Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1897-04-22
....HEARTSIE'S 'TONEMENT. go.

echoed through tnp country StlllneSS Ol
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 a narrow board
to the upper side of the wall he drew
1t down diagonally acro+S the dwarf
door and nailed it hard and fast, effect
ually preventing entrance. This done,
he picked up half 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 jlponica bush in his haste.
Al 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 shuttered window showed that
woman sat in one corner.
Here, you therew called the man;
''you understand that if you rip off that
board and use any corn out of that
house you 90 to jail-you and your old
man both! You understandw
Il know, but you amt doing us
right" answered the woman. Yves
paid out for the things, not 'scusin' lex
cepting) the picture what you fetched
last Here's the papers what the mems
give MS. every time they been here"
Il never authorized anybody to col
lect payment, and you owe me clear
S15, not to say interest. since April I'll
send back in a week for that corn and
If you've laid a finger on it you'll be
sorry. Where's your husband?"
81 dunno; out gittin' wood, reckon.
Since yOu'se toOken the feather bed and
the pick of the quilts Wen have to keep
up a steady fire to warm by"
We'll you make 'Riah understand
what say; you heart"
MIR. Bcckwth amt goin' to touch
nothin'," said the woman in a de- !
pressed voice. But you'sc mighty hard |
on us old people. You amt leave us
Even Il pullet to raise from" ,eying |
wistfully the fcathrred bunch hanging /
limp and resigned by their yellow legs. |.
You couldn't low me dat Speckled |
hen? She's sure layer ana 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 plpadingly. Il re-
pressed eagerneSs in her manner aS
though she half expected he would .
comply. She was tall. with smooth.
shining, bronzc-brown skin and good
features showing little trace of the
thick lips, fiat nose and rcccding fore
head of the typical negro.
'Speckled hen, indcedw said the man.
waving her off. I've got her now: the
chickens she mis- Int raise might never
see. I'm up to your tricks. Get some
Of your neighhOrS to raise on shares
with YOU Don't meddlc with the corn
house, now he called MS he drove off
IN his rattling road cart. THE law
drove them nails ana it will he the
worse for you if you draw any of them
put"
lleartSc Beckwith stepped outside
after he was gone and looked at thr
rornhouSr door with the tcll-tale board
hcroSS its face. then she looked pathct-
lcally at the open trap door of the little
fowlhouSc opposite
"lt won't he no use To shut II TO-
night she muttrrrd Yves minntrd.
plumb ruinaIcd, and there ain't nobody
and nothin To turn to-"
Half unconsciouly she looked in the
direction of the long avenue of oaks
that stretched across the big flat field
IN front of the cabin. AS she stood thus
an elderly negro in tattcrcd coat.
with his head tied up in a motley collec.
tion of ScarlS and strings, came up be.
hind her.
lis dat dehjl gomez" he asked in a
thin, high voice.
YES, Mr. Bcckwith. He's gone. and
everything gone with him. 'scus,n'
the corn ana that little handful of pea
vines in the corn house, what we amt
to lay hands ON. Everybody goin' to
know now that we'S been shut up and .
1iSgraccd."
lis You show him the papers what
the mems give you in 'Sideration of the /.
Eaters ana cotton and things what we
pay ont on dc clock debit"
Yes. Rut that make no differ. He
He'll it as how we give the things to the
wrong men, rapScallon men ,..hat he
amt send TO fetch 'em. He wouldn't
leave 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
every year"
Come In out Of the damp. baby" was
Ill that Mr. Beckwith said, and as they
Entered the cabin, where a llght-wood
knot in the chimney place blazed IN