Graham guardian., 1900-06-22
silence that hurts.

silence that hurts.
"Me'n him was candidates for the leg.
islatare; II was sort OF duel. ! was
ready for 'iucertainly was loaded for
bear; Il had three reyolyers an "a AK.
handle. i proved, without much trou..
bic, that he pulled down on me fust.
A feller come to my counsel an said he
would swear LIE Roy had said he ". :
goin' TO kill me on sight. B'- ..,s, as
meny. cleared me, but the .,,na = st,ni. S,,.
come TO me after = wos ali over nm,
wanted ten do'.a .ars I can't forget the
nsl nsl. ~ ai' eye. knew he had perjured
n'tp -sif, but I was afraid to 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
necessaries Of life, an then ,he began
10 make eyes at rne. Somehow took
q fool notion that ought TO marry 'er.
an the thought weighed on me till I
nearly got off my nut. Jest about then
Judge Bates began to see whar the
wind was BLOWN her bangs an said
one day: Iooky heer, Reddin', let that
slide-it never will mend mnttersa bit;
you'll always feel as il you killed i'm
to get his wife, She married another
fellow. Oh, yes" Redding broke of
with a deep drawn breath. 81 know all
about II, an that's whyl didn't sleep
much last night. The worst feature
in yore ease is the evidence Thad WI.
liams threatens to give, AS far an I
know. his oath would be valid. Do you
think that the dead man told him you
attacked him frst?" ss
IF be did be wcS out of his mind"
answered Ronald; 81 think Thad Will
liams told me that to frighten me-"
"But Ratclif says you actually heard
the two talking together just before
sgd died" t@5gte ita
Ronald nodded. "That is a fact, I
was not near enough, however, to over
hear what was said"
Reddipg mused a moment and then
he looked up suddenly. t
II must see him at once, my boy, be-
fore the prosecution gets i'm TO commit
. 'imself to Their side. | shall try to show
up the consequences of perjury in
strong light, and frighten him off O.
that line. He's good natured sort of
feller II you strike him right. never
shall forget" (Redding seemed bent
on cheering up his friend) "Thad was
captured about five years ago as al
moonshiner, an Jim Lowe, who was in
the employ O. the government, an no
better n Thad, started with i'm to At 1
lanta for trial. They made n sort of
picnic OF it 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 20 his supper, leavin' 'Thad smokin' at
the stove. Then amongst us we got up
a joke on Jim an went 10 bis prisoner
an told i'm if he wanted TO. he could
git away as easy us shellin' peas. But
Thad shook his head an helt out his
hands TO the fire. Men Lowe is sorter
chums.' he said, AN II you will have
the truth, ! never have had much OF
ride on the cyars in my life, an sorter
lowed Id like the trip Then we pro-
posed a compromise. We told him he
could ride within a few miles Of Atlanta |
and jump off while Jim was not lookin',
and in that way be could get his ride |
aud liberty also. You ought to have |
heard i'm laugh. Don't you give me
away, an'ill play II fine,' he said. And |
he did work IL. He turned up here two |
days Inter, making For the mountains.
He was the worst bunged-up chap you
ever laid eyes on. Not being familiar
with the running of trains, be had
hurled himself at bank. eight miles
out OF Atlanta, when the train was
goin' like CREASED lightnin'. But Lowe
never did try 10 arrest him again"
Redding's smile vanished as he turned |
to the door. I'm try TO win i'm round
to us this mornin' II can get at 'im,"
he concluded. Hell be apt to be at
the funeral. Now. don't you worryI
III do all can, an Wen try to have you
out on bail tomorrow"