The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1888-05-24
PAYING THE PENALTY.
1t Was Sympathy He Wanted.

oscillating in indecision. He was from
the country-a thin old fellow, with
small blinking eyes and wriukled face.
Ills limp red hair had attained sort of
uncertain gray. In and out the burrows
OF his shallow chin sparse beard bris-
tied, leaving quite bare spots here and
thare where he bad rubbed off the hair
rubbing with such hard, horny hand,
year after year, in moments of indeci-
slon-evldently the ma jority of the mo-
ments OF his life. His mouth had been
shaped by pipe, which, drawing down
the corner OF it, drew all the wrinkles of
his face into it as into drain.
"4ou the Mayor of this town?" The
words slid without infection or emphasis
on to thin, drawling, nasal voice.
"4es. What do you want?"
Nothln', sir; nOthin' in perticular-'
Ihere was pause, as if cogent reasons
In his mind were giving him al other
warming. He fastened his eyes on the
Mayors face as if he were examining
Seeding potatoes.
thy"
. He closed his mouth suddenly, all to
the pipe hole, and began rubbing his chin
again. The solution of his doubts this
time resulted IN his conveying his COM
munication in a ulonotonous undertone
to himself, waving all claims to O hear
ing, which rested entirely in the volition
OF the Mayor. The small eyes impair
TALLY looked unmeaningly into space.
Its only that boy O mine. I've had
n powerful lot O. trouble with that boy
O mine. I've nussed him, I've tended
him, Ivo labored with him, and Il
I've prayed ovef him; I've prayed over
that boy O mine" He looked at the
Mayor for some expression over this last
item.
ooh, your boy in trouble?"
"He was tuck up today, and jedged.
He's locked up over there" He stopped
rubbing his chin to point in the direction
of the town jail.
"Locked up, eh? What was the matter?"
'heslsted the perlice, they call it. A
Teller tried to rest him. lie knocked
him down, my boy did,"
"keslstlng the police, eh? resisting the
authority of the law? Well, I'm yery
glad he's lockedup. You country people
think you can come into this town and
run 1T just as you please. No, sir; if YOU
AL don't like this town, you can keep
away; but if you do come here, you come
on our terms, and you've got to behave
yourselves The Mayor very generously
rclSsued this fragment of the peroration
of his mornings decision.
You're right, sir; you're perfectly
right. l amt sayin' nothin'; amt COM
pla1nln'; only come for sympathy.
They told me you was gentleman, sir.
amt got nothin' to say, sir; | onlv
come for sympathy. Pm a stranger her.
myself; ain't been here before in twenty
year-not sence before the boy wuz
born. I've nussed that boy, I've tended
him, and Ivo prayed over him m''-relaps-
ing into audible meditation. "He as
goods had 10 mother. l hclt him with
one hand while i stritched' her with
tother-my old woman. She died the
lust thing after he wuz born, my old
woman did. He wuz that puny and tiny
and red, there wuz no tellin' which eend
from t'other 'cept by the sqaullin."
"Well, l reckon he'll never learn his
duty to the law younger"
''Ihe old woman warL't much of a
help or comfort either" without noticing
the interruption. 81 don't know as oil
women glneruliy is. Alwnys n-quarrellin
ana a.complnlnln' and a-settin' by the fire.
But she let the boy to me, the old
woman did, ef she did die herself. II
1--we pray ed over that boy; yes, sir, I've
prayed over him. We was a-goin' back
home this eycnin'."
"One night i'll the lookup won't hurt
him."
'No, sir; that's true. 1t won't hurt
him; it won't hurt hlm mitc-one MIC ht
in the lookup. He fout, an 'cuased, an
kicked, an scrit"hcd, like painter, my
boy did. He didn't want to go to the
lookup, that's fact. He tared round
consider ble."
chow much fine was it besides?"
''IWenty five dollars, sir.
"Iwenty-tive? Well, can't let him
come down here and clean out the town
and invalid the whole police force for
less than that"
"Ihero's always something happenin'
to that boy ever sence that old woman
died. The fust time [ washed him he
most droWnded in the piggin o'.watcr.
lie could scarcely crawl fore he went to
waller In the fire. He's fell down and
broke his arm. He's shot his self acci-
dental He's cut his self all over with
KNIVES and hatchets and axes. Every
thing that could cut las cut that boy"
"HoW much money have you got?"
"Me!' The old fellows hand stopped
Of itself in astonishment His laws fell:
the pipe, if it had been in place, would
have broken to pieces on the ground
ME? L amt got no money 1 come
from themOuntuin."
"What did you come to town for, if
you haven't got any money!"
"Ihe boy, he wanted to come. He
wanted to see Il town for once in his life.
He brung live coon with him, sir, what
he caught, and some skins-otter-skins
"Well, what did he do with thcm?"
"Traded 'em of, sir. A side o. green
meat wuz what he calkerlated On. But
he took boots, sir-boots to come up
outside O his breeches." He gesticulatcd
toward the place whore, under more favor
able circumstances, the calf of his leg
might have been visible under the patch
ed trousers. They wuz handsome
boots He wouldn't take 'em fust.
Wanted me to hey 'em. Me with boots
outside O. my breeches" He would have
smiled If his mouth had known how.
suppose | make the fine five dollars?"
"That's reasonable, sir; that's reason
able. But just as you please. sir. I've
had mighty heap O trouble with that
boy. I've nussed-"
"You look around and see if you can't
scrape up tho money, and be in the
courtroom early tomorrow morning.