The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-04-22

And why weren't you. may askT
''whyT" Again Henry pondered- 'Is 1t
bloody murder you'd have me dom? p
The master could but laugh. 1t seemed
all so absurd. Was the man knave or fool?
He wheeled round and faced him.
Look here, Henry" said he. II don't
understand you. II you're not playing
with me you're doing something worse
Answer me this: Wasn't there a man In
side there on Monday when you came
home? Wasn't there?"
There was"
And wasn't Ellen there?"
"She was"
drunk-and had just come from town.
"Ay-yis-mebbe So"
'WeIl?" No answer well, 1 say?"
| Still no answer. The master stamped his
| foot. Come" he said. enough of this.
You must speak. I want to know what
happened-and what you did. Come. SIR"
| The words were masterful, not to be
| denied. Slowly Henry moved his shout
| der from the door post, stepped upon the
street stood looking across the fields. The
wind tapped his open shirt, stirred his
hair. In the clearer light his face and
| neck showed thick with bruises.
What is 1t I'm to say?" he asked,
| speaking slowly and plaintively and with
out turning his head.
"Just the truth. Just what you saw
| what happened"
at know" Henry turned, walked along
the street. stopped at the end Of the house
with his face towards Emo. Its the
chiIder," he explained They seen enough,
an there's no use in them hearin' me-
He stood blinking in the sunshine for
minute then abruptly and reluctantly, as
| one plunges when the water nips. began:
when I got this far the jennet an cart
was standin' there on the street. There
was nobody with IT an one about.
put down me billhook there on the block,
takes ME bundle an goes in. Well, things
were stirrin'. The childer were bleartin';
jimmy was cryin'; Black Ned was sittin'
! be the fire smokin an shoutin' at the
childer herself had her bonnet on her and
was gettin' tay. takes no notice. but
crosses an throws me bundle in the cor
ner, pulls over a stool and sits down. Twas
all could do. What could / do? Sure,
was helpless. All / could manage was lift
the child from the box an try to quiet it.
An sure the others got quiet, too when
they seen me. an jimmy came over an took
stool beside me. So things weren't so
bad-och, no. Only Ned was bleatherin'.
He talked all kinds o. nonsense. He fairly
raved at times"
About me, Henry?" asked the master.
Jaw, 1t was Twas fooishness. Sure,
he'd been at the drink. No matter, any
way" Henry pondered a while; moistened
his lips; plunged again: Herself didn't
say much" he said, speaking very delib-
erately and as one might speak with his
face to the stars; ''she was-she was busy
gettin' tay. Ay. It was big spread. /
accuse Ned must ha bought it all else
All, 1 accuse he must. There was bacon
an eggs on the pan; there was lashins
o. tay: there was butter: an white bread,
an a pot o. jam on the table-aw. there
was plenty Of Everything. an all of the
best"
mo whisky, Henry?"
"Ah, to be sure-a whole bottle o John
Jemison-a whole bottle. Ah faith, en-
Wed them that, so 1 did. Henry shook
his head, smacked his lips; wistful look
cleaned in his eyes He sighed: contin-
ued: well, all bein ready they drew up
an fell to--at the bacon an eggs, an the
tay, an the white bread
"And the whisky. Henry"
"Ah to be sure-to be sure. Is it leave
that?-They set TO, I'm tellin We, like
pair of troopers-an' them laughin all the
time. an singin' an odd time, an turnin'
now an then to fling word at meself-'
''And you endured that. Henry?'
"Ah, to be sure" Slowly Henry made
answer. though he were speaking to the
hedge, speaking of what hardly concerned
him. ITO be sure. What could I do?
Twas drink-'twas drink. An weren't
there the childer anyway"
''Yes-yes. And they gave you none of
the feast, Henry"
"Not a morsel."
"Nor the children?'
mot a taste-aw. not a taste An sure
l thought that hard, for the wee creatures
needed II. Ay. they did-Well, as I was
| tellin' We they ate an drank an sampled
the whisky. an had their divarsion; an
after while up Ned gets. an makes for
the fire, an falls; an herself tries to help
| him up an falls: an they begin to SQUAD
ble an the children begins the cryin', an
jimmy catches hold o. me; an there's a
| cans an pots tumblin', the whole place in a
ruction. Aw. twas a bad scene, so it was
twas powerful bad. I niver seen worse
-niver in me born days"
They fought. Henry?"
GAY, like devils. Twas the drink"
"And you could do nothing?"
What could 1 do? What could do but
save the childer from MURDER"
"And then they made friends, Henry?"
"Ay, they did. They made it up an got
quiet again; an after awhile they went
asleep. Ned lynn on the table an herself
wi her head on a chair. I was glad o.
that-sure 1 was-for the childer were hun
cry, the creatures, an tired an dead wild
the sleep. So Jimmy an meself gives them
bite an takes them up to the room, an
puts them to bed, an stops wi them till
they're asleep. I was glad O. that-yes l
was"
Henry stopped; drew his hand across his
mouth; blinked slowly and gazed toward
the Clakan hills. He looked starved and
haggard in the broad light of evening. He
turned to speak: hesitated; looked away.
Patiently the master waited. standing
there with a smile playing on his lips and