Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-03-30
'"That won't do, Jason. 1t won't nigl

is here for. an you mought jest as well
say so."
"An you amt no notion neither. Pap.
no more than / have"
"I've said what he's here for, Jason,
an I've said it boldly, an, as I remark
ed, the words what have spoke stick
to. an I'll continer to stick to 'em as
long as Gab'eps got button left on his
coat. That feller Is preacher, an
he's'-
"You have said that, Pap, an thar
amt no use in you chawin your hash
over more than three times. But l
know that felleri amt no preacher.
cause when he come up here he cuss.
ed. He cussed Sim Banks, an he cuss-
ed him out plain. He said these words,
Damn you, you make another squeak
or try to move another inch, an I'll
blow your head off, Them was the
identical words he said to Sim, for I
heard him with my own ears, an !
guess you heard him, too, Pap"
81 did, Jason. i heard him speak
them very words. But what Of It?
Strictly speakin, damn amt no cuss
word, an I low preacher mought use
1t In a case of emergency, though 1t
amt jest proper"
Jim Thorn. who had remained silent
all this time, suddenly broke into the
conversation by remarking with the
air of one who has convictions and
who Is positive of their correctness:
"You all have had your say about
that man. an now It's time was hav-
In mine. Some ofsyou have reckoned
one thing an some Of you have reck-
oned another, but: none Of you amt
reckoned right. know what that fel-
Ter Is, an I stand ready to bet boss
on It,"
"What are the word you lows to
speak, Jim Thorn" Pap Sampson ask
ed contemptuously, ''if you knows so
much about itP'
"The word I low to speak Is jest
this, Pap Sampson, -an you all will see
1t are q true word II you live long
enough: That man amt nothin more
nor less than q ras cal hidin out from
the law. That's the word l speak, an
It's a word I'll stand to If 1t kills me-"
There was a moment Of breathless
silence while. the people looked from
one to another. and nobody noticed
that one Of the company colored and
after shooting a contemptuous glance
at Jim Thorn turned her face away.
That one person was Louise, the young
and beautiful wife Of Sim Banks. the
man who had fed before the advance
Of herd Of cattle.
The people Of Beckett's Mill were
like the rest of humanity In that they
were more ready to believe Ill Of fel.
low creature than they were to believe
good of him. For this reason the ma
jority of those present fell at once III
with Jim Thorn's idea and proceeded
to announce their belief that be was
right.
To be sure. Pap Sampson shook his
head and thumped the earth with bis
cane and stoutly maintained that he
was correct. So did Jason Roberts
contend that he was right. Those two
men had taken positions, and they felt
that 1t was incumbent on them to main
tain them. and nothing short Of abso'
lutte conviction would induce them to
recede so much as hairs breadth.
With the others. however. it was diff
ferent.
Lord, | reckon Jim Thorn is shore
right! Hicks said, breaking the pause.
Yes, stree! Come to think Of 1t, had
q sort Of sneakin notion while that
feller was here that be want jest ex'
actly plumb straight"
81 noticed" observed another, that
he had a sort Of an uneasy look about
the eye. like he was skeered that he
mought be overlook an ketched up.
Didn't none of you uns notice that"
Lord. I reckon did," another re-
piled, IAN mind most distinctly that
he didn't appear to act bit nat'ral. 1t
flashed over me In minute that thar
was somethln wrong about him some
way"
"Shucksw exclaimed third. Il seed
through that feller the very minute ]
clapped my eyes on him. an ! knowed
as we'll as If he'd told me that he was
hidin from the law. wouldn't never
a-mentioned 1t. though, If somebody
else hadn't a-mentioned 1t fust."
Jim Thorn listened in silence to all
these men. a cold. incredulous SMILE on
his face and look Of contempt shining
In his eyes. He knew that every one
of them was uttering positive false
hood and that not one Of them had
thought Of Jim Melvin as a rascal and
q fugitive from justice until he had
suggested it.
"Wonder what that chaps been up to
now" some one said after a pause,
"that he's had to take to hldin out this
away"
Lord, ! hope he amt been an killed
nobody" Hicks remarked. with shud.
DER, Dut IKE euouSn InoI JeSI "n"'
he's done"
"Or it may be that he's stoled boss
or somethin." another added. 81 reck-
on he's most mean enough to do any,
thing, judgin by his looks"
"Or he mought a robbed bank. for
all we know. Land, like rs not he's
got q bushel Of money hid about him
somewhar."
These were all merely surmises on
the part Of the speakers. for none Of
them knew a thing on earth about
James Melvin. 1t is strange, however,
how near to the truth mere surmise
may sometimes draw. That James
Melvin was a fugitive from the law
IL H. kIx,N