Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1901-07-13

thin. No matter what anybody SAYS
or thinks. I'm Innocent"
Il know IL, Sim; know IT." Pap said
assuringly. "But, then, courts mebby
won't see as we do"
Maybe not, Pap" Sim replied aftef
pause, but I'm innocent, an I'm goin
to stay"
But think, Sim, Of
Il have thought OF II all. Pap I'm
goin to stay an face 1t out"
Then Sims companion, who had lis
tened intently all this while, spoke up
again. Laying his hand ON Sims arm.
he said earnestly:
And you'll never be hurt Sim. New.
er so much as a hair of your head shall
be touched"
Pap Sampson looked at the speaker
doubtfully.
How do you know that?'' he asked.
1T doesn't matter how l know it,
the other answered. Il know It. and
that is enough
who are you. an what do you
know bout this AFFAIR."" Pap cues
toned.
"My name is Thompson, and l am
Sim Banks friend. 1 have been his
friend since that day he saved my
life at the risk of his own
That was nothin," Sim said. ANY
body would have done oil did,
Anybody would have rushed into
that hail of shot and shell after our
men had retreated and carried a
wounded comrade OF the battlefield
60 save him from the enemy1 You'll
never make me believe any such thing.
Nobody can ever make me believe
that there's another man in the world
besides Sim Banks who was brave
enough to have done it"
MY Lord, Joe, I'd been a brute IL l
hadn't done It." Sim protested, "a
plumb cowardly brute. You make too
much over a little no count thing like
that"
cit may seem of no account to Won.
but 1t doesn't to me, l can tell you. l
guess 1t didn't seem so to the men who
saw it either, judging from the way
they cheered you. Why, even the enc
my cheered."
II didn't hear it," Sim said.
mo, you were too busy trying to get
me out Of that awful place. 1 guess
you didn't even hear the bullets whiz-
zing round your head like swarm of
bees?"
''I didn't"
Wei, 1 heard them, you can Just
bet. II was just like a hailstorm bro
ken loose. l know 1 thought every
second we'd both be killed. and can't
understand why we weren't. 1 begged
you to leave me and save yourself IL
you could. and you wouldn't do it."
''Oh, waal, Joe, les let that alone
I'm plumb tired OF hearin of that fool
thing. 1t amt worth kickin up so
much fuss about"
well, that's just your opinion, Sim.
Other people see IL differently. Then
there is the way you looked after me
Tor weeks while was in hospital No
father, no brother, my own mother
even. could not have been more care
full Of me. / remember il all. Sim. and
I'll never forget it as long as live"
WAL, that's all right joe" Sim
said, but I'm tired an hungry. SO les
not say no more, but go along OF Pap.
III go to his house an rest bit Then
III go an give myself up"
You'll not give yourself up this day
nor this night, SIM" Pap announced
hatF. You'll have one good rest first
II know myself, an I'm most shore L
do, for II they git you into tail you
won't have no rest thar"
mo, but it's all right, Pap. I'm re-
signed To take whatever comes, an I
reckon IL don't matter much what II
10. l amt got anything to live for no
more nohow, an I'd Jest as well be
dead as not"
But you'll never be hurt. SIM" the
other said. Don't you think it. Not
q hair OF your head shall be touched"
Pap Sampson looked wonderingiy at
The speaker, saw something he had
not observed before and in his aston.
tshment unthoughtedly cried:
my Lord, stranger. you're not goin
to live long,
Thompson smiled.
81 know it." he said, "but Il Ne best.
only want to do one thing more, and
then I'm done, and I'll live to do II:
yes Ill live to do IL /"