Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1901-07-06
CHAPTER XVI

+, One day III jenkins and Jonathan
Turner rode over TO Beckett's Mil to
T, see about selling some hogs. 1t was
one OF the days when HIS eager"
was not working on him, SO he was
In an approachable humor. Naturally
in the conversation that followed the
arrival Of the two men the murder of
Melvin and the disappearance of Sim
Banks formed the chief topic.
! SCI knowed from the very fuSt," Tur-
ner remarked. that that Teller want
down we're smellln round fur no min
era!, an knowed thar was somethin
back of him that he want keerin
bout people KNOWN. But, Lord a-mas-
sy, men, I never dreamed that he'd
gone an done SIGH a thing as murder.
Great snakes an eaterpillers, Jest think
Of II, win you-that Teller stayin thar
In my rouse, a-sleepin in my beds an
a.eatin at my table when he'd done
tuck a Teller critters life, Ny land,
II I'd "a knowed 1 wouldn't "a had
! him thar for boss. Why, don't you
know sence he was thar il Jest seems
like ever blame thing on the place is
got human blood on it-seems like it's
on the beds an the towels an the cheers
an the dishes, an pears like can taste
1t In the vittles. Lord a-massy, but it's
awfulr'
Il bet you'd "a been skeered of him,
too" Jason Roberts said, IF you'd "a
knowed bout him KILN that feIler"
Great possums an persimmons, L
reckon 1 shorely would IA been skeer-
| ed Why, Jest think-that Teller mought
a mt nm V,Her -
blame one OF us"
IAN he never cheeped word to you
bout nothin he'd done nor nothin?"
Mary word. II I'd been kinder
inQuisitive. like some folks, an had "a
pried into him, mought "a found out
, somethin- But. Lord, amt no hand
to ask questions, you know, an when
, Teller acts like he don't want to tell
nothin jest let him alone"
Didn't you ask him nothing"
Scarcely a thing. When he come
! up thar fust that day, sorter flung out
| one or two Bttle questions. but | see
right away he didn't want TO answer
Eothin, so fest quit. Land. amt no
hand to- try TO make people tell things
anyhow whether they want to or not"
There was an oppressive silence after
this, silence during which there was
much thinking But Turner was bliss
| fully ignorant OF the trend OF thought.
g., he did not even suspect II when he
! saw smile on more than one face.
An bout that Teller over to your
house, HIP" Hicks remarked question
ingly.
HE amt thar no more" Hi replied.
Gone awayI-
"YesTw yfstedy."
I 'Td say't."
Eyes; he got sod he didn't pear to be
satisfied no more. SO yistedy he packed
up an put out"
Want satisfied with the CONNER
dalton you give him?" Turner asked.
Them fellers mostly amt satisfied
with nothln."
"Oh, II want that, guess. Least
wise he never made no fuss bout his
! concentrations"
! what allied him, then. you reckonP'
Il dunno, I'm shore. Jest seemed to
"a got sorter restless an uneasy an
couldn't be still nowhar. When he
want asleep, he was all the time NOV
in about, either trapsin round over the
= ards across the yard. I've seed him
walkin out thar in the yard, for hours.
jest goin to an fro, to an fro, till 1t
wore me clean out. 1t got SOS he done
1t OF nights jest the same, an lots OF
times I've walked up way long towards
mornin an seed him at it. Then thar
was kim OF a skeered look In his
eyes, an at ever little noise he'd jump
an look round like he'd been shot
never see nobody do like he done"
/ by grab, it was funny, want H?'
Looked that away TO me shore"
/ What you reckon was the matter OF
him, HIP
81 amt no notion, Jake"
| al bet it was that murder done it,
, Sam Morgan said. Don't you all reck-
on itwasT
Lord, don't see how that murder
could "a had anything to do with it,
! Hi replied. The murder want nothin
to him noway, an he didn't know Mel
vim nor Sim Banks nuther. Guess he
never see nuther of 'em less he see
Melvin that day he was lyin here a
cawpse."
HE did see him that day." Sam said,
IAN he acted sorter quaire too. 1 was
a-watchin him when he went up TO
whar the cawpse lay, an, for all he'd
/ been so cool out thar in the woods, the
second his eyes fell ON that dead face
he turned right white an put his hand
up to his heart, then looked round
right quick, like he wondered if any
body'd seen him. Guess he must be
] Of Iii - ho
teched by anything like that"
Must be if he done that away" old
Hi replied. My skin, it don't make
no difference to me to look at dead
Teller, an I'd jest as soon tech him as
not"
lord, hi, not If he'd been killed?"
''Yes, sir, even If he'd been killed"
"By grab. wouldn't. They say If
you tech Teller that's been murdered
that away he'll come to you three