Mower County transcript., 1904-08-03
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beard stayed itself in its downwal

after. I. give him sound lecture. Right
now the old devil would cut the throats
of several Of the states witnesses If
he was at liberty"
.s s'~rhen I'll 60 back to the, store an
tell the boy" Hillyer sighed as he
moved to the door, a dead look Of dis
appointment in his eye.
AS Hillyer was making his way
through the courtroom to the outer
door the wife Of the condemned man
reached out her hand and stopped him.
She had clutched the tail of his long
frock coat. .tt s"et
II want to speak to you,''' she said.
""Go ahead. I'm goin' outside" He
led the way down the stairs to the yard
below and then paused to hear what
she had to. say. II T.. / .>'
n seed you Invite the judge out" she
began. Il suspicioned you axed i'm
to make it &ne."
Eyes, that's what called i'm out fer,
Mrs. Buckley the merchant said,
looking down commiserately on her fat
figure clothed in dingy black calico,
''but it wasn't bit O. use. He's made
up: his mind to send the old man off
for five years" - ;. - .... -
The woman nodded slowly. "Wen, l
reckon It's, as good as we kin expect"
she said. EFF it had been a fine, George
would "a had to pay 1t, an I'm agin
that proposition. He's worked hard
to make his little start, an it ain't
right fer i'm to have to give it up when
Mr. Hillyer, I've heard that pore boy
beg an beg his pa to change, an eff
he's predicted this thing once he has
fifty times"
II knew that, too," replied the mer-
chant, with dark frOwn. 'But
George is jest so situated right now,
Mrs. Buckley, that he'd sacrifice all he
expects to make In the next ten years
to avoid the disgrace O the sentence:
He holds his own with the biggest
folks in town, an this is simply awful.
You know how some O. these blue
blooded families look on thing like
this ~
"Jest about as sensible as they look
on most, things" retorted Mrs. Buck
ley philosophically, "an' 1 don't see no
use inj humorin' ''em. They: may know
a. mans a thief, but ef he shain't pub
lHcly branded they don't care. But
David has broke the law; thar amt no
change to be made in I'm. an I'm agin
lettin' it hamper George. NO matter
what these shallow minded aristocrats
think. What's botherin' me is another
thing"
"You say it is, Mrs. Buckley?' And
the merchant stared expectaatly. !
Eyes, Mr.. Hillyer. George hain't got
but one weakness, an that is, once in
long while, when he is in despair,
he will take drink to drown his trou-
bic. I reckon he hain't fetched drap
but once since he's been with you.'
AN that was the time they threat
ened to Jail yore husband fer pennin'
up Wilson's hogs, an we succeeded in
squashin' the charge"
Eyes, that was the time"-the old wo-
man pushed back her gingham poke
bonnet and looked straight into Hill
yer's eyes-"an' I am anxious to find
"Not yet, Mrs. Buckley" Hillyer's
voice had fallen very low; it was al
most husky. "But I've been that afeard
it would start i'm of that hain't been
! able to sleep at night: He's in a. awful
state O. mind, Mrs. Buckley, an when
I 60 back an tell i'm the Judges de-
cision don't know what he'll do. A
fine piece O. metal will bend jest 80
far an then it'll break"
The old woman nodded again slowly
and then said: "Well, I'll 60 back in
side. This is a new wrinkle on me.
It's considered right an proper fer
| folks to go to the grave with Their kin,
| an reckon thar I'D be talk eff I shirk-
ed hearin' the sentence, but tell George
I'll come down to the store after
| awhile"
"All right, Mrs. Buckley. I'll tell
'im."
AS Hillyer turned toward the gate
to reach the little street which stretch
ed out, lined with cottages and brick
law Offices, to the red brick freight de-
pot at the far end, one Of the loungers
on the grass rose and slouched toward
him..
"Have they sentenced Buckley YETI"
he asked. "I'm witness on that barn
bur:.n'. case. an of it amt a-go;n' to
be called tonight I'm a-goin' home"
TITS next on the docket" the mer-
chant informed him. -... ,........,
The man had another question ready.
"What's cotton bringin' today?'' he
asked. eve got big white bale ready
feri the GIN" j%;5}}> j%tiT .;i@&.ti T. .;a.,sA
Seyen and three-eights;" answered
H1llyer, and he walked on. On the
main thoroughfare Of the town he had
1 to pass several brick stores where the
clerks. and merchants stood amid the
heaps of athetr4 wares on the marrow
brick sidewalks, and many. of !; them
asked about the Buckley trial. Hillyer
made short but considerate replies and
= hals14tened past. On q corner Of one. Of
1 the 3! streets !, running back to a railroad
sltddsetrack S. the. rear, stood HIS ware.
4 house.ss Herr she found his negro porter
i busvstWtthsFattling Aoors trucks loadiAs