Woman's enterprise., 1921-11-18
oE:.loE

"GoW God! God!' she moaned and
then was still. The jury went out to
decide the fate of her husband; it
was wretched. it was dreadful, but
soon they would go back home and all
these people with their eyes would be
turned away from her. He would be
ploughing on the hill again and she
would watch him from the kitchen
door while she fed the chickens. How
grand the old peacock strutted in the
spring time sun! She wondered
vaguely if he had killed any of the
little chicks. She felt so tired, she
saw two spiders on the wall sucking
the blood out of fly and reused her
self with a start-oh horrible.-her
hand stole out to touch Charlie, as it
were to see how he felt, but the mag
netism was so great between them
that they were still. Then she saw an
old neighbor, sitting in a window, take
his pipe out of his mouth and look up
suddenly; it scared her to death, the
quick blood rushed to her heart and
she realized what she was waiting
for. How she wished it were over
and they were home again. She felt
Charlie looking at her with his souls
ewes as he worried over what would
become of her if he were taken. Who
would provide for her and make her
comfortable in the future. Then she
responded to tell him it was not so,
that soon, quite soon (if those men
ever came out of that room) they
would be spinning-that very after
noon-back home in the new buggy.
She bet to herself that old Tray
would be waiting at the gate and when
Charlie got out to open it, he would
spring on him and jump and roll his
welcome. Charlie was pale. Then
twelve men filed back into the court
room. The air was electric; she smil-
ed a little at man. she used to give
buttermilk to long, long-"GIUL-
TY", the word fell like the boom OF
a cannon and each man staggered with
the shock. Guilty! She heard wom-
an scream and shrek, OTIS a lie! you
know Jones struck first. Oh! neigh
bors" She did not know the words
came from her own lips as she threw
passionate arms about him and drew
his head down to her lips. Her
pounding heart heard, ITO be hanged
by the neck until he is dead' and as
she held him close, close, her tortured
brain repeated "Dead, dead, oh never
my Charlie, you are 50 strong and big
they cannot hang you by the neck,
and she walled "Ot tortured Christ,
why don't you hear? Oh neighbors,
those men said they were going to
hang my husband by the neck; you
wont let them, will you?"
And one said in = clear, loud voice.
"He killed ny brother, "A life for a
life'." "Aye, Mr.. Jones, but your
brother turned the cattle in and spoil.
ed his years work, but oh l am sor-
ry, l have alwa"s been sorry, but
taking Charlie's !fe can't give your
brother back. Charlie is sorry too;
we would give anything if it were un.
done. Will it make you feel better il
they take my Charlie down yonde1
and kill him too?" Then she began
to sob softly, with tender arms about
her husbands neck, and they came
and took him from her, leaving he1
dazed and helpless in the court room
She did not know what to do; ev.
erything was so different, even from
the dreary afternoons she had driven
home leaving him in Jail; everything
in the world had changed, and still
there was a riot Of sunshine, color and
sound without. How she wished all
this maddening thing was a dream
and vaguely she realized she must &C
home; so she got up with leaden feet
and weary limbs, feeling old, and
went down to where the new buggy