“I know I am a woman—a old woman. I haint a regular lawyer, but I ask to do the speakin in this case, because we haint the money to pay any of these regular lawyers to do it, and God knows we have always tried to pay for everything we have ever got or had done for us.” I sot down. The judge set a studyin; finally says he: “Mr. Sheriff, adjourn court until 1:30 o’clock p.m.” And that is where the lawsuit is at this hour. I am waitin to see if I will be allowed to speak. Yours at court. [Illustration] CHAPTER XXXIII. JUDGMENT RENDERED. THE lawsuit is over. The decidin is done, and we are foreclosed. My heart has been so heavy and Ive been so troubled that I jist couldent set down and write a letter with any sense to it till to-day. You dont know how bad it makes a body feel to know the place you have looked on and loved as home is a gittin away from you—slippin from under you, as it were. Everything seems to change. Jobe, poor man, he jist sets and studies. Well, that day at court, arter dinner, the judge come in, took his seat, ordered court opened, and says, lookin at me: “Mrs. Gaskins, I have decided to let you argy this case.” At that all them lawyers except Jim Patrick, the one doin the foreclosin, got up and left the house. When everything was ready Jim he got up and handed in the mortgage and the notes, and stated that he would prove by those papers that last Aprile Jobe and Betsy Gaskins executed notes and a mortgage to Mr. Vinting, the banker, for the sum of $1,800, with interest at seven per cent., payable semi-annually “in _gold_;” that a few days after the interest fell due Jobe Gaskins tendered to Banker Vinting $63 in paper money as said six months’ interest, and refused or neglected then or at any other time to tender gold in payment of the interest as the contract provided, and upon this evidence he would ask the court to foreclose the mortgage and sell the premises to satisfy the claims of his client. [Illustration: “‘I am a banker, sir, a banker.’”] He then called Banker Vinting to the stand and had him hold up his hand and swear. Then he examined him as follers: Question. “Mr. Vinting, what is your bizness?” Answer. “I am a banker, sir, a banker.” Q. “Did Jobe Gaskins, the defendant here, tender you the interest due on this mortgage as the mortgage provides?” A. “No, sir, he did not. He offered paper money—nothing but paper money—while the mortgage and notes call for gold.” Q. “Is this interest still due and unpaid?” A. “It is, sir. It is.” “You may have the witness,” says Jim. Then I examined the banker. He looked very witherin like at me, but I dident wither. Q. “Mr. Vinting, what kind of money did you give for this mortgage and notes?” A. “Paper money, paper money.” Q. “Then why haint paper money good enough for interest on them?” A. “The contract says ‘gold,’ Mrs. Gaskins—it calls for gold.”