Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1912-07-27

port. lie had the mans address. but
as II was In his own handwriting II
conden ned rather than cleared himJ
II couldn't be proved that he was
guilty. but II was felt by all that he
had at least been indiscreet. and II
was determined to administer a prop
er punishment and send him from the
! Cove
| Had the proofs been sufficient Jed
Baker would have been put to death.
AS II was. the punishment was TO be a
whipping and Punishment lie had
been sized up for man without
sand" II was believed that he would
cringe and weep like woman. They
looked to see him go white and fall on
his knees and beg for mercy even as
the punishment was announced. He
had astonished the Cove by his calm
demeanor during the examination. He
astonished II again by saying:
You can whip me and you can
urive me out, but you cannot make an
informer of me. The charge is false"
Who could II have been II not
| you. was asked.
Jed shook his head and stared at the
blank wall and made no answer. At
O'Clock that evening he was tied TO
tree and whipped and cast loose and
told TO disappear before sunrise. There
were those who felt sorry for him, but
all felt that the punishment was due.
After being cast loose he sat down
on log for an hour with his head In
his hands. While he was sitting there
the widow Carson was going about In
her cabin with tears In her eyes. Tom
Beardsly came In to tell her OF the
whipping. and she detected the ex-
ultation In his tones. Then she In
stantly remembered a thing or two.
He had been in town during the two
days she was. She had noticed him
In company with man she believed to
be an official OF some sort. In passing
the hotel she had caught neeting
glimpse OF him as he lodged out OF
sight. Her woman's intuition helped
her to a conclusion In a moment and
wheeling on the young man. she ex
| claimed:
Tom Beardsly, you did it--you did
fl"
you must be crazy he replied.
You did Il. and | know you did
What did ye have agin him? How has
he ever harmed you?"
Don't talk nonsense. wilder I'm
tellin' you here and now that I've been
thinkin' a heap OF you for a right
| smart while back and"
Tom Beardsly. who give the still
away?"
"Thinkin' a heap OF you. wilder
and right now I'm askln' you to be my
wife. You know how I'm fixed. and
The women of the Cumberland shoot
as we'll as the men, They do not hunt
bears and wildcats. but they kill
squirrels and game birds. The widows
shotgun stood in corner OF the room.
| She walked over and lifted II up and
wheeled on Tom TO say:
Not another word from you. Out
you gol You was jealous and you did
IT."
lie went without word. Ten min.
utes later abe was kneeling beside the
man who had been whipped and say
ing:
oh. Jed. but you never gave the
still away"
NO" he whispered.
1T was Tom"
'Mebbe"
And you knowed It all the time"
"Mebbe"
But why didn't YOU say so7 Why
did you take the whippin'?'
"Kase-kase thought you loved
him and you two was gwine to
marry"
Then another woman knelt down
and. with tears running down her
checks. she said:
Jed. | didn't hear that they was
gwine TO whip you till 1t was all over.
II had heard would have told the
men that give the still away. !
would have lied TO save you. I'm akin
your pardon. Jed I'm sayin' that
am the sorriest woman on all this yere
mounting"
Jed put hand on the shoulder Of
each woman and rose up with painful
effort He realized that both loved
him. One knew the truth-the other
would have lied for him.
"Goodby." he said, as he moved
OF into the dark woods.
He had been whipped In public. He
had been disgraced forever in Laurel
Cove And on the door OF the humble
schoolhouse next morning Uncle Jim
Henderson affixed paddock and then
wrote in quaint characters In chalk: