The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-07-22
Jim AND MARY.
How Tennessee Wife Bevenged Blow
From Her Husband.
Detroit Free Press. |

lDetrolt Free Press.
We were winding down one of the mount
ain roads of Tennessee in cart drawn by
mule The land was barren. the cabins no
better than novels, and it was a query
how people made bare living or were con-
tent to stay. By and by We came TO a turn
in the road where there was a trough TO
water horses, and the cabin of a settler.
This cabin was the poorest of all, and moth
ing around it indicated that the owner made
any attempt to cultivate the soil. We
reached the place just in time to witness a
tableau. A women, poorley dressed, and
her face bearing the look of one who bad
seen much worry and suffering, stood near
the trough, and a satchel filled with clothing
sat on the ground beside her. Five feet away
stood her husband, q bLrly, tough-faced
mOuntalneer, and he held switch in his
hand. Neither minded us as we drove up.
and it was full minute before the husband
said:
MARY I'll wollop ye,''
"Jim, We dasn't," she replied.
''Mary We can't leave me nohow."
''Jim, I'm gwine ter do it I've starved an
suffered till I'm clear gone. I'm going
home"
''Mary, if We don't take up that satchel and
march in I'll wOllOpye good and stout
There were two of US besides the driver.
The woman looked up and scanned our faces.
as if to Judge how far she might count on our
II.
'''Tain't rulable fur strangers to mix in,
Mary, and Jim.s got knife and would kill
somebody. Better go in
''Neveri'' she Kissed
III you don't" said the husband as he
came a step nearer, "Tll make the fur fly.
Take that
With a swish he brought the switch down
across her shoulders and raised it again. She
stood stock still for a minute and looked
him in the eye, and then walked into the
hovel.
'Rayther pearl but the CAD will cure
her.'' grinned the husband as Ire drew the
switch through his fingers.
His triumph was short-lived. In sixty
seconds Mary reappeared. She had the
mountaineer's heavy rifle in her hands, and
as she came out she raised it on line with
the mans heart
Jim, | want We to git.'
'N-Or"
''Sartinr'
'shool Can't do it,
"Click! click.''
''Mary, what We gwine ter do?''
Kill we like a wolf in yer tracks if We
don't walk away
"Whar toP'i
''Nobody keersi Go sumwhar goin'
don't never come back. Hurry up fur
I'm going down on the stage!"
He looked into her eyes and saw the
change. Poverty and brutality had come to
an end. Love had turned to disgust and in
place of fear was such bravery as he would
not have looked for in man the road.
He saw "shoot'' in her eyes, but he still
hesitated.
''Mary, drop that rifle he whispered.
Jim, git If you are here when I've
finished counting twenty III kill you as sure
as there is God in heavenl''
He began backing away. When he had
gone twenty feet he turned and walked
When he had gone hundred he halted,
wheeled about, and after a long look NUT
tered:
"Wall, by gosh. Mary, let's make up
Keep a-gittin', JIM" she replied, as she
still covered him with the rifle.
In five minutes he was out of sight up the
road. The woman placed the gun and
satchel in the cart, walked into the howell to
be gone two minutes, and when she came
back to the cart and took seat with us
flames were seen creeping through hun
drcd crevices between the dry logs. With
out a word she climbed in, and only once
during the fve-mile ride did she utter a
word. AT bend in the road she looked
back at the pyramid of smoke and flames
wrought by her hands, and said. rs if to her
self:
"Jim didn't know Mary. Jim didn't"