Chapter 18

Two days later, after a several hours of sitting at his desk and trying to put the puzzle together, to see at least what pieces were missing, Alexander Beall revisited Mansfield Clagett's home. After the usual discussions of the changeable weather and the price of tobacco, Beall moved the talk to his purpose.

"Mr. Clagett," he said, "I'm still trying to figure out who killed Lem and his wife and boy. It just gnaws at me."

"Now you know I think it was savages, Indians that done snuck in and butchered them like that."

"Yes sir, and I've tried to follow up on that but haven't got nowhere yet." Beall turned down Mr. Clagett's offer of a chew of tobacco. "Now this is going to sound like I'm just being nosy, but I'm not. Would you ask your wife to come in, please."

When the tiny Mrs. Clagett was in her rocking chair and drying her hands, Beall started again. "I need to know how things were between Lem and Beth Clagett, how their marriage was and about their child too. We talked about this some last time I was here."

"All right," Grace Clagett said. "Can't harm them where they are. It was mostly Lem's fault..."

"Hate to admit it," Mansfield Clagett said, "but she's right. He treated his wife pretty bad sometimes, and he was right sharp with that boy too."

"Wouldn't let him write or draw or even throw a stick for the dog with his left hand. No sir, would hit him and yell at him every time he saw him do it," said Mrs. Clagett. "Lem could be mean, 'specially when he'd been down to the tavern there."

"Never heard that before," Beall said. "Now why'd he do such a thing."

"Thought the left hand did the devil's work. Some preacher at one of them tent meetings must'a said something about the evil side or some such. 'Sinister' was the word he sometimes used. Said the boy had a sinister hand. Old Lem he'd to go out and be saved 'most every time one of them revivals came through here. Then he'd go right back to the drinkin' and cussin'."

"Mother's dead right about that. Lemuel liked them meetings and all that hellfire talk, but his wife now, she favored dances and assemblies and quilting bees and cider parties and such like. Don't know why she married him. Don't think she ever had two happy days to rub together."

"Field, tell me more about the boy, please," Beall asked.

"Sometimes, I know this is a shame, but sometimes Lem would say that Reuben wasn't his flesh and blood. I don't know where he thought that boy come from, but he'd cuss and carry on, call his wife names and say that 'wrong-handed brat was somebody's bastard child, ' that's what he'd say, them words. Heard it myself many times, and I believe Grace tole you she believed it last time you was here. He'd say it right in front of the child," Clagett said, and his wife shook her head in obvious regret.

"Was Mrs. Clagett, Beth Clagett, left-handed?" Beall asked.

"Don't think so, " Mansfield Clagett answered. "Was she, Maw?"

"Well, she churned left handed, but she sewed and peeled with the right hand I believe. Seemed to use both hands for some things like she didn't care which. Course milking she used both hands," the wife responded. "I admired her ability. I couldn't do it."

"She wasn't faithful to Lem, was she? That's what you told me last time we talked," Beall said and watched the older man and wife exchange worried looks.