Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1897-05-22

w
echoed through the country stiffness of
South Carolina afternoon as the man,
reaching upward from where he stood
on tiptoe on the ricketty step of corn
house hammered the big nails steady
and square and drove them home. HaV-
Ing fastened one end of narrow board
to the upper side of the wall he drew
it down dagonally across the dwarf
door and nailed it hard and fast, effect
ually preventing entrance. This done,
he picked up half a dozen fowls which
laid tied together on the ground and
went to the open door of the cabin
brushing ruthlessly against he blooms
of red iaponica bush in his haste.
All was dark inside. The wood in the
fireplace was only smoldering, not
burning. The daylight of the gray
afternoon that stole in through the
heavy shattered window showed that a
woman sat in one corner.
Here. you therer' called the man;
''you understand that if you rip off that
board and use any corn out of that
house you go to jail-you and your old
81 know, but you amt doing us
right" answered the woman. ives
paid out for the things, not 'scusin' lex
cepting) the picture what you fetched
last. Here's the papers what the mems
give us, every time they been here
Il never authorized anybody to col
lect payment. and you owe me clear
;,,t cir
send back in week for that corn and
If you've laid a finger on it you'll be
sorry. Where's your husbandT'
II dunno; out gittin wood, l reckon.
Since you'se token the feather bed and
the pick Of the quilts We'll have to keep
up steady fire to warm BY
well you make 'Riah understand
what l say: you hear"'
"Mr.. Beckwith amt goin' to touch
nothin'." said the woman in de-
pressed voice "But youse mighty hard
on us old people. You amt leave us
even a pullet to raise FROM eylng
wistfully the feathered bunch hanging
limp and resigned by their yellow legs.
you couldn't low me dat speckled
hen? She's a sure layer and an awful
good mother. I'd save you couple OF
the first chickens she'd hatch If you d
gree to it,
The speaker came forward and re-
garded her creditor pleadingly, re-
pressed eagerness in her manner as
though she half expected he would
comply. She was tall, with smooth,
shining, bronze-brown skin and good
FIXTURES, showing little trace of the
thick lips. fiat nose and receding fore
head of the typical negro.
"Speckled hen indeed" said the man,
waving her off I've got her now; the
chickens she might raise | might never
see. Pm up to your tricks! Get some
of your neighbors to raise on shares
with YOU. Don't NEEDLE with the corn
house, now" he called as he drove off
Ia his rafting road cart THE law
drove them nails and it will be the
worse for you if you draw any OF them
put"
Heartsie Beckwith stepped outside
after he was gone and looked at the
courthouse door with the tell-tale board
across it's face, then she looked pathet-
lcally at the open trap door of the little
fowlhouse opposite.
ut won't be no use to shut it to-
night" she muttered. ives rulnated,
plumb ruinated, and there amt nobody
and nothin' to turn to-"
Half unconsciouly she looked in the
direction of the long avenue of oaks
that stretched across the big fiat field
In front Of the cabin. AS she stood thus
an elderly negro in tattered coat,
with his head tied up in motley co!lec-
hon of scarfs and strings, came up be-
hind her.
"Is dat debil gomez he asked in a
thin, high voice.
Eyes Mr.. Beckwith. He's gone, and
everything gone with him, 'scusln'
the corn and that little handful of pea
rines in the corn house, what we amt
10 lay hands on. Everybody goin' to
know now that we's been shut up and
aisgraced."
'.Is YOU show him the papers what
khe mems give you in 'sideration of the
saters and cotton and things what we
pay out on de clock debt?"
Eyes. But that make no differ. He
nell it as how we give the things to the
wrong men, rapscallion men hat he
amt send to fetch 'em. He wouldn't
cave me so much as that speckled hen
what's such regular layer. It's wick
ed for anybody to eat hen like that,
what pays for herself over and over
svery year."
"Come in out of the damp, baby" was
all that Mr.. Beckwith said, and as they
,ntered the cabin, where a hght-wood
mot In the chimney place blazed up
lbruptly in welcome, brazen-tongued
1,r -, n sbelf Struck thirteen in hllr-