Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1903-10-09
BETWEEN UPPER AND
NEITHER MILLSTONES
BY Ethel Watts Mumford.

Her tall son frowned. Darn II all!
what did Buck so to tell you for? I
knew you'd make a fuss"
Please, Jenny" she egged: This
man is stranger TO you. He's never
done you any harm. Let the others
hound him; you keep out of Il. Jem-
my. 'Tain't right. and couldn't ever
feel the same toward you II you had a
hand in TT
Now. see here" he said. desperate
~. you can't understand Il. know.
but the crowd wouldn't never forgive
me IL I didn't go in with them. Red
Jack never did me hurt nor won my
money nor he never swiped none of
my cattle. amt even laid eyes on him
myself. But it's all the same; we set
tiers has got to stand by one another.
and when the majority says there's a
bad man to be shelled out OF the COM
munity the bunch as a whole has to
do It. III l hung back from my share
OF the row they'd never stand by me.
'Tain't as II we was all at home in
the East You haven't learned the
customs yet. but tell you I've got
to CO."
She wrung her hands and tears
gathered In her eyes.
IT'S lynching. Jemmyr
yep. and IL there wasn't lynch law
there'd be no law. Mother. don't you
take on. You've come out here and
you've got to learn to stand our ways.
1 know it's hard on you, but you'll get
used to II by and by
"Whatn they make you do. Jem.
myr'
"Oh, nothing much; put me on guard
somewheres to keep look out and see
he don't get past and over the border
Into Mexico. They'll run big circle
and gradually draw him in. Then he'll
probably step out to Mendez: he's
stuck on that half-breed girl. They'll
have an extra watch there and pinch
him. She's said she'd turn him over"
shed betray him. The woman's
wrinkled face went red with indigna-
ton.
Sure. or Mendez couldn't run the
Blue Devil. The crowd'd clean him
out-h-mw he said suddenly. realizing
that his tongue had run away with
him. Don't you take on: guess It'll
come out all right anyhow. He'll get
across the line and there won't he any
Fourth of July at all. There now.
This amt no place for you. mother
and / was dinged fool to let yer
come"
She recovered her self-control quick.
~. mo. Jenny: where my hoy is Is
my place. too. There's nobody else In
the world left to me-nobody but you:
that's why hate To sec you dong
ungodly things. and this is ungodly
Jenny. and no goodll come OF IT,
suppose you won't listen tn your old
mother. Children mostly think they
know II all"
you don't understand" he inter
rupted. eYasperated.
mo. I don't understand this sort of
thing. thank God. don't understand
the killing of nary living man"
We'll" he said. in the tone with
which one humors "A fret -ul child. I'm
Just show up and let them think I'm
solid with 'em. and then I'll slide out
and drop the thing. There. how'll that
do?'
She put her withered hand upon his
broad shoulders and looked him square
In the face. You remember. Jenny"
she said. slowly. that your old mother
is up here alone. for every mans left
the place for this bloody work; all
alone. remember. and shell be a
thinking OF you here by the window.
waiting for you to come back with
your hands clean OF man killing.
Don't forget now. boyl"
He turned his head quickly lest she
txat4
mother" he nodded. Catching up his
Winchester. he damned his sombrero
down and made for the door Back
by shutdown, guess" he called back:
don't worry"
She watched him sling himself easily
upon his bronco and canter swiftly
off over the trail toward the river
settlement. She sighed deeply. Sc
this was the great Southwest; this the
unfettered life that had infatuated
Jenny. with its excitement. its bloody
cowboy wars, its mad revels of cards
and drink. Yet he was a good boy,
she thought hastily. and the wild life
had given him strength and a beauty
all It's own. She sighed again. All.
that terrible inheritance of restless
blood! From whence came it? She
could not guess; yet It was there in.
domitable. Where was runaway Ted.
/ dy-little red-headed Twelve-year-old
Teddy-craZed with the tinsel OF n
circus ring so many years ago? Where
was Grace? Gone. too Married to a
ships captain in the West Indian
trade. lured by some dream OF tropic
beauty. of waving palms and coral
bars. She gazed out sadly at the
strange landscape-gray-bro dust
and gray-green cactus. wiry mesquit
and tall contorted yucca. To the
right. grass covered slopes of water
fed lands. dotted with red and white
cattle; near by. the corrals. and, far
south. the blue mesas Of Mexico sharp
against the sky. Loneliness brooded
with her-the majestic loneliness OF
vast spaces that brings with II the
| great peace of primitive. unchanging
things. 1t could not sOothe the long
| ing that rose in her heart with the
| thought OF her lost children.
| She turned from the window. hoping