Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-10-06
A HILLSIDE STORY.
WRITTEN FOR Tnr DISPATCH NY II. o.



and ihc loves and losses. Joys and eorrows
81 tho great world were not unknown The
sun rose On the evil and on the good "a
elsewhere. and the just and the UNJUST
gathered in the harvests.
Ou thc southern slope OF the mountain
IN the month OF October. Is, the moon
looked down on gathering OF mountain
csrs who wed with each other amid much
laughing and shouting in She rapidliy with
which they sent tLe cleaning cars oi corn
spinm4g 20 the pile
Bnl Sprousc is late a-comin'.' said jim
Carver, hno specimen oi th' animal man.
Nov 81 Won want here. Tidy, We
mourht know what KEEP him, bcin' as you
Is sweet ON one mother
'nldy giggled.
AMI everybody Ike Won and Nancy.
pear like folks can't have cOmp'ny 20
I1ukun Sprlnc onci or twice OF q sunday
but folks must have II thcy is goin 20 get
iii. hst that amt all he done" cried
Tom Tinker, the blacksmith. Didn't ]
SIC YOU coiu through the corn-hcid
loidin' haudsf II lnOught q been You,
1lldy. and then ag'in 10 moughtu't The
sun WAS settiu' ns ] come home from Work
n.ros, the fields, and Il mOueht been The
sun a-shinin' ou the gals har what make
10 look red like yOurn: but thar amt no
doubt bout the man BON bul Sprouee-
ia know him mile of."
This sh0wing-up of Tidy and her swain
by Tom was followed by shouts OF laugh
tcr from the twenty men and women pres
cnt with tho cries % go it. indy IRON
the men. and q" bet my money ON the red
hard gal. 50 and the like. while lldN IN
lef confusion shook down her CORY
locks" and. like Miss Pleasant Nderhood
and fho women ON her street, bad 90 sus-
rcrd BUSINESS and pat them up again
a. The echoes Of the laughter died away
among tire hills BID Sprousc himself
stepped into the circle. lie was large
man, dressed IN the workngmau's costume
a buc-cOttOn shirt and YcilOW-brown,
loose trousers. The moon was Obscured as
lc came forward with slouching gait, and
in tho momcuiGry darkness that followed
ms foot turned upon an ear of corn and ne
fol- heavily against the white pie ~ tho
centre of the circle. lie rose with on oath
and lmpcd towards the place where indy
sat. bui stopped snort Of the advantage Of
% vacant place beside her and sat down
ly stout. elderly woman Who was COM
furtably 7lScH0d upon pile OF " shucks
which almost cnvclOpcd her.
o. spose Jack amt got back from town
vet. -" Observed the stout woman, who was
Rs l0quacious JAS She was fat and gOOd-hu-
mored.
NO" Bill Sprouse answered gruilly.
Now. that lc' the old woman at homo
hv herself, but she amt feared - nothin';
thar amt nothiu' COiu' 20 poster her" con-
tiuucd talhative Mrs. Scruggs. unchecked
bv the surliaass Of her ncighhOr. Was
she sitting up for Jack when you come
away
"Yc,. No, Idont know nothin' bout il.
I amt been home, replied Blll, looking
not on the lady * courtesy might have re-
CURED. but 90 the ear OF corn from which
ho was tearing thc shuck.
always sete up Tor my boys when they
Il 1 f.l.t Nfif.
wonder # your ma Will be up for yOu and
Jack when you GIT back
Wa. II tho moonlight that made surly
Blll'e face grow a.hcn pale as Mis-. Scrlggs
Chartered on. Mr.. Scrucgs from across
the pile called out. Has Jack got back
bill, and what did hc LAY bout kenncy's
trlalF You amt hecrd Well. / do SAY.
ot kcnncy's lot 80 I'll he in fur lynch-law.
He's guilty man tony thinhln' and ought
g. lAyca halter round ms neck TINS min
ute.'
Mr. Scruccs hal rsen and moving
around the corn. began walking UP and
down iu front of his wife, Bill Indy, and
the others on that side. Tie Was man OF
medium size with iron-gTay hair. and was
moro warmly clad than most Of the men
present Ola account Of fetch of the
rheuWutlcsn and the cool autumn nights.
II heard when / was ia town Tint 10
were likely enough rs Kcnuey' III be let of
ON account Of hls trial bcin put of 40
long. and heer 'em say 81 man was KEEP
in prison. say two year or matter of that
sort, and hadn't bad 10 trinl, the law
lcf him go. casn' he had been punished
enough with the 'prsonmcnt. Punished
enough punished c.t0ugh :" be cried,
" hrpW gear nm prison wouldn't Toe enough
Why. man alive twas murder UsWdr
aud of helpless woman A"hlte-h; Greg
ecoundrd u.s. he is 4 cowardlv devu!
Bad enough # hc had murdered man
worse and worse for weakly woman.
Blood for blood ] say. The Good Book
says that plain
Mr.. Scrugcs had emphasized his rcmarks
with the c0rn-shuckcr which he held. 1t
was, "a primitive affair, consisting Of cylin-
ducal piece of wood pointed 40 one end,
an inch IN diameter. and about as long as
% mans hand. 4 leather string fastened
90 the upper end and two inches from the
point 40 tho lower end, loose enough for
The hand 10 pass through, completed the
instrument, which Was universally used
nud which served ITS purpose.
Twice surly Eill had tired 10 interrupt
the speaker. The subject was plainly dis
tasteful % him. Was il that he did not Ike
h4 tender Tidy 90 hear such " blood-and-
thunder speeches. or was hc the Trend IL
keuucy the murderer, Bat Mr.. SCruggs
was not to be stopped, for he was leader
az his class. ana his audience generally was
attentive.
What | say bout the lynch-law.' be
continued. els 'cordn' To reason, pears
To- me. III the evidence pints 10 one man
10, the one that dld the deed ami the law
ycrs les put o0 and put of the case SO
thrv cam saw hc done had his punishment
hy wa.tin' iu nail so long. then law amt no
count and say the people oughtcr take
matters into their own hands and lynch
the man. lhats what the Good Book
means, / take It, when Il saws, BE- a law
unto Yourselves Inv aln't justice, many
time 90 my thnNn.'
why. pa.' SAID good-naturcd Mrs.
S,ruggs, anybody might think Nou was
that hlood-thir.ty o. hear how You talk,
and YOU is the kind-hcaTtcdest man aud
the most peaccablest ever see. You
wouldn't kin iy for meanings
You're right. wife, hut amt got no
kind-hearteducss nor uOthin' good for that
man Kcun,y. he didn't had no kind
heartcdnes- for the poor woman he klt,
sho's you're born. III ! could get at INN
he wouldn't stand no chDuce with me. /
siu't got uo maUdllh' pity for any murderer
ever hearn on
Go long and set down. pa. and git
long out the WAY. sh0ly viii hit YOU
wIl ore Of these cOrn-oar- 81 YOU don
mind / been ndodgin' You ever scnCc
Won come round here. How can anybody
work
Srrucrs moved out of the range of tine
FLYING ears If coru and attera few moments
returned 70 his work.
A tho night wore ON the clicking Of the
white corn a. IL flew from the busy hands
marked the seconds and half seconds.
Rough Jokes went round. and many comic
and love songs were sung. AFTER the last
song there fell a silence for several mo-
mcnts. except for the rusilins shucAs and
the clicking corn. Presently the voice OF
Solauey Spiccr. Bill Sprouse's right-hand
ncehbor. was heard. She was "a spinster,
tall. thin. and wiry, aud she wore "a long
black sun-bonnot. Her voice was peculiar.
Looks les like blood go she sad slowly
and sepuchrally. Bii Sprouse started Vio-
lcntly
What? Where?" be muttcred huski-
IL. For answer she held up "a blood-red
ear of corn. A moment after he wiped the
cold sweat from his face with hls sleeve
9Th. red ear is sign OF "a weddiu',"
Dried George Flint Il don't reckon ITS
yourn, Selaney. You'd better give 1t to