Left women and young'uns to get out and get home
the best way they could!"
"It must've been a frightful thing!"
"It was, Nannie. 'Course the next morning the Parkers went back
to the church to get Old Man Gus's body. But the tree with
all the Christmas stuff was left standing there for weeks. Folks
didn't have the heart to go back in the building.
"The following spring when the trial came up, Jake was
convicted, but he broke jail and got away. Old Judge Crawford had
all the rest of the Williamses, by name, to clear outta the
country. And what few Parker men were left took their families
and moved off too. They figured the killing could flare up again
among some of the Williamses' blood relations, and there wouldn't
be a Parker man or boy left to carry on their name. Wes Bailey's
ma was one of the few who stayed behind. 'Course she was already
married. Anyway, all the Baileys, except Addle Mae, are here
tonight, and I'm glad. It's not good for a family to live to
themselves so much. Besides, it's Christmas, and we ought'a all
share it together.
Pages:
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209