The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-10-16

head O wheat He walked with his
| head n shoulders so far ahead O. tht
rest O. his BODY that it looked like his
feet was half minded to go with him an
half minded to stay where they were
| He wasn't much of hustler, Bal
wasn't, an ne used to get converted Al
every protracted meetin'. Ball ought to
"a been a woman if he hadn't been SC
honely. Stringer was such quiet coun-
| ty back in them DAYS that it used to be
| sayin' that most any old woman
could hold down the sheriff's Office, sc
| guess Ball was Just about the man for
the job. Leastways. he never had much
trouble.
Bald never "a been sheriff if ii
hadn't been for old man Simpson
he was a justice o the peace. The old
| man had lot of get-up about him. an
| since Ball didn't seem to do no good at
nothin' else, he made UP his mind that
| Ball might as well have the thousan'
| dollars that the sheriff got year as
anybody else. He nagged at Ball till
| Ball said he'd be candidate for nomi-
nation; an the two of 'em drove all
| over the county canvassin' For all his
| looks Ball was purity sharp, an he knew
| how some men went back on their lee
ton promises so when they'd get some
mans promise to support him at the
county convention Bald say, Swear
him, dad; an old man Simpson'd
swear him. When the convention came
off Ball owned it. The other candidates
had the delegates promises, but Bail
had their oaths, an they had to stand
by Ball. Since bein' nominated by the
Democratic party in Stringer County
was the same as election in them days,
Just as il is now, Ball was elected.
well, sir. when Ball N Billy got
back down in the jail after Billy had
been sentenced, Ball purity nigh went to
pieces; one o the men in the jail told
me about it afterwards. He dropped
down on Billy's bed and put his face
in his hands.
What's the matter with you, Ball
Billy asked.
@'To think I've got to do it, BillyP
Ball said.
".Do what?' Billy asked.
:" Hang you.' an Ball broke plumb
down an laid on the bed an cried.
Billy slipped an arm across his
shoulders an patted him on the back.
He wouldn't hold it again him, he said,
an he'd lot ruther be hung by an
old friend than by stranger. He told
Ball to brace up, for he said it was the
first hangin' for both of EN- an they
ought to put up good front.
Ball chirked up consid' able at this, |
an purity soon he was feelin' purity
peart; an they played seven-up on Bill !
1y's bed TIL supper-time.
1'The jail that Billy was in amt stand /
in now; it was tore down nigh onto |
twenty year ago. The man who built !
the new one wrote piece for the paper t
sayin' no man could ever break that I
Jail, an the first man put in it got out |
the first night. The old Jail was solid |
enough loekin', but it was a purity poor |
contraption. Old Phil Hinkle, he made |
an put in all the oratin' about the cells; I
he Awas a good enough blacksmith but |
his strong point wasn't in fxin' up
jails Sos | said while ago, no one
didn't have to stay in there unless he
wanted to. Besides, Ball was easy go
in Over in Buck township. where he /
come from, there wasn't much worth |
stealin', so old man Simpson never
locked his doors. an, out o habit T
guess, Ball run the Jail on purity near
the same plan,
"One night Billy took a notion he
wanted QUIT was an awful hot night
an he couldn't sleep. So he dug away
the mortar about one O. the stones IN
his window with a pocket knife Ball
had forgot an left in his cell when he
was eatin' an apple there one day, till
he got the stone loose. Then he took
the stone down, pulled out one O. the
bars. an slipped out through the win
dow an dropped to the ground. You'd
think man in Billys fix, if he got out
O. jail, d skin out for good m all,
you? But Billy didn't. He
IL : /, |
was stretched bit, then he went down
to the pulp mill by the river which used
to run all night. Billy knew all the
fellows there, an maybe you think they
wasn't surprised lot when he come
a -walkin' in on 'em between twelve N
one.
"What YOU doin' down here?' they
wanted to know. &
ooh said Billy T Just got tired
settin' alone no there in the jail, so
thought I'd come down here an talk
to you fellows for a spell
"One O. the men slipped up close to
Billy an whispered: What the devil
YOU hangin' round here for, Mac
Check? Now's your chance. Why +!
don't you skip out? Ball Simpson'H
never catch YOU
BILLY looked at him an smiled an
iidn't mean notiin' He loafed around
here till daylight, talkin' an jollin' with
he fellows. When he started away
hey asked him where he was go'n'.
Down to have a SWIM he said. I AMT
1ad what you can call bath for three
MONTHS
Billy walked up the river to the old
,winrnin' hole. an splashed an swum
-ound for half an hour. Then he dress
ID and walked back to town. 1t was
still early an there was hardly anybody
,ut vet when he come into Main Street.
| was doin' some work in the Office. /
IN when l seen him go by ! guess
was as much surprised as the bows was
iown in the plup mill. run to MY
ioor an yelled to him. He stopped
N turned round. He lookin' just as
fresh an happy as ever you want -
ook.- Ii done you good just to see Billy
smile In