpless
abused woman at the same time"
II do believe she wants me dead!" he said
bitterly.
mo, sir. You needn't believe, and as to that,
you don't believe any such thing. Little as you
know me, it's enough for you to be certain that
I'm murderer, in deed or in heart, and if I
could be- that wouldn't in the case of my own
husband and the father of my own and only
child"
"How do know that2' and his pale wrinkled
face aDguished with the pangs of undisguised
sncertitude
Know whatG' she asked, her fiery blue eyes
God! What does this man meant"
At that moment, Wiley Towns entered the
room, having just returned from the field
There's one of the persons" said his mother,
that We were talking about You may as we'll
let him hear what it was you want to say about
his mother ami about him."
They were two powerful men. The father,
known as Long Tom Towns, was six feet three
inches tall, or had been before age had bent
him, blackeyed and once black-haired, with
high cheek bones, Roman nose, even in ad-
vanced age giving signs of mighty strength of
will, and muscle and bone The son, an inch
shorter, was strikingly like him, except that he
had his mothers complexion of eyes, hair and
flesh. In spite of his plain manners and country
breeding. he had the looks and the carriage of a
thorough gentleman
What is it, mothers" he said, tenderly tax
ing her hand but proceeding no further in his
endearment What's the matter with mother,
fatherl Threatening her yet again about your
willr
The father looked with some embarrassment
upon his son. who, scarcely twenty years Of age.
fixed his eyes upon him and began calmly, sadly,
to demonstrate with him.
Father, it's time these troubles between you
and mother should stop Why should they ever
have started, goodness knows. You've never
seemed to know mother, somehow, father"
He put his arm around his mother and drew
her toward him. The feelings he could no
longer repress now showed themselves in his
look and his words
II haven't the slightest idea that you do know
one fact about her, father, and that is that she's
the best woman upon the top of the
ground. For some reason, God Almighty
knows, don't, you've been always hard with
her, and sighted her. and-sometimes you've
appeared to be suspicious. II don't-my God
Il don't know whether you've been suspicious
Of her not, what about. But with
all the opportunities you've had, you've
never found out VIII ~ Che q