The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-09
CHAPTER w.

The following is part of dialogue had between
Ryal Towns and his wife on Saturday night
after the homicide, which occurred Wednesday
afternoon:
"Ryal, what's this talk about your pas willing
all the property to you, and cutting out Cousin
Sally and Wiley?"
"Mandy Willis. She was over here this even
ing, and said Joe told her So and she said you
had promised to let Joe have the twenty acre
heater next to him for almost nothing"
II think Mandy mout find enough to do a.
home to keep her from here, meddlin' with my
business"
II don't see how that is meddling, Ryal
Mandy is not a meddlesome woman, either; but
is it sol"
mo, it amt Wiley's left Bob, his wife and
his Youngest child and ma left what furniture
she fotch when pa married her."
us that all, and the house and Sinkler place,
Rya1. that amt Cousin Sally's"
mo; it's ourn.'
She rose and walked time or two across the
room; then paused in front of her husband, who,
during the rest of the conversation, seldom
looked towards her
"What do you mean by ourn, Ryal?"
"Why, mine, Nancy, and yourn."
"You may well say mine but there you might
have stopped, for have part or lot in that
piece of property"
He looked at her for moment, and his dark
face flushed
II never see SIGH woman you, Nancy, to
stand in the way of your own interest"
"Ryal," she said, eEdeavoring to be calm,
we've had, that is you've had, from your pa
what if the property was divided between you
three, would be your part and the cause of it is
not that your pa loved you so much; but, more
than anything else, because Cousin Sally ard
Wiley both liked brother Buck and your pa
hated him."
II don't know, can't say that pa really hated
Buck"
''Yes, you do know it, Ryal and you never
tried to keep him from hating him although he's
your wifes only brother"
You're mistaken, Nancy like Buck Sink
Ter myself Leastways I've tried to get him to
like me, but he never comes anigh me, nor anigh
you, to that exceptin' when he knows that he
won't meet long O. me-"
He uttered this in piteous tone
And that's because be thinks you've helped to
P %isy.S your pa against Cousin Sally and
"It's no sch thing" he said doggedly
"Ah well, then, let that go. But tell me now,
Ryal. Have you been expecting to move over
yonder when Cousin Sally and Wiley gather up
their few things and start wandering around for
yctuals and shelterp
Nancy, you didn't spose that / were goin' to
let ma and Wiley suffer-"
That's neither here nor there Are you
pecting to move over therel"
'Weil, Nancy, to tell you the truth, / am
But tend to let 'em have this place until Wiley
can git one of his own, and made up my mind
not to charge one cent O. rent"
''Well, Ryal," she said, in low voice, ''there's
one person that's not going there to live and
that PERSONS me-"
Name O God, Nancy! what do you meant"
You've called on the right name, Ryal," she
continued, trembling, but not with mortal fear.
Its name that amt been called on in these
two families, as habit; leastways, like it ought
to be-the mores the pity. If / was willing to
move over there-and Cousin Sally's work has
made it the prettieSt place in the neighborhood
its because Of the name of God that I'd be
afraid to CO. Ryal, you're my husband; I've been
a true wife to you; you've been man that for
wife to get along with she has to take heap
of pains, because you're hard to please and you're
slow to let it be known when you are pleased"
She sat down. looked into the fire, and her
eyes filled with tears She wiped them away
and proceeded.
Il don't say that you've been cruel to me, but
you've hurt my feelings. and many times when
you didn't intend to do it and didn't know You
done it. You've been hard on the negroes that
came by me, and you've never liked my brother
But as to that I've never been SO much hurt be-
cause there was never much to loose betwixt you
and brother Buck. You've hurt me the worse,
hyal, by the way you've treated Cousin Sally
and limited to your pa about her. and preiudiccd
him against her. She's not only my cousin, but
she's woman, and any woman that's true one
is obliged to feel hurt when she sees another
true woman put upon in ways that hurt her the
worst. Such as that, Ryal goes to a woman's
hearth She uttered the last word almost
with a scream then rose and stood before her
husband, Who yet kept his seat and looked upon
the floor
And when you ask me in the name Of God
what mean, answer that that's what / mean,
and that I'd no more 60 to live in that house,
that Is, in the way you've been thinking; about,
than I'd make my bed upon your pas grlve~