The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-02-08

| of that feller HotchKiss." 'You may well call it killin', William, bekaze Friend Hotchkiss was stone dead a few hours arter the fatal shot was fredw declared Judge Butts.
 Where was the killin' done?" in- quired Mr. Sanders. He adressed himself to Mrs. Butts, but Mahlon made reply. | We found him, William, right sprang | in front of Ike Warmers cabin-right thar. and nowhar else. He war doin' his level best for to git on his feet, an he tried l to talk, but not more than two or three words did he say"
 Well. what did he say?" inquired Mir. l Sanders.
 Tt was the same thing ever time If"Why, Tollivcr, Tolliver'-them was his | very words"
 I>7 Are you right certain about that, Nah l lon?" asked MT. Sanders. "As certain an shore, William, as l | am that I'm settin' here. Eff he said it once, he said 1t a dozen times"
 "Whar was he wounded, Becky?" asked Mir. Sanders.
 | Between the left ear and the temple. !" | Did you have a doctor?' We sent for one, but If he come we never saw him." Mrs. Butts replied. What time was Hotchkiss killed?' Bout half-past ten; maybe a little sooner"
 This was all the information MT. San- ders could get, and 1t was great deal more than he wanted in one particular. He knew that Gabriel Tolliver was inno- cent of the killing; but the fact that his name was called by the dying man was almost as damaging as an ante-mortem accusation would have been. l Mir. Sanders rode to Ike Varner's cabin, | few hundred yards away and he en- | tered the house without ceremony.
 Who is that? La! Mir. Sanders. you sho did skeer me- exclaimed Edie. l | would as soon have spected to see a ghost"
 You'll see 'em here before you're much older" replied Mir. Sanders, grimly. "They ain't fur off. Whers lke?'
 La, eff you know anything about Ike | you know more than l does. I ain't laid | eyes on that nigger man, not sence-" | Not sence the night Hotchlsiss was killed" said MT. Sanders, completing her sentence for her.
 La. MT. Sanders! how'd you know that?'
 "I know a heap more'n you think I do," MT. Sanders remarked. 'Hotchkiss was talkin' to you at. Jne gate thar when he was shot. What was he sayin,?' | The womans face flushed and she turn l ed ner eyes away. ny, ne wan say in a word. hardly: I was doin' all the talkin'. I ast him if he wouldn't have a drink of cold water, an he said he would an I took 1t out to the gate, an while I was talkin', they shot him. They cer- l tainly did
 Did you ask Ike about it?' MT. San ders inquired. La! ain't seen Ike sence that night, exclaimed Edie, flirting her apron with a coquettish air. | Now. Edie" said Mir. Sanders. with a | frown. you know as well as I do, that | when you heard the pistol go off and saw | what had happened. you run in the house | an flung your apern over your head. It was a wild guess, but 1t was close to the truth.
 La, MT. Sanders, you talk like you was watchin' me. 'Twa'nt my apern, twas my hans. didn't have on no apern that night; I had on my Sunday frock."
 An you know jest as well as do that Ike come in here an stood over you, an
 said somethin' to you"
 NO, sir; he didn't stand over me; l
 was here''-she illustrated his position by
 her movements-"an' when Ike comes in, he stood over there"
 What did he say?"
 ''He said. replied Edie. smiling to show
 her pretty teeth. If you want him, go
 out there and get him." Yes. sir. he said
 that. La! I never heard of a nigger
 killin' a white man on that accounti did
 you, Mir. sanders?'
 "I don't know as I ever did" replied Mr. Sanders. regarding her with an ex- lpression akin to pity~-"Bub times has 4ehangedIH