The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1888-05-23
(Grace King, in Harper's Weekly

the pipe hole, and began rubbing his chln
again. The solution of his doubts this
time resulted in his conveying his COM
nunication in monotonous undertone
to himself, waving all claims to hear
ing, which rested entirely in the vohtion
of the Mayor. The small eyes Impair
tally looked unmeaningly into space:
sslt's only that boy o mine. I've had
powerful lot o. trouble with that boy
o'mine. I've nussed him, I've tended
him, I've labored with him, and IL
I've prayed owe. him; I've prayed over
that boy O. nine" He looked at the
Mayor for some expression over this Last
item.
..oh, your boy in trouble?"
ssHe was tuck up today, and iedged:
He's locked up over there" He stopped
rubbing his chin to pointin IN the direction
of the town jail.
s.Locked up, eh? What was the matter?
s.Resisted the perhce, they call it. A
feller tried to rest him. He knocked
him down, my boy did.
Resisting the police, Ell? resisting the
authority of the law? Well, I'm very
glad he's locked up. You country people
think YOU can come into this town and
run it Just as you please. No, sir; II you
all 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
reissued this fragment of the peroration
of his mornings decision.
ssYou're night, sir; you're perfectly
right. I amt sayin' nothin'; l amt com
pIainin'; I only come for sympathy.
They told me you was gentleman, SIR.
I amt got nothin' to say, sir; I only
come for sympathy. I'm stranger here
myself; I ain't been here before in twenty
year-not sence before the boy wIz
born. I've nussed that boy, I've tended
him, and I've prayed over him"-relaps-
ing into audible meditation. HE as
goods had 10 mother. I helt him with
enc hand while T stritched' her with
t'other-my old woman. She died the
fuss thing after he wuz born, my old
woman did. He wuz that puny and tiny
and red, there wuz DO tellin which eend
from t'other 'cept by the sqauilin'."
ssWel, I reckon he'll never learn his
duty to the law younger"
ssThe old woman warnt much OF a
help or comfort either, ;" without noticing
the interruption. sI don't know as old
women gineraLy is. Always a-qaarrellin'
and a-compiainin' anda-settin' by the fire.
But she LEI the boy to me, the old
woman did, ef she did die herself. IL
I've prayed over that boy; yes, sir, I've
prayed over him. We was a-goin' back
home this evenin'.'
ssOne night In the lookup won't hurt
him"
stNo, sir; that's true. It won't hurt
him; it won't hurt him mite-one night
in the lookup. He fout, an'cussed, an
kicked, an scritched, like painter, my
boy did. he didn't want to go to the
lookup, that's fact. He tared round
considerable
Chow much fine was it besides?"
ssTwenty-fve dollars, sir.
ssTwenty Well, I can't let him
come down here and clean out the town
and invalid the whole police force for
less than that. :"
ssThere's always something hsppenin'
to that boy ever sence that old woman
died. The fust time I washed him he
most drownded IN the piggin o water.
He could scarcely crawl fore he went to
waller in the fire. Hes fell down and
broke his arm. Hes shot his self acci-
dental. Hes cut his self sll over with
knives and hatchets and axes. Every
thing that could cut has cut that boy"
s.How much money have you got?''
sMe!" The old fellows hand stopped
Of itself IN astonishment. His jaws fell;
the pipe, if it had been in place, would
have broken to pieces on the ground.
s.Me? amt got no money. 1 come
from themountaln."
ssWhat did you come to town for, if
you haven't got any money!
s'The boy, he wanted to come. He
wanted to see town for once in his life.
He brung live coon with him, sir, what
he caught, and some skins-otter-skins. "
ssWel, what did he do with them?"
Graded 'em of, sir. a side O green
meat wuz what he ealkerlated on. But
he took boots, sir-boots to come up
outside o his breeches." egesticulated
toward the place where, under more favor
able circumstances, the calf Of bis leg
might have been visible under the patch
ed trousers. ''They wuz handsome
boots. BE wouldn't take 'em fust.
Wanted me to hev 'em. Me with boots
outside O. my breechesr' He would have
smiled If his mouth had known how.
Suppose make the fine five dollars?"
ssThat's reasonable, sir; that's reason
able. But just as you please. sir. I've
had a mighty heap O. trouble with that
boy. I've nussed-''
stYou look around and see if you can't
scrape up the money, and De In the
courtroom early tomorrow morning.
Good-byr'
The next morning by daylight the
Mayor was summoned. Ashe descended
the stairs of his residence he saw gray
ish-red head cautiously thrust inside the
front door and withdrawn four or FIVE
times.
ssHello! What are you doing here this
hour of the morning."
ssNothin', sir; only to see you amt
forgot"
ssWel, haven't
ssHe's there, sir; there in the lookup,
my boy is. Hes a-wsitin' there for you.
] set up with him all night, on the out
side. 7 wuz bound to be there. He
wrenched the bar out, an he drapped
out, most on top O. ue.''
ssThe devil he did"
ssHe amt calkerlated to spend the night
away from me. He never did that sence
he WIZ born No sir But he went