the time. And I sat here in
the court room and heard the witnesses. And at noon to-day I told my pa
what I knew, and he prayed with me, and told me I had to testify and
that I must tell the truth, and if I didn't I'd be punished, and even if
I kept still, I'd be punished and here I am."

"So here you are. Well, now to return a little, don't you have all kinds
of visions and dreams, Mitchie?"

"I do."

"Wait," says my pa, "that don't go to the witness' right to testify, but
only whether he's to be believed after he does testify."

"Yes," said the judge.

Then Major Abbott took another exception. There were some more
questions, and finally the judge said Mitch could tell his story. So my
pa settled down to business, and the jury waited anxious like. And this
is the way it went.

"Where were you on the night Joe Rainey was killed?"

"Up in a tree in his yard."

"What were you doin' there?"

"Listenin' to the music."

"Were you alone?"

"Yes, sir."

"You chum with my boy, don't you?"

"Yes, sir."

"Do you know where he was that night?"

"Out to his grandpa's."

"How did you happen to be in that yard?"

"I was lonesome and I wanted to hear the music."

"Well, you go on now in your own way and tell what you saw and heard."

"I was lookin' from the tree through the window into the room. I could
see all of you. You was singin' the 'Merry, Merry Maiden.' Just then two
men came up the sidewalk. I got back of some thick limbs, limbs thick
with leaves, for fear they'd see me and say something and do something.
Pretty soon I saw it was Joe Rainey and Temple Scott."

"What were they saying to each other?"

"They was walkin' arm in arm, friendly like. And I heard Joe Rainey say:
'I've always been a good friend of yours, Temp, and I want to be still.
But you mustn't come to my house any more, especially when I'm not
there. You know why, and I want you to promise.' Then Mr. Scott said,
'You're always bringin' that up, why do you? It gets me mad.' Then Joe
Rainey says, 'My wife don't want you around, as far as that goes.' And
Temp said, 'You don't know what you're talkin' about.' And Joe Rainey
says, 'I do, and I'll go in and get her now and she'll come out here and
say to you just what I say.' 'No,' says Temp, 'you'll make her say it;
she must say it of her own free will.' They began to quarrel then."

"Don't say quarrel, tell us what they said."

"Well, Temp said, 'You're a liar, and nobody believes what