The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-16

wasn't worth while because he'd tell you And
he said also to Buck that from what he had
heard about the will he believed he could break
it.
Joe walked rapidly across the room several
times without saying word.
She watched him as he walked. On one side
of the fire. place was cradle in which lay asleep
another little Joe, year old. She rose, went to
the cradle, pulled the covering from the child's
face, and said:
Come here, joe"
He came.
Lock down there. There lies Joe Willis the
second, beautiful like his father, and loved by
me next to his father. But, do you know. Joe,
that I'd rather he would die tonight, there in
his cradle, than to grow up to man and be
afraid to do right for fear of another MANI"
Joe pulled at his hair as if he hated it. She
took chair, and drew another close beside It;
then said:
Come here, Joe, sit down by me- and let us
talk, heart to heart as we promised to do with
each other"
Joe took the chair. They sat long together
and their talk was the beginning of conjugal
career happier than it had ever been before
CHAPTER VI.
Ryal Towns was deeply panied by the knowl-
edge of the sympathy there was in the nelghbor-
hood for his step mother and brother, and the
universal sentiment that the homicide was wholly
accidental Late on Sunday afternoon he rode
over to Joe Wills's. Finding that Joe was gore
to town he was greatly surprised. and asked of
his wife the reason. She answered that William
Mobey had sent message to him that he
wished to see him, but about what she could not
say. Mr.. Sinkler. who brought it. didn't know.
He unused awhile, then. without alighting from
his horse, turned and rode back.
The court having jurisdiction Of the estates
of minors and deceased persons, with that of
general public county business, consisted OF
five justices, resident citizens. The greater
part OF Monday had been consumed in the
ne dc nd hriH nac md mid
way in the afternoon before the consideration
of the ordinary business came on. When 1t did,
Mr.. Elan Sandige as counsel for RyaI Towns,
propounded the last will and testament of
Thomas Towns in common form; that is with
out formal notice to all parties presumed to be
interested, procedure which made it I'M
necessary to seriously contest at this juncture.
William Mobiey, young lawyer, who was of
the Dukesborough neighborhood, and relative
of the Sinklers, had been retained by Buck to
watch the case and obtain whatever was posi-
BILE for Mrs. Towns and Wiley This the young
lawyer was now endeavoring to do, and, as
start in working the case had sent the message
to Joe Willis, before referred to-
When the case was opened he asked of Mr..
Sandige permission to inspect the paper pro-
pounded, read it carefully, then rose and said:
May it please your honors, the paper pro-
pounded seems to have been executed in con-
fOrmity to all legal requirements. In the cod
icil of the will, no viewer, but for reasons which
it is not just now necessary to explain might
contend, on the part of those whom l repre-
sent, there conditions which tend to show
that the teStators mind not fully deter
mined when the will was signed. But l pro-
pose to put the case of my clients upon other
grounds"
Then taking his hat, he withdrew from the
court house and went to his Office.
Its 10 use talking. Buck" he said an hour
afterwards, as with the latter and the Sheriff,
TIiplett standing in the vestibue of his office,
he looked at Ryal while with his letters tesla
mentary in his hand he was making for his
horse standing at the rack on the public square,
II don't blame you for wanting it stopped, but
you can't stop such things, Buck. God AL
mighty won't let them stop. l suspected how it
was from the first"
Ryal unhitched his horse and had his foot in
the stirrup ready to mount when Triplett's hand
was laid upon his shoulder. He shrank as if it
were heavy bar of heated iron.
"Fm sorry to interrupt you, Mr.. Towns said
Triplett but I've paper for YOU" He held it
up before his face SO lie could see the super
scrntion
"My Godl' exclaimed Ryal. and leaned against
the rack who says so, Triplettg Who started
this2' Further utterance was ehoked in his
throat. He requested to be allowed to go to Mr..
Sandige's Office. The sheriff conducted him
thither and waited at the door until he emerged,
Then, as it was too late to procure bail, even if
allowable, Triplett, by consent of Mobley. rather
than imprison him in Jail, took him to his own
house for the night Buck Sinkler had already
sent messenger to Wiley requesting him to
notify Ryars wife that he would be arrested on
criminal charge, without saying what 1t
was late at night when Wiley reached town
with his sister-in-law as their residence was
fourteen miles distant. Old Triplet could never
speak of the meeting of husband and wife with
out tears. Ryal assured her of his innocence
and she thoroughly believed it. Neither Ryal
nor his wife slept that night. She lay by his
side and they couversed the livelong night
Stung to the heart by not finding her brother there
the had returned home by another way, she
chung the closer to her husband, and when the
morning came felt that never, since the day of
marriage, had she loved him so entirely
Early in the day the justices before whom the
trial for commitment was to be had met in the
| courtroom. Ryal, pale as the dead, looked
hard at Joe Willis, who was sitting by William
Mobley He had sought Joe several times on
the day before, but as no one could
tell where he was. he had supposed Joe had
returned home. Joe looked about him and
seemed to everybody in the room except
Ryal. The counsel, opening the case, said he
had but one witness to offer, but perhaps would
follow his testimony with some circumstances
tending, if necessary to cOrroborate it. Then
he asked Joe Willis to take the stand Mrs.
Towns regarded Joe and her husband alternate
ly. Ryal looked at Joe for few moments, then
at his wife for a few more, most yearningly. 1t
was the last time that he that face.
Joe Willis himself was little pale when he
began. He employed many words in relating how
ne had been on a walk to the heater counting
the rails that he would save by taking it into
his own possessions, if such fortune should
ever befall him, and then how, upon the return
home he was astonished to find Wiley Towns ly-
ing by the side of the road asleep and intoxi-
Gated, while his horse was browsing near by.
There Joe paused
What did you do when you saw Wiley
Townsl' asked Mr.. Mobey.
"Nothin',' answered Joe. Mary thing did
do"
why, not9"
Because 1 heard voices" Ryal groaned from
the great deep of his breast
II heard voices" continued Joe, land didn't
want Uncle Tom to think that had anything to
do with the making of Wiley drunk; and so
got out of the road and lodged behind the big
poplar"
chow can you stand there and talk that way
when you know you was at home when got
there, and you asked me who that was snootin
down in the hnttomln