The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-05-17

we just put her to sleep out under the
two cedars / had left in the corner of
the yard. Then it was worse than
ever, for had Cooney to comfort, my
own load to tote, an'-Cooney's ma
was harder to stan than before. l
studied an studied an then 1 took
Cooney out with me to the field an
told her what was on my mind. Let's
go up to Coldneck,' ses l an build us
a little house JUS like the one we start
ed with an plant mornin' glories on
the porch an begin over. Let's give
ma this place for life-an' two mules
an split up. An let's do it quick,
cause / can't hold out much longer
You see, / was afraid er myself. Well
Cooney hugged me an l saw her heart
was happy over the change.
80 we went. Her ma said we were
fools, an settled down to run her end
of the bargain. An I'm bound to say
she made good crops, an with her
nephew to help her got erlong well till
he married an went to his wifes folks.
at looked like hit was goin' to be
easy, gentlemen, leavin' the little home,
an it was till Cooney got in the wagon
and looked back-not at the house and
the flowers she had planted an the
white curtains in her windows, but at
the two little cedars where Jess was
sleepin' an the mockin' bird balancin'
an singin' on the highest limb-it was
easy till then. Her heart just broke
an she cried out to herself: Ma! Ma!
wouldn't er treated you that er way
1 wouldn't er done hit'" He pint
ed his finger at the prosecutrix. "She
didn't know Cooney felt that er way,
gentlemen; this is the first time. An
she didn't know that when / came back
from Macon next fall an brought er
little marble slab with Jess name on
it an put it up under the cedars, j got
one with her Toms name on hit, too,
an went to her old home an cleared
away the weeds an put it over Toms
grave. He was a good boy-an' he was
Cooney's brother"
WELL" continued the defendant,
after the pause, 1--WE did well; 1 cleared
the land and made a good crop; an
then our own little Tom come That's
what we named him. An one day
Cooney asked me TO go back an get her
sewin' machine from her mas, Hit was
the first plantin day we had had in
April an l hated mighty to loose a
day, but Cooney never asked me for
many things so / went. When 1 rode
up ma came out, and restin' her hands
on her sides she said: L did give you
credit for some sense! What you doin'
here, an it the first cotton-plantin'
day of the year? I'll be boun' you
picked out this day to come for that ar
SEWN machine 1 told her 1 had; and
then she answered back: Nobody but
er nachurl-born fool would come for a
sewin' machine in that sort er wagon.
You can't get hit. Thar wouldn't be
er whole jint in hit when you got back
| Well, seein' as how 1 had bro ught the
thing from Macon once in the same
| wagon, hit did look unreasonable l
couldn't take it further. But the road
| to Coldneck was rougher, an couldn't
| give her no hold on me, so back went,
| twelve miles, an a whole day spilled.
But Cooney was sorry, could see, an
she never did ask me for many things.
| so l borrowed Buck Drawhorn's spring
wagon, an next day bright an early
| put out again. When 1 got back to the
,, old home she was stannin' just like 1
| left her, with her hands on her sides.
l didn't get time to put in TO she