Page 55 of Magnolia Summer

Celia swallowed. “Who was the colored man they tried to hang?”

“James Burwell.”

She knew that already, but hearing the man’s name seemed to confirm her suspicions.

Ruby leaned close again. “And the woman he supposedly tried to force himself on was the sheriff’s own daughter, Almira Suggs. Our schoolteacher. That’s what the sheriff don’t want everybody to know.”

Had Almira been molested? She did indeed look like a woman with some sort of trouble on her mind. But if she’d been attacked, how could Truett defend the man? None of it made sense. Surely Truett wouldn’t risk his life to save a man like that.

And surely Almira wouldn’t falsely accuse anyone of such a crime.

“And folks say,” Ruby went on, “that the hooded horseman attacked Sheriff Suggs and Curtis while they was trying to get James Burwell’s daddy to tell them where he went to.”

Purely gossip. Hearsay.

But some of it had to be true, or else there’d be no wanted poster and no five hundred dollar reward for a hooded horseman.

She knew for a fact that Sheriff Suggs was looking for James Burwell and that James was accused of assaulting a woman. She’d heard the sheriff with her own ears.

Could Truett be mistaken about his friend’s character?

She cleared her throat. “No matter what, it’s wrong to hang a man without a fair trial. ‘Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord.’”

“Look-a here, missy.” Granny Lula Mae shook her bony finger at Celia. “Back during the war, there weren’t no fair trials. If a man attacked or murdered somebody, it was up to the men of the community to make sure justice was done and decent folks was protected.

“The Yankees controlled this whole place, from the Tennessee line to The Tennessee River south of Huntsville, and do you think for one minute the Yankees was gone hang a man if he weren’t a Southerner? No, sir, they never done it. Why, Captain Frank Gurley hisself went and got a man out of the jail what had killed a whole family, mother, a grown girl, three little girls, and a little boy.”

Granny fixed her narrowed eyes on Celia, reminding her of a hawk, with her crooked nose and thin lips. “Captain Gurley made shore justice was done. He sneaked up to the jail, got around them Yankee guards, and took that prisoner out. The jailer, he was a good Christian man from Killingsworth Cove, and he didn’t give Captain Gurley no lip. He was glad to give up his prisoner to him. His wife even went and found the rope and give it to Captain Gurley. He took that man out to the woods and hanged him. And we was all grateful.”

Her face was bland as she rocked back and forth in the wooden rocker.

Celia said quietly, “There’s no war going on now. Life is more civilized, and we should allow the justice system to do what it’s there for. We have no need of taking the law into our own hands now.”

“That be true enough,” Granny Lula Mae said softly.

Celia was pleasantly surprised to hear the old woman agree with her. She didn’t want to come across as disrespectful—or get the rough side of Granny Lula Mae’s tongue.

Celia was afraid to ask, but asked anyway. “Does anyone think they know who the hooded horseman is?”

Ruby’s eyebrows lifted. “It’s a mystery. Don’t you think it’s exciting? The most exciting thing that’s happened in Bethel Springs in a long time.”

“Yes, a mystery.” Her mind went back to Truett. If he was the one thwarting the sheriff, what would happen to him? He’d be caught, sooner or later. She remembered how he had pretended to the sheriff to be genteelly outraged at the thought of someone molesting a woman, spouting poetry at the sheriff. But when the sheriff was out of earshot, he’d adamantly defended the suspected perpetrator, James Burwell, saying he’d never hurt a woman.

It was Truett. She was sure of it.

“Celia, are you all right?” Ruby stood up and leaned over her. “You look pale. Should I fetch you some cool water?”

“No, I’m fine.” Celia forced her stiff lips to smile.

Ruby trotted to the well to get her a dipperful of water anyway.

“This heat will shore ‘nough wilt you down.” Granny Lula Mae went on fanning and rocking.

Ruby ran up the steps, holding the dipper in both hands while a few drops spilled over the sides and onto her bare feet.

“Thank you.” Celia drank some of the water then handed the dipper back to her. Ruby drank the rest. Olean took it back to the well and hung it on the hook.

“What about Almira?” Celia couldn’t resist asking. “Have you asked her what happened?”