Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1898-07-22
RESTED THE CASE.

The October nun struggled In dusty
beams through the grimy panes, ON
which tho flies buzzed noisily. and the
duet dancing light fell over the crowd
cd courtroom. In tho witness chair sat
q long. lnnk man. whose trousers wrin-
klcd over his boot topa His face was
brown and lean. his SNOWY hands clasp
cd and unclasped ~nervously, and bis
keen, gray eyes rested ixedly IN the
face Of the man who stood before him.
The man IN the chair was Vint Joskins,
en- trial for his life; the man OF the
floor before him was his attorney. The
witnesses for the defense had all been
examined, and now the prisoner had
been brought In to tell his story. The
preliminary questions were done with.
aud the attorney spoke TO his client.
Tell tho story In your way" he
said.
Tho prisoner twisted his lean hands
together a1d looked from the lawyer to
abe Judge. go on. =" said the judge. not
unkindiy.
''Ili tell hit as near right as ! kin"
tho prisoner began. "This man Deer
ing
''The murdered man." interrupted
tbc states attorney. Tho counsel for the
defendant objected to tho interruption,
and the court told the attorney for the
Etaae to let the prisoner proceed.
This man Deering." again COM
menced the prisoner. Tho como down
tho the valley when they built that
tAsrs SAiiroad two year ago. He was
one Of them men that lays out the way,
M while he was In our part Of the
county be stopped at Sam Tioe'G- l seen
him there frequent. Twas sorteF keepin
company with Sans girl then" The
speaker stopped and looked toward one
" the dusty windowA
go on, +" said his counsel encourag-
ingly. Cant you remember"
"Hit amt no trouble ter remember, ="
the prisoner said slowly; "hit's the
trouble o. fergittin. Seems like l kin
remember ever leetle thing. Well.
Dcering. he stopped at Tees, an he was
mighty soft spoken TO EN- all, specially
ter Lizzie, but nobody didn't think
nothin o. that When bad weather
come In the fall, the men on tho road
Quit work an went away, Deering with
'em. / waa sorteE glad whenst he went,
fer I thought ! cd see moro o. Lizzie.
didn't. though, fer In less'n . week
after Deering went Lizzie was gone,
too, an We didn't none Of us hear moth
in US her till Nate Rogers brung word
that he seen her In the city. Nate
lowed that she wero dressed Dc tar kill
an were smilin an happy, an he heerd
her called Mrs Desring. Then Sam he
) got . letter from her, an after that be
an her mother got letters reg'lar most
an water.
'sOno night In April I wal over tC
Tees, an we was settin there talking
whsnst tho door open all Of q sudden,
an Lizzie walked In. Il was a-rainiI
out, AN she was all wet. an her hair wal
kinder loose an her dress wal muddy.
"'W'y Lizzie, child where'd yoI
come from an where's your husbandl
says old Mis- Tice. an went 1 K ter kis
her, but Lizzie sort O. sunk back In tn
chair she had dropped inter an begun
ter CRY, not loud. but Jest = sort O. dr..
sobbln, like she hadn't no tears left. Al
thea hit all come out. bow she hadn'
never been married. on'y thought SD
waA till Deoring got full q night ~
cold her. Then she come home.
"'An. mother she says mother
I-I-I'm goln-goin'- An then sh
clean broke down, an we seen how hi
waA Old Mis- Tice air an awful goo
woman, powerful on churchgoin an n
ligion an mighty up an down In he
idses. an she hared mp ter onst. Y
good fer nothin hussy, says she, ~
that how 10 isi Ye kin Jest go back "a
the city an yer hne q 1e air n
child Of mine-you. that We all WASH
good enough ferl An this air what rev
como ter. eh-bringin shame on e
the rest Of usI' An with that she SIT
down straight On stiR ON the other sid
o. the room an wouldn't say anoths
word, NOT sven whenst Lizzie got up a
started ter 80. sayin noshin but jesI
'Oh. mothoFr kinder pitiful like Oh
Tics no didn't dare IAy anythin contrar
ter his wife. but ! wasn't tied no sec
way. jest slipped out'n the house az
% Lizzie, an I gOt her ter go over Yer m
piAoe, Whar mann took koer Of her.
II reckon thar bain't no use tell
what went on after that = Bit An,
way. / got Lizzie ter marry me, q
Domotimes she begun tor act real cbee