The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-02-12
THE ADVERTISERS ! DAILY SHORT STORY

L<S~f~S@ S~S@S~S~S
 Early on the morning after the fight at
 Old" Ben Medley's saloon, Uncle Billy Rudesill came down Cherry Street and turned into the city hall to ask if any thing had been heard of Murray Grady. the offender of the night before, who had disappeared after the trouble was over. On cot In the city hall lay the boy who was the victim of the fight. Bandages swathed his head, hiding the jagged wound for which Murray Gradys unerring aim with a beer glass was re- sponsibie. The boy was stranger m town, tramp printer who had asked for work at The Herald office the day before and there had met Murray Grady.
 The boy was unconscious. His white face and his forlorness touched Uncle Biliy's tender heart and he swore with his favorite oath that Murray Grady it," Uncle Billy promised the negro who watched beside the boys cot and the help less figure on the bed, "Dagone 1t, I've got the law in my pocket and I'll put seen that fellow plum drunk and tearing up and down Cherry Street time and again and turned my head round the other way on account of that little girl of his. but they ain't nsthin' going to excuse him this time"
 1t was Uncle Billy's proud boast that he had "carried the law In his pocket as town marshall of Ladonia for tnirty years He was the mildest hammered or little men until his office was attacked, In Uncle Billy.s estima lion. the town marshal of Ladonia was a round hlgner on the ladder of fame than was tne President. and through force of long napit Uncle Billy had learned the trick or slapping the pocket where the law was supposed to rest as if the contents were as valuable as gold mine
 Uncle Billy went out of the city nall and a pungent smell of iodoform ioi, infn ha NovpfY1hpr sunlight and fingered as a reminder of the reso- lution he had made. Up the street at The Herald office the little marsha! found The Herald editor endeavoring with the assistance Of the ofnce ooy ana . ,'uTT n,,t profanity to get up type enough 10 pus the paper to press. Uncle Billy opened the door wi1e enough to admit the end of his sharp nose. The stream or pro fanity drowned the click o1 'y type sd.Ses m Ses discreetly. "Ahem!' he saii:
 The editor peered oyer the edge of the case Come in. and shut the door. will yer s,e he said sruhly. "ha' aye
 Uncle Billy tiptoed in. "Oh. its you' Is IL! If you're after that darned printer you might as we'll hunt him some where else. And say. when you find him just bring him around and chain him to tnis
 "Then he hasn't been nere this morn ing?" Uncle Billy interrogated meekly
 Do you think I'd be up here sticking type If he had?'
 Have you any idea where could mo him?' faltered Uncle Billy
 Find him. Find him the editor stormed, "You won't find him while you fool around here wasting my time! pretty set of officers you all are! Let one fellow nearly kill another in a drunken row and then tiptoe around to me next morning, with Can, you tell me where I'll find him The editor squeaked out the last words with an eX- aggerated imitation of Uncle Billys shrili faisetto. "Pm sick of the whole lot Of you. Get out of hereH
 Uncle Billy's temper was unruffled He went out. Back on the street he slapped his pocket a6senly hear am bodyd eSE think he didn't know that I got the Jaw In my pocket. Hey? What you want. Henry the S oes S boy, ,p1,n had 5e 5ell1wea SSis pered. don't you tell him l told you; but this morning as I come to work l | met Murray going over the bridge 10 the Hill road. and he had the Kid along
 and he asked me not rioht to tell tel seen n a good boy. Hennery" said Uncle Billy.
 'The law comes frs, Hennery.. You've got to put that above friendship. guess we'T get him all right now. I've put the law to him for this, sure. Had the little girl with him. did he? Poor | little thing! This ain't no kind Of weath- l CT to be dragging girl child over tne country And if you hadn't told On him, | he'd a-got away. Tut. tut. Hennery. l n ashamed of you, telling or your friend. | Poor little girl. poor little girl! Dagone 1t all, it's hard on feller: Ana Oncie | Billy swung down the street, shaking ms | head and fumbling at his pocket.
 | Over the Hill road man tramped m | the frosty morning. He carried bundle carefully In his arms and from the en,
 folding wrappings. child's race trame9 l in a mist of soft. brown curls. looked
 over his shoulder The iitt'e arms ns, cfrrl frl
 ther. father?i the little voice asked. | "A long way. honey Grady answered Were going home Are you tired, my lamb! ne askeu
 presently The child breathcd little
 sigh of weariness. Tell me about home | again, fatherT' she begged.
 were going back South" Grady be-
 gan back where you were born Ths | flowers bloom there all the time, ana vine that runs clear up to the chimnev; and big roses on it for you to pick IT
 the day is chilly. we'll make ire m a | big fireplace, a fire that you can see | snan and glow, and watch the blaze of,
 not like in one of those Godforsaken | black stones that they have up nero; | Nights. we'll go down to the square ana
 hear the band play, and the moonngnt
 will paint black shadows on tne %@hlte @
 walks and the white buildings. Poor | Grady. he was painting picture to com | fort his own homesick heart, as well as l to amuse the child And we'll see the l river again, and hear the boats whlstIe | away down the bend. O God! he broke | oer sIt.s Gods own country we're going 1 back to again.! ,,. | He glanced apprehensiNely over ms | shoulder and swung over the rough road | Thursdays story THE RING OR THE