The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1913-04-05

ty old, and he wasn't never handsome.
And one store was in, as went out
| heard a drummer that was trying TO
sell goods say. 1 saw that teller at the
Relief, but | notice he's able to keep
a dog Lets the children go hungry
ruther'n the dog, | guess kinder
turned on him, then | turned back
again, and | whistled TO Sport, and |
looked at him and saw how his ribs
showed ard his eyes was kinder sunk
He wagged his tail and yelped like be
used TO, seeing me look at him: and
then | went straight to that drug
store Billy used to keep-Biuy Har-
yey. He moved away last year: be
was a good friend of mine. | said to
MIN, Billy, you got something that
would kill a dog in a flash, so he'd
never suffer or know what hurt him.
And Billy-he understood, and he said
he had. You jest put it on his tongue
and he'd never know what killed him
Billy was sorry for me- He gave it
to me for nothing. and he gave me
some bones and corn bread and milk:
so Sport had good dinner And he
come right up TO me and looked me in
the eyes, wagging his tail His eyes
was kinder dim, but they was just as
loving as ever. And he was wagging
his tail when he dropped. Then
went home, and the children asked me
where was Sport, and little Peggy
cried-oh. Lord"
1T was awful hard on you, Wesley"
said Robbins gently.
Il suppose 1t wasn't nothing to what
some men have suffered There was
poor Tommy Walker, give up his farm
when it was Observation-Disclosures he
had to-and went off tramping to
Kansas City. and after he'd tramped
week there, looking for a job. give
II up and jumped into the river And
you know how old man Osgood killed
himself, honest a old man as ever
lived; always kept his machines I'M
der cover, too; he couldn't stand it.
They found it harder-and lots more,
too; but I've found it hard enough.
And | know I'd shoot that sneaking,
sneering young Shylock, and not mind
it near so much as l minded killing
poor Sport"
II don't know but we'd all better
quit" said the younger man with
sigh. This isn't a living country.
Three years of drought would break
any country up. It's not meant to live
in. We had fair crop this year. but
It's so low; and freights, though
they're lower. are pretty high. don't
see any way out of it, And | declare
think if we run this young fellow
off We'll only get bad name for the
place"
Il don't care for bad Names" said
the other sullenly Il got a wife and
three children; | was foreclosed a
year ago-so's you, SOS a lot of the
boys; we're at the end of our string
now-legally. So what did we say?
We said We didn't care. was 1t legal
or Illegal; that laws was made TO skin
the poor man: and we elected sheriff
We could depend on not to enforce
the laws, and We druv off the blood
suckers they sent out here. They say
one Teller was killed. l don't know.
Guess that's one of Doc Russell's
stories. The boys talk a lot about
the cause of all this here trouble, and
how we're going to have revolution,
and how referendum and initiendum
will help, and how free silver will help
i guess, myself, a little more rain
three years ago when corn was up
would have helped more'n anything
and they talk how they're fighting the
battles of the poor man, and the east
the Shylocks are devouring us. and
they boiler the roof of. I listen to
EN-, but don't believe 'em any more
than you do"
But" interrupted the other man
eagerly, Il voted with the peoples
party"
~ "Of course you did. We was going
to be unanimous, and you dass'n't
stand out; but you didn't believe in
1t. Me either. amt maxim any
pretense. but I'll tell you it's jest here
I'm down to bedrock II l let my
farm be took away and my stock.
what's going to become of my wife
and children? You can call 1t stealing,
or resisting the law, or anything you
please, but I'll kill that Teller before
I'll let him turn me cut"
Don't you think we can scare him
of? Killings a nasty word"
My father was with John Brown;
he helped kill a man. He never lost
no sleep about it; ! shan't neither.
Look here, Mr.. Robbins, | got lots of
time to think. winters-lots. Remorse
and all them fine feelings you read
of, they don't belong to folks that are
way down In the dirt. You got to have
to eat and wear, and not
have your stomach sassing you, and
you half froze most Of the time; when
your body is in sech a fix it's keeping
your mind so full there amt any show
for any other feelings. And look a.
here, there's worse"-his voice sank.
why. you git 20 that pass you amt
able to feed your own wife and babies.
When this morning Peggy kept hush
ing the baby, and she was fretting and
moaning, and Peggy says to me.
couldn't git little crackers in town;
maybe the baby could eat them? I
didn't feel nothing 'ceRt a numb ach-
ing. I kept saying. I'd "a felt that,
Opca'' Pint I didn't faal II p0u Apd