And the
old man he sunk down kind of bewildered in his seat
and Aunt Sally and Benny didn't know it, because they
was so astonished and staring at Tom with their
mouths open and not knowing what they was about.
And the whole house the same. I never seen people
look so helpless and tangled up, and I hain't ever seen
eyes bug out and gaze without a blink the way theirn
did. Tom says, perfectly ca'm:
"Your honor, may I speak?"
"For God's sake, yes -- go on!" says the judge, so
astonished and mixed up he didn't know what he was
about hardly.
Then Tom he stood there and waited a second or two
-- that was for to work up an "effect," as he calls it
-- then he started in just as ca'm as ever, and says:
"For about two weeks now there's been a little bill
sticking on the front of this courthouse offering two
thousand dollars reward for a couple of big di'monds
-- stole at St. Louis. Them di'monds is worth twelve
thousand dollars. But never mind about that till I get
to it. Now about this murder. I will tell you all
about it -- how it happened -- who done it -- every
DEtail."
You could see everybody nestle now, and begin to
listen for all they was worth.
"This man here, Brace Dunlap, that's been sniveling
so about his dead brother that YOU know he never
cared a straw for, wanted to marry that young girl
there, and she wouldn't have him. So he told Uncle
Silas he would make him sorry.
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