The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1900-06-29
CHATTER XIV.

sight of land to a starving. shipwreckeG
man, and yet when the sun was up its
genial rays failed to dispense the shad
ows in his heart; he found that it ached
as well by day as by night.
After breakfast Mr.. Redding called
to see him.
"Well. this is pretty howdy-Go!" he
exclaimed in a CHEEKY voice, as the iron
door changed to after him. The sher-
if rode out TO Kings plantation last
night TO tell me the news. but couldn't
get back till this mornin'. He's benz
on gettin' you out o this if he can"
81 am awfully sorry TO have TO call on
you in such a disagreeable matter" re-
turned Ronald.
Redding though:fully pinched his
nose between his thumb and foretinger.
"Ratcitf told ;ar tie particulars" he
said, frownirg u ..;;.c. There is no Use
cryin' over split milk-or split blood,
either. This case wil, give You Il chance
to practice lite on your OWN hook.
The main thing is TO keep a siitf upper
lip and take a cheerful view"
81 am afraid take detected view of
it," said Ronald you will find me
hopeless sort of client. feel so awfully
knocked out over taking n human life
that even the prospect of being publicly
justified does rot brighten my hor-
ion"
~ can sympathize with you, my boy"
the voice of the lawyer softened and
he pinched his nose again. 81 once told
| you-or rather / limited at a great snr-
row In my life-a big drawback TO my
energies, we'll" Redding broke Off and
waved his hand, as he sometimes did
when expression failed him.
81 remember you limited at some dis
agreeable occurrence; but as you were
unmarried"
MY trouble didn't wear petticoats,"
interrupted the lawyer, forcing a little
smile, and as he went on his face grew
more serious than il had ever appeared
to Ronald. ut took place right down
thar in front of the courthouse door
just after the close of the war. never
| pass in or out of the building without
stepping over his body. People don't
mention IL TO me now; l sometimes
wish they would rank ii with other
events in my career; it's their DANCED
silence that hurts.
Men him was candidates for the leg
/ islature; il was sort of duel. | was
ready for 'im-certainly was loaded for
bear; l had three revolvers an AK
handle. l proved, without much trou-
| BILE, that he pulled down on me fust
A Teller come to my counsel an said he
would swear lie Roy had said he was
goin' to kill me on sight. His testi-
mony cleared me, but the same skunk
come TO me after it was all over an
wanted ten dollars. l can't forget the
! hell in his eye. ! knew he had perjured
himself, 6gt ! vas afraid 10 refuse him
| the money. Then thar was the young
widow. 1t left her as pore as Jobs
turkey. She let me supply her an the
boy, that had his daddy's eyes, with the
necessares Of life, an then she began
TO make eyes at me. Somehow l took
fool notion that ought 10 marry 'er,
an the thought weighed on me till
nearly got off my nut. Jest about then
Judge Bates began to see whar the
wind was BLOWN her bangs an said
one day: 'Looky heer, Reddin', let that
slide-it never will mend matters bit;
! you'll always feel as If you killed i'm
| to get his Wife She married another
| fellow. Oh, yes" Redding broke off
with a deep drawn breath, 81 know all
about il, an that's why | didn't sleep
much last night. The worst feature
in yore case is the evidence Thad Will
liams threatens to give. As far as
know, his oath would be valid. Do you
think that the dead man told him you
attacked him frst?"
"If he did he was out of his mind"
answered Ronald; 81 think Thad Will
liams told me that to brighten me-"
But Ratclff says you actually heard
the two talking together just before
sgd died"
Ronald nodded. "That is fact
was not near enough, however, to over
hear what was said"
Redding unused n moment and then
he looked up suddenly.
81 must see him at once, my boy, be-
fore the prosecution gets i'm 10 commit
imself to Their side. shall try 10 show
up the consequences OF perjury in a
strong light, and brighten him off O.
that line. He's a good natured sort of
Teller if you strike him right. l never
shall forget" Redding seemed bent
on cheering up his friendD "Thad was
captured about five years ago as a
moonshiner, an Jim Lowe, who was in
the employ O. the government, an no
better n Thad, started with i'm TO At
lanta for trial. They made a sort of
picnic of 1t an got drunk together, an
postponed their trip till that night.
They was waitin' in the Office of the
hotel to ketch train, an Jim had gone
in TO his supper, leavin' Thad smodn' at
the stove. Then amongst us we got up
joke on Jim an went TO his prisoner
an told I'm II he wanted to, he could