The Greeley tribune., 1905-11-23

"Ai-yi!' said old Sally sharply, and
the ch'lir came to an abrupt stand
still. I'm the name O. heaven, how KEN
they TO let him out?" Mrs. Rodney's IS
knowledge of the law was of the
vaguest, and, II Incarceration would
keep prisoner out Of more grievous
trouble, she could not understand Civ
ing MIN his freedom. To her the case
was analogous to releasing child
from the duress of corner and turn
ing him loose to play with matches.
How ken they to let him out?" she
repeated, the still rocking chair con-
veying the impersonal dignity of the
pulpit or the justice seat. "I amt
hearn tell of so pearty n couple as the
Jail an Jim in years."
The meaning that she put into her
words belied their harsh face value
With Jim in Jail her mind was COM
paratively ut rest about him. She
knew he had been branding other
mems cattle since the destruction OF
his sheep, and she knew the fate of
cattle thieves and that Jim would be
no exception to the rule. With her
purely instructive maternity, she had
been fond of Jim. He had been one
more boy to mother. She harbored no
i'll feeling toward him that he was not
her own. Moreover she wanted no
gallows tree intermingled with the an
nails Of her family. 1t suited her con
venience at this particular time that
jim should stay in Jail. That he had
been given his freedom loosed the
walls of her condemnation on the in
competents that released him.
Il low they wuz grudgn' him the
mouthful they fed to him. that the!
ack so outdaciously plumb lococd as
to tu'n a man out to get hisself hang
ed. An Jim never wuz hearty eater.
He never seemed to relish his food.
even when he wuZ a GROWN kid.
II mind Jim when he first KEN to
u.s." she said, more to herself than to
Eudora, who sat at her feet. The i'm
pending tragedy in the family had
robbed her of all the joy in her suitors.
They sat on bench on the opposite
side of the house, divided by the very
nature OF their interests, yet compan-
ions i'll misery.
He wuz scarce four, an yet he had
never been broke OF the habit Of suck
ing his thumb. Eff he'd ben my child
I'd lammed it outn him before he'd
Il seen two, but seem he was aged for
an infant havin' such practices / tried
to shame him outn it, but, Lorl-a-
massy, men folks is hard to Shame
even at four. l hissed ut him like Il
gyander every time l seen him do it.
Now, I'd Il knowed better-Td u sewed
it up in Il pepper rag
"What's suckin his thumb as an in
fant got to do with his gettin' lynched
nowI" demanded Eudora with the
skepticism of the second generation.
Wait till you uns has children OF
your own,' shifted her mother fron
the assured position Of maternal eX
perience, IAN see the infant that's al
lowed to suck it's thumb has the max,
ms in him Of felon or Il unfortunit.' y
She rocked slow accompaniment to
her dismal prophecy.
Eudora's eyes. big with wonder, were
fixed on the crouching flank Of Il dis
tant mountain. Her mother broke the
silence. Not often did they speak
thus intimately. Old Sally belonged
to that class Of mothers who feel Il
pride in their reticent dealings with
their daughters and who consider the
management Of all affairs Of the heart
peculiarly the province Of youth and
ineNperience.
But tonight she was prompted by a
force beyond her ken to speak to the
girl "Eudory, in pickin' out one of
them men," she jerked her thumb to-
ward the opposite side Of the house,
git one tha's clar O. the trick O. STAN
pedin' round other winning. It's
bound to KEN back to ye, same as
counterfeit money"
Eudora giggled. She was Of an age
when the fascinations Of curiosity as
to the unknown male animal prompt
lavish conjecture Il lowed they all
stampeded."
Yes" leered the old woman-and she
grinned the whole horrid length of her
empty gums-"the most of 'em does,
but you must shet your eyes to 1t. The
moment they know you swallow It,
they's wuthless, like horses that has
run away once"
"Hurk!" said Eudora. Amt that
wheels:"
ut be-" answered her mother. "1t
be that old Ma'am Yellet after her
gov'ment."
Continued next week.
A Soft Answer.
Here Is story about Sir Patrick
II, LIT Sarran N 1T Aims In the house