The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-04-21
RT II,

office was crowded when Jim Scrag- gins case was called. Liza, with her right arm in sling and splints and the dark, determined frown on her face almost covered up with strips of sticking plaster, appeared as chief witness and prosecutor.
 Little Jim, with face black and blue, sat in his mothers lap.
 Jim, the larger, came in between two officers and sat down with his face turned away.
 He was dirty and uncombed. His clothes were muddy and torn and he was evidently weak and sick from the privation of hiding out.
 Liza told her story plainly and with evident intent to hold back no word which might assure the sen- tence.
 Bob Ables corroborated her story, though with apparent unwillingness.
 Mrs. Basher testified to Jim's flight and the condition of Liza at the time.
 The justice turned to the prisoner.
 "Jim Scraggins gannies, it looks nightly to this hyur cou't as how you done got yerself in box. Cain't come a beatin' gals n kids 'roun' these hyur diggin's. l gannies, yer never wuz no good, no how. Elf you'd ben in Moo Yawk CT some CT them fur'n pints 'sti'd O ole Rackensack wher justiss sets dethroned and blin' O one eye, yer'd ben hung ter CT linn like yer ort ben fore now and l gannies, Pll see yer don beat no mo wimmern this cold spell. Jim Scrag- gins, what hev yer got ter say ergin ther follerin' sentrunce?
 "Thet you, Jim Scraggins, be and howsoever is oncosserated in ther county jail som'er's long erbout six monce CT pay CT find uv 'pout a hun- nerd dollahs -
 "Oh, thet's whut I sed-now shout"
 "Jedge, reckon yer right, on'y pears like the New Yawk bizniz you's talkin' bout 'u'd be a durn'd site fittender n !is' layin' in jail erwhile. Jim Scraggins ain'ter kickin' at no sorter chunkin 'roun' now. Done busted, he is-durned sight 'druther be dead, nohow, anyhow, n see pore Lizer whuts holp me up manys time when l wus down n coddled me up when I wus sick n done my work when I's full CT ole crow, a set tim there all bunged up, n me done it. Pore little Lizer n Jim don know ez thurs any use'n worryin' 'bout whut's goin' to come O yer 'thout me fur reckon yer a durn site better off 'thout ole Jim. But you fellers hyurl Jim Scraggins done ben drunk 'th ever one of yer Inf you let my Lizer git hungry while Pm out CT sight ,durn eff I don eat yer, eff ther whole bizniz is my fault"
 And he sat down.
 Then a poor broken bandaged face was lifted from the front seat, full of tears and grief and love.
 ''Jedge," she said, "I reckon I wus crazy. I never thought bout the eend of this trile. Oh, Lord never can git erlong 'thout my Jim. I ain'ter goin'ter either n yer shain't make me.
 "I reckon riled him unconscious. l never meant ter, but I muster done it else Jim wouldn'ter hit me. I ain't ben ez good ez Jim says. Pve ben cross 'n' sassy manys time 'n' riled him 'n' he never said a cross word 'ceptin' he wus drunk 'n' I reckon Jim's d'es ez good ez anybody 'n' jedge, yer shan't say he ain't 'n' yer shan't lock him up either. Take it back, jedge-take back yer sentnunce. Oh, Lord 1" and she sank down weep ing.
 "l gannies, honey, this hyur's done, done. Jim orto suffer fer this biznez 'n' yer ortn't CT testified ef yer didn't want no sentnunce. I can't take back ther sentnunce uv ther jewdishery uv ole Rackensack.
 "Sorter hard, honey. I done knowed yer purity face mos sence yer wus borned, toted yer to yer mammy's grave, honey, when they put Fer side ole Lige Tunnels yer daddy 'n' I hates ter hurt yer, honey, I gannies, but reckon Jim'll have ter go."
 "Jedge, wait CT little bit till come back. Dom sem him off. I'll come back in a minute. Oh, Lord, what hessI done p and Liza rushed out of the room.
 "Gentmen," said the court, "I reckon they hain't ner never wus a man in ther whole world nur Arkan- saw neither. I gannies, whut was wuth all day 'smuch ez the parin's oil a womern's toe nails is in CT minnit. "This hyur cou't's waitin' fer Lizer tcome back, dom nary 8 man move." And the old squire pretended to read the "Revised Code" and held it be- fore his face, but no one noticed that it was wrong side up.
 Jim hid his face in his arms on the old pine table with notches and names cut all over 1t.
 Bob Ables chewed tobacco fari-