Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1921-09-08

tear its petals slowly apart ~Ef he
killed Adam Ball, Il was 70 save him
self He's a good man. honey. l think
he's about the best man ever seed.
Babe"
mo, he never killed Adam BAH to
save hisself even" Babe replied.
Hes a fighter, but he amt no killer.
Listen. mother, 1t might ha' been this
away:
"He is ahind OF tree, and Adam Is
ahind OF another tree. Adam shoots
at his hat, and he shoots at Adams
hat-whIch is the regular way OF a
two-man fight, as you know. Wen.
suddenly Adam he jumps up like he's
been shot, and falls a-groanin' and
a-twistin'. Bill Dale, a-thinkin' he's
killed Adam, comes out from ahind OF
his tree. Havln' drawed Bill Dale out
into the open by his trick. Adam gifts
ready to shoot and kill him. Jest as
Adam is about to shoot somebody else
shoots and kills Adam and saves Bill
Dale-mebbe the amt time TO- any
thing else. Now don't We see? And
don't It all sound natchel, mother%
II reckon it does" granted the old
woman but who was it shot Black
Adam?"
Somebody who Is a friend o. Bill
Dale's," said Babe. Somebody who
was a-follerin' Bill with the idee O.
spertectin' him eff he needed it. Some
body who knowed it was dangerous
TO him to go off by hisself in the
woods that away. I've got it reasoned
out lest like this. And who
ever 1t was at was friend enough to
Bill Dale to kill a man to save him
will be friend enough to own up when
the proper time comes and keep Bill
Dale from a-bein' hung. Whoever 1t
was at done 1t Is skeered bad now,
but later on he'll shore tell it, eff it'll
save Bill. You jest wait and see,
mother
II hain't never fo'got," Babe went
on, after a moment, "abOut Black
Adam Ball a-tellin' me about a-workin'
that same trick on a man over In
Nawth Ca'liner-and he killed the
man. The law never found it out.
And We see what Black Adam got.
who lives by the sword shall perish
by the sword It's in the Good Book,
mother. honey; and everything in the
Good Book is God A'mighty's truth, as
you know"
EFF 1 was pinned down to guess who
it was at done it." drawled Mrs. Lit
tleford, ord guess it was BY Heck.
He was a plumb fool about Bill Dale.
His nav she says he talks in his sleep
about Bill Dale. He was allus a-fol-
lerin' him around like a dawg."
Babe pointed to the meadow. An
aged and stopped and witchlike ~Om-
an was limping slowly through the
clover, coming toward them.
Granny Heck" muttered Babe.
The neighborhood's newsbearer and
fortune-teller limped on up to the
cabin, and dropped to the stone step
beside Ben Littleford's wife and
daughter.
"Ia. la, la" she painted, for the
DAVIS were warm. "And hain't 1t jest
turrible! wisht / may die this min
ute eff l wouldn't might nigh as soon
see my own son go to Jail But ZEN
itll all come out right yit, Babe.
seed it in the guards, and / seed 1t in
the cup. Babe, honeydumplin", he
never no more killed Adam an killed
him myself. tell We, the's been some
awful ongodly work done, somehow.
know Bill Dale, and the shore hain't
nary burned drap o. killer blood in
him."
Babe spoke suddenly to her mother:
ave got to go and wash and iron my
new white dress. Acause-because I'm
a-goin' back to Mrs. McLaurin, like
promised I'd go. I'm a-goin' In the
mornin'. on the fust train. Ye might
as well inform pap to hatch up my
railroad money, mother
lust then BY Heck stopped before
the gate.
"Do We want to go home along as
go. maw?" he asked.