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

'What?"
Colonel Rutherford shot a swift
glance from the brief he was examining
at the odd figure before him. and re-
sumed his occupation quickly, to hide
the smile that was already lifting the
heavy frown from his face. Indicted
for what?'
For the cussin' of my mother-in-
law; an l want to you to be on hand at
court to make a speech for me when
hit comes up"
Did you Cuss her?" The lawyer fell
easily into the vernacular of his visitor,
but he was afraid to lift his eyes again
higher than the tips of his own pol
ished boot, resting upon the table in
front of him, in the good old Georgia
fashion.
Did II" The stranger shifted his
hat to the other hand and wiped his
brow with a cotton handkerchief. His
voice was low and plaintive. II sholy
did. l cussed her comm and goin', for
rards and back ards, all crroun' an
straight through. Amt no use to deny
hit. / done hit"
He was tall, and in old age would be
gaunt. He was also sun burned and
stopped a little, as from hard labor and
long walking in plowed ground or long
riding behind slow mules. One need not
have been a physiognomist to discover
that, although yet young, the storms of
life had ragged about him. But the law
yer noticed that he was neat, and that
his jeans suit was homemade, and his
pathetic homespun shirt and sewed-on
collar-the shirt and collar that never
will sit right for any country house
wife. however devoted-was ornament
ed with a black chavat made OF a rib
bon and tied like a schoolgirls sash
The defendant leaned over the table
as he finished speaking, resting his
hands thereon and thrusting forward
his aquiline features, shame and eX-
citement struggling for expression in
his blue eyes.
did she cuss you frst?" The
stranger looked surprised.
mo"
Did she abuse you, strike you, in
suit you-did she ever chuck anything
at you?"
why, no!--you see, hit wasn't ed
zactly the words"
"Then it J"Y as to me- my friend,
that you have no use for a lawyer.
/ never take any kind of a criminal
case for less than one hundred dollars.
and the court will hardly fine you that
much If you plead guilty. BY your
own statement, you see you are
guilty, and 1 can't help you. Better go
and plead guilty and file an exculpa-
tory affidavit"
mo, sir. That'n do for some folks,
but not for me. 1 never lodged in my
life, and / amt goin' ter dodge now
All you got ter do is to make er speech.
want you to tell them for me"
But what is the use, my friend?
Can't you see"
Don't make no difference: you go.
I'll be ther' with your money"
"All right" was the laughing rejoin-
der; but you are simply wasting time
and money"
That's my business. No man ever
wasted his time or money when he was
settin' himself right before his folks"
Lifting his head with an air, the men,
ory of which dwelt with the attorney
for many a day, the novel client de-
parted, leaving him still laughing. He
opened his docket and wrote, in the
absence of further information: "The
man who Cussed his mother-in-law,
Crawford court, $100."
Court opened in Crawford county, as
usual. The city lawyers followed the
judge over from Macon in nOndescript
vehicles, their journey cnlivened by
many a gay jest and well-told tale, to
say nothing of refreshments by the
way. The autumn woods were glorious
in the years grand sunset. Like mos
quitoes in some wild carnival, the gums
and sumachs and hicliories and per-
simmons, and naples, mixed their
Haunting banners and lifted them
against the blue and cloudless skies.
Belated cotton Dlckers stole the last
of the fields white lint and sang in
harmonies that echoed from the weed
lands, seeming to voice the gladness Of
unseen revelers.
And Knoxville, waking from its dull
dreams, took on life and color for the
week. Horses tugged at the down.
sweeping limbs or dozed contentedly
beside the racks; and groups Of coun-
try folks, white and black, discussed
solemnly or with loud jest the ever
changing situation. The session of
court, brief though it be, is fraught