The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-06-08
CHAPTER vi


of all that days mess, Rosy" Steve
Hogg said sepulchrally. "As I live
as / hope to be struck dead If this
amt the truth, I'll tell you. To be-
gin with, Rosy, this here Tollivar
what's the head of the school you're
going to, is the same Teller that
killed your pappy."
How do you know, Cousin
Stevep" Rosy demanded, his anger
rising. doc Tollivar's been mighty
white to me-"
81 know, know!" Hogg has
tened to say. "That's the point.
How come he's giving you purity
room and a good bed, and a Job,
and keeping you just about it,
here from Christmas on, when the
ball.playing season won't open
till spring."
Don't you have to hire man
before somebody e lse snatches
him?"
Eyes, and when you've beaned
a boys pappy, you might could
buy him of with bone with a
little gristle on 1t for him to chaw
in place Of meatl 1t don't take
much when the pup amt never
had no meat to speak of"
"Well, think you're fixing to
cook up mess OF lies. I'd thank
you just to shut up"
Hogg sat there looking at him
queerly, the freight showing the
crags of his curious face.
They've shore bought you
cheap! Tollivar, and the gal"
"You leave the girl out Of this!
And listen, Steve. II you've got
something to tell me, then tell IT..
I amt got time to waste on
listening to palaver."
Hogg glowered. "Okay, II that's
the way you feel about it, then here
1t Is. happen to know that just
before that fatal ball game this
here Tolliver boy come back in
these part when his pappy, Ham
Tolliver, come home from Texas to
die with lung disease. Ham had left
out after Mark McAfee was am
pushed. That was years ago but I
can recollect 1t, Just barely.
so we didn't know young Sock
80 very well. I'd seen him only
onct or twict before the Fourth
Of July game. But he was q ball
player, like lots Of both families
Is. A good one, too, from all I
can hear tell at this late date.
We'll, the day before, or may
be 0 couple evenings before the
game, they was a meeting at old
Ham Tolliver's house. The Tolli-
vers was all there. It was about
the trouble your pappy and Dink
Tolliver had about that hog get
ting into Dink's corn beyond the
ridge"
"You mean where paws land -
I mean the land you have now -
line-fenced the Dink Tolliver
placer"
That's right. That's the place.
Line fence fight. Stock busting in
somebody else's crop. Dink was
sick and tired Of 1t. and like 1t or
no, the Tollivers always did think
your pappy was tied up with the
ambushing Of them two Tolliver
boys the past Christmas, even
after t he big camp meeting. SO
there was this here meeting to
draw lots who would take care of
ed"
'Meetingl How you know there
was this meeting?"
II got hit straight, bub! Straight
from somebody that knowed."
How you know they knowed?"
my lordy, fool! II you got to
know, they was there!"
"You mean somebody that was
at this meeting actually told you
that this was the way of 1t? That
they drawed lots to kill my ia
ther?"
Hogg's eroded face lighted up
with hard grin. "Bub, you final
ly got wit enough to figger out
what I'm telling you? That's ex-
actly what I'm trying to ram
down your throat. I amt at lib
erty to name no names. But I'd
swear to the truth of this on a
stack Of Bibles a mile high. They
drawed lots that night who was
TO kill your pappy, and this Sock
Tolliver was right there, and, he
drawed the. name. and the game
come along and he beaned your
daddy!"
My - my heavenp Rosy said
his eyes narrow. The freight
played into the depths of them.
Now you see how it was? OF
course, Sock Tolliver done it that
way SOS to make 1t seem a acct
dent. Now and then somebody
does git his brains busted out in
ball game. So, to kiver things
UP from the start, he pretended
TO be wild. They always said OF
.Na:lv CRat:.x:..