The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1901-05-23
CHAPTER XXI.
A LITTLE NElGIIHORIY GOSSIP.

LITTLE NElGIIBoRLY GOSSIP.
One day III Jenkins and Jonathan
Turner rode over to Deckctts Mill to
see about selling some hogs. 1t was
one OF the days when IIps Eager"
was not working on him, SO he was
III an approachable humor. Naturally
III the conversation that followed the
arrival Of the two men the murder Of
Melvin and the disappearance Of Sim
Banks formed the chief topic.
Il knowed from the very fust," Tur-
ner remarked, that that fcllcr want
uowh yere smellin round fur no min
eral, an l knowed thar was somethin
pack or him that he want keerin
bout people KNOWN. But, Lord a-mas-
sy, men. never dreamed that he'd
gone IN done sich Il thing as murder.
Great snakes an catcrpillers, Jest think
of A.. will you-that feller stayin thar
III my house, a-slccpin in my beds an
a-eatin at my table when he'd done
tuck n Teller critters life! My land,
If ia "a knowcd I wouldn't a had
him thar for hoss. Why, don't you
know sence he was thar 1t Jest seems
like ever blame thing on the place Is
got human blood OH it-sccms 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
awful!'
II bet you'd "a been Skcered Of him,
too,' Jason Roberts said, "if you'd "a
knoweu bout him killin that fcller."
Great possums an pcrsmmons, l
reckon l shorcly would "a been skeer-
ed. Why, jest think-that fcller mought
"a got up some night an killed ever
blame one of u.s."
IAN he never chceped word to you
bout nothln he'd done nor nothinY
"Nary a word. If I'd been kinder
inQuisitlvc, like some folks, IN had "a
pricd into him, l mought "a found out
somethIn. But, Lord. | amt 10 hand
to ask questions, you know, an when
Il fcllcr acts like he don't want to tell
nothin jest let him alone"
"Didn't you ask him nothin?"
Scarccly thing. When lie come
up thar fust that day, sorter flung out
one or two little questions, but l see
right away he didn't want to answer
nothln, SO jest quit. Land, ain't 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
tully Ignorant Of the trend Of thought.
lie did not even suspect 1t when he
saw smile on more than one face.
"An bout that Teller over to your
house, HIP" Hicks remarked question
ingly.
"I1e amt thar no more" Iii replied.
"Gone away"
"ics; went yistedy."
sid say't."
Yes; he got sod he didn't pear to be
satisfied no more, SO yistedy he packed
ID an put out"
want satisfied with the CONNER.
dation you give him?" Turner asked.
Them fcllcrs mostly amt satisfied
with nothin."
"Oh, 1t want that, guess. Least.
wise ne never made no fuss bout his
concentrations"
What allied him, then, you recllon?"
Il dunno, I'm shore. Jest seemed to |
a got sortcr restless an uneasy an
Couldn't he still nowhar. When he |
want asleep, he was all the time moy. |
III about. either trapsin round over the |
woods or else walkin back ards an for !
ards across the yard. I've seed him
walkln out thar in the yard for hours, |
Dcst goln to an fro, to an fro, till it |
wore me clean out. 1t got SOS he done |
1t or nights jest the same, an lots Of |
times Eve walked up way long towards |
mornln an seed him at It, Then thar |
was q kim Of skcered look In his
eyes, an at ever little noise he'd jump
al look round like he'd been shot.
never see nobody do like he DONE"
by grab, it was funny, want it?"
Looked that away to me Shore"
What you reckon was the matter Of
him, HI"
II amt no notion. Jake"
Il bet 1T was that murder done It,"
Sam Morgan said. Don't you all rcck-
on it wasp
Lord, I don't see how that murder
could a had anything to do with It,"
I'll replied. "The murder want nothin
% him noway. an he didn't know Mel
yin nor Sim Banks nuthcr. Guess he
never see nuther Of 'em less he see
Melvin that day he was lyin here a
,nwpsc."
He did see him that day" Sam said,
an he acted sorter Quairc too. I was
i-watchln him when he went up to
Vhar the cawpse lay, an, for oil he'd
)ecn SO cool out thar in the woods, the
second his eyes fell on that dead face
lc turned right white an put his hand
lp to his heart, then looked round
light quick, like he wondered If any
)ody'd seen him. Guess he must be
me Of them kind Of people that's easy
eched by anything like that"
Must be If he done that away" old
III replied. "Aly skin, 1t don't make
10 difference to me to look at a dead
cller, an I'd jest as soon tech him as
lot."
Lord, III, not If he'd been killedW
"Yes, sir, even ic he'd been killed"
"By grab, l wouldn't. They say If
'ou tech fellcr that's been murdered
hat away he'll come to you three
lights hand runnin and stan by your
'ed an look ut you"
"WOnQcr if th0t'a ao2D Tim frborn |