Page 26 - Contrast1957Springv1n1

binding qualities of the sun's rays evaporated. The clouds in their
silver frames seemed lonely, but serene in their solitude. They drifted
out of sight and were replaced by others.

The light on the front porch began to lure insects. The man
and woman slapped at the air and tried to blow them away. Occa-
sionally they looked up to rest their eyes or watch the cars and people
pass in front of their house. They waved at those they knew and
wondered about the lives of the others. Then he resumed his reading
and she her knitting.

"You remember James Slaughter?" he said, breaking the silence.
"Slaughter?" she repeated slowly. "Slaughter?"
"Kidnapped that kid and butchered him up and threw him in a
well," he recalled. "About a half year ago."
"Oh, my! Him!" She shuddered. "I remember all that fuss about
it in the papers. Terrible, it was. Poor child."
"He's going to the gas chamber tomorrow," the man said. "Still
says he ain't guilty. Every court that tried him proved he killed that
kid and he told everyone of 'em so much as they was liars." The
man chuckled to himself and the woman said, "Not guilty!"
"Listen to the paper here," he said, and he read: "'James (The
Bloody Saint) Slaughter remained composed and defiant as he was
told his last chance to gain freedom had been overruled. The only
comment he gave the press was another of his now famous Biblical
quotations, " 'Forgive them, for they know not what they do' .....

The woman laughed. "Sounds like he's a little late to turn reli-
gious," she said.

The man continued to read fragments of the article to his wife.
When he finished she said, "If they had any right in 'em they'd butcher
him up and toss him in a well like he did to that kid."

"He ain't worth the time or effort," the man said coldly, "butcher-
ing a kid! And then tellin' everyone he's not guilty."

"He must be a little off-killin' and denyin' and quotin' the Bible
-terrible man." She continued knitting the dress for her granddaugh-
ter's doll and there was silence between the two.

A cloud momentarily obliterated the moon and the night became
darker.

The man finished reading the paper and rose to go inside. The
woman put her knitting in a plastic bag, picked up the empty glass,
and followed him into the house.

"So old Whimper's gone," he said. "Sure was a good dog."

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