The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1897-05-14

was ~ surge tuIOuRu tn5 courtroom anu
deep cries. Eyes, the court whip
Judge Waxem had been on the point
of declaring court adjourned, but he
was far too wary to set himself thus
against his populaoe.
''The court will hear, then pass on
the a~dmissibility of the evidence - he
said, with a bow to the voting element.
1t was neither law nor practice, but he
knew kis public and had no mind to
balk it, with election but two weeks
ahead. Everybody was standing, the bet
ter to see and hear. AT first they caught
hardly a syllable. The newcomers
husky voice made but the merest rustic
of sound through the silence.
"Mammy knows well as me- he was
saying. 'She tried ter raise me honest.
My names Jim Hinsley, an I'm gram
son ter old Naomi Pickins, same as
that POI gal thar. Nanny married fust
an never went ter the Eelanoy, but she
knows how her nanny signed the land
erway because Of er speckled heifer''-
ooh, daddy was rightr' Rob whis-
pered to Mrs. Payne, then bent eagerly
forward. The man was saying in still
that whistling, husky tone, "We lived
in Upton county, er fur piece from
yere, but Magholyer, po' gal, come thar
ter see us when her nanny died, an
thar this yere scoundrel, Noch Annis,
come with FER, maxim out they was mar
ried, though she want hardly To-"
M~agnolia's face went down in her
hand. Noch caught her roughly and
jerked her upright, then made a for
ward leap and locked his hands about
the other mans throat, roaring out:
"Jailbird, how dar' you come yere
talkin over other folks privit corn
cerns?'
"Be quiet, my man! I'd hate ter
handcuff you before the time, Deputy
Sheriff Reed said, forcing him back.
Hinsley was coughing fearfully. He
drank more whisky and went IN
81 was crazy ter marry, too, then. 1
had jest met up with my Betty; hadn't
err been fer that 1 mought not er be-
lieved Noch so easy when he tole me
what er fine thing stealth horses was.
He had er gang, he said. Eff I'd jine
'em, we could make piles er cash, me
er visitin him in Missoury er the Eela-
noy an sellin stock from down our way
an him er doin the same in Tennessee.
So I, foollike, j'ined 'em. Oh, how we
all swore ter help one ernother when
trouble come, Of ever. But when il
come ter me an ernother po' chap they
want fer helpin us. We'd done we'll
that season. Thar was money ter sheer,
an they thought 'twould 60 better be-
tween jest thar ownselves. But they
give us far words. Besides we want
the sort ter give 'em away"
''This is raving madness, pure luna
cy, and utterly foreign to the case. l
demand that it be stopped" MI. How
ell began as the narrator paused to
catch breath. A big fellow. tall and
gaunt, in the front rank Of listeners,
set the lawyer down forcibly, saying
dryly:
whatever else it is, sub, it's mighty
interestin, q. as your friend I'm advis-
in you ter listen ter it an keep STILL"
$50 n my man." Mr.. Graball said
kindly. He had beckoned Rob to his
side. The strangers eye lit up at sight
of her, but he made no sign that she
was not wholly strange. Clinching one
hand about the other wrist, he went on,
with awful effort:
"They talked help an pardon ter us,
an all the time-I found it out later
they was payin ter-ter have us put
outer the way. That want all neither.
Noch took or notion ter my Betty. Be-
cause she wouldn't have nothin ter say
ter him he-he turned her outen tho
house 1 had lost everything ter buy fer
us. But she was good grit. She held
her head up an tole nobody, not chen
nanny, but worked an shaved on, wait
in fer me, till-till the young one died.
Then she give up
The poor voice failed utterly. A great
sob choked and shook the wasted frame.
AS it passed Hinsley said: "She laid
down ter die, but she wanted me, Jail
bird that I was. She cried fer me day
an night. Believe it er not. l knowed it
an knowed she was dyin. Then all hell
couldn't er KEEP me in that thar chain
gang. I run an tromped an hid an
starved, but-but God was good. / seen
Betty"
>"Drinki 1t will help YOU, Mr.. Grab
all said, holding a cordial to tho parcb-
I'd lips. AS Hinsley swallowed it he
looked up at Rob with adoring eyes.
thep hurried on:
~ knowed this country round yere
because I stole er horse here once, the
very best horse, an, when I come ter
the place whar 1 got it, it jest Seemed
ter me I couldn't pass by. Somethin held
my feet, so / went in the ole c~onjure
woman's cabin thar at Roscoe, an She
she gimme wind er this yere rascal do
ms er Noch's. She knowed Noch's
nanny back in the ole times, but some-
way she hadn't got at the right end err
things. 1 didn't git it neither till Betty
told me jest fore she died. Noch had
showed her err paper an said he could
git Zig money fer it from two people,
an she looked at it an seen gran'ma's
name at the bottom, with er big black
mark between. Betty was er fine schol.
ar; could read writin an all that. I
h-