Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-12-18

1
their kind that came down the street
with a tin can tied to his tail.
went at once to Conkwright's office
and found him with his feet on a ta-
BILE, contentedly smoking cob pipe.
Il was just thinking over some points
that want to make" he remarked as
1 entered.
And 1 hope, sir, that you are in the
proper humor to make them
Cant tell about that. Oratory is as
stealthy and as Elusive as a weazel at
night. You never know when he's COM
| ing"
But do you feel well?" l anxiously
inquired.
"Oh, feel first-rate, but that doesn't
make any particular difference. Some
we'll, but when he gets up to speak he
finds that he is simply sluggish. Reck-
on I'll get through all right DO the
best 1 can, any way, and if l fail 1t
can't be helped. Guess we'd better go
over"
An anxious day that was for me.
l looked at Alf now beginning to grow
pale under his Imprisonment, and l
saw his resentment rise and fall as the
states attorney pictured him, waiting,
| listening with eagerness for the sound
of horses hoofs. l was to be law
yer, to defend men and to prosecute
them for money, and yet 1 wondered
how that bright young fellow, with the
seeming passion Of an honest outcry,
could stand there and tell the jury that
my friend had committed the foulest
murder that had ever Redeemed the
criminal annals of his state. Old man
Conkwright sat, twirling his thumbs,
and occasionally he would nod at the
juryman as if to call their attention to
rank absurdity. But l did not see
how he could offset the evidence and
the blazing sentences of that impas-
stoned prosecutor. At last Conk-
wlight'S time had come, and when he
arose and uttered his first word l felt
the chill of a disappointment creeping
over me. He was slow and his utter
ance was as cold as if it had issued
from frost-bitten mouth. l went out
and walked round the town, to the
livery stable, where a negro was hum
ming a tune as he washed a horses
back; to the drug store, where doctor
was dressing a brick-bat wound in
drunken mans scalp-I walked out to
the edge of the town, where the farm
ing land lay, and then turned back.
l was thinking Of my return home, of
the sorrow that 1 should take with me,
OF those old people-of Guinea.
Some one called me, and facing
about l recognized the telegraph oper-
ator coming across a lot. Glad to see
you" he said, coming up and holding
out his hand Didn't hear about her.
did you?"
Hear about whom?" l asked, not
pleased that he should have broken in
upon my sorrowful meditation.
Mrs. McHenry."
NO, I've heard nothing. What about
her?"
Why, there's everything about her.
She's my wife-married night before
last. Know that piece of calico I
pointed out that day, the time said
l had to be mighty careful? Well,
she's it. I'll walk on up with you.
Run it downturn in painting, you
might say Said had to have her and
she SHE'D at first, but that didn't make
any difference for l was there three
times a day till she saw it wasn't any
use to shy any longer; so she gave in
and l caught the first preacher that
happened to be hanging around and he
soon pronounced us one and the same
kind-Something Of the same sort Go
right down that street and you'll see
ca lico on my clothes line most any time.
Say, it will be pity if they hang that
young fellow And III tell you what
| I'll do. If they send anything off TO
any Of the newspapers I'll spell his
name wrong. Get even with them some
way. won't we? Yonder comes my
boy and l reckon there's call for me
at the office. They are rushing me now
seems to be the busy season. I've
been to the office twice already today.
Long before l reached the court
house l heard old COnkwright below
ing at the jury. The windows were
| full Of people and outside were stand
ing upon boxes, straining to see the old
fellow in his mighty TRADE. | could
not get into the room, but | squeezed
my way to the door and stood there,
with my blood leaping. Now l could
see why they had called him powerful.
| His face was aglOw, his gray hair was
upon end and his eyes were shooting
darts at the jury. l know not how long
| he spoke, but l know that suddenly he
was silent. looking upward, and then,
spreading his hands over the jury,
| said: MAY God in his infinite mercy
and | noticed then that the air was
| cooler with breeze that Sprang up
| when the sun had set. The states at
| torney made few remarks, and then
| the 1uUSt utllNt lllS NlitNl 81 W Wv
Jury. an address short, but earnest.
Now there was showing and a crush
the jurymen were filing out l saw
them leading All back to the JAIL but
did not go to him, so pulled and haul
ed l was by hope and fear. But made
my way to the old lawyer, and asked
him what he thought
| Il don't know" he answered. Don I
you see the disposition there is to rush
everything? l don't think they Will
be out long"
You made a great speech, sir
Wasn't bad, considering the mate
rial. We were at q disadvantage. He
stood there in the road, you know, and
that is a hard thing to get round.
But the judge must have felt your
speech"
why. my son. don't suppose he
heard It,"
went away and again l walked