The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1878-07-24
"Dursn't; he'd kill me if I


GS5ood mind will" And Thoff drew
q big breath to start with.
Here we are p' cried the squire.
"Out with you, n see how quick you'll
get those southdowns together. Lively,
now ~
No chance for confession then, but
with that drive went the last of Thoff's
peace of mind.
he knows something, haint doubt
of it," he said to himself, wretchedly.
81 dare say he does" answered Sus.
picion and Conscience chimed in,
Perhaps you're right"
The boy didn't dare now take the
purse and run away. The sheriff would
be on his track in twenty-four hours, he
thought. 1 know the squire's Just
holding off so't he can catch me and
pounce down on me. I'd carry t up to
his house n fling it into his window
some night, only he know twas me Z
did it, n he'd have me took up all the
same. Mercy who's that?"
He had got back to the bridge, and
just ready to climb up to his den, when
he heard footstep on the loose boards
above him. He raised his eyes, had
glimpse of policeman's blue coat and
yellow buttons, and then he ran,-ran
as he never ran before, nor stopped till
he reached the freight-depot and plat
form under which he could crawl. In
the policeman searching his retreat he
had recognized Springfield detective.
The wallet was not in the bridge, but
among the stones of the pier.
Twenty-four hours later, Thof crouch
ing and cramped under the platform
from which he had not dared to stir,
heard voices near him.
Wonder if Pixley found what he
was after yesterday ?"
'Pixley ?"-the squire's voice.
''Didn't know he'd been over"
''Yes. Stolen goods; surmised they'd
been smuggled over here t Diarmid.
Don't believe he found 'em, though"
A pause, a watt of tobacco smoke, and
then the words, "Do you know, squire,
1 believe your wallets hid away round
here somewhere"
$50 do I, answered Squire Granger;
''but the thing is to lay hands on it. I"
And then the voices passed beyond hear
ing, and a ragged, faint, wretched boy
crawled out, and skulked off through
the soft dark of the summer night.
hope no one of you will ever know
how miserable Thoff was during those
July days. He looked back on the time
when he had a quiet conscience, and
was only cold and starved, and abused
as time of perfect bliss. Things got
worse and worse. He seemed to meet
! Squire Granger on every corner, and
fancied sheriff behind every tree. At
last there came this end:
nf hOA L..
shower fast coming on, mutterings in
the black clouds, and Tboff seated in
the bridge staring out through a crack
at the lightning. Suddenly he saw up
the valley great branches of trees broken
off and flying through the air; then the
roof of house close by was lifted, and
then, quicker than / can tell it, the
timbers began to rock and sink under
him, there was great fash of light, he
saw figure reel on the opposite end of
the bridge, and knew it was his drunken
father, and then-he knew no more.
The storm passed, the moon came
out, and crowd of people stood on the
"W eld bridge is gone" they
said. there was no one on it.
What bu say? Jim-Skelton-
seen gong OA the bridge as it went
DOWN."
Yes. Just as Thoff, who had been
stunned and afterwards had lain only
half-consciOus for an hour, crept from
the ruin, he saw some men bringing a
body up the river in boat. His
father was dead. The whirlwind had
carried the three eastward spans of the
bridge forty rods down the stream. The
span on which Thoff was had merely
sunk in its place.
Early next morning the boy climbed
over the bank, took something out from
among the stones and walked away. In
that one awful instant when death had
stared him in the face, Thoff had seen
what he must do. He was now going to
do it.
sir. !"
"Speak on" The squire was at work
in this garden. "Oh, is it you, Thoff?
Your father-yes, I've heard"
"No, sir; WANTED to tell you some
thing. That money of yours "-Thoff
choked little. He had set his face to
do it, but it was hard. He would be in
Jail by noon, probably, though perhaps
the squire might let him off till after
the funeral. :" 1 found it. There it is.
The squire silently took the wallet and
opened it.
81 found it up on the hill, and I've
kept it six weeks, n thatIthe truth if
die for t., blurted out Thoff. "'N
now I've done it, n fathers dead, n
our house is unroofed, n the ole den's
blown down. n 1 dunno's I care what
you do with me. :"
The squire turned and looked at the
little ragged figure before him, looked
for quite minute, remembered, per.
haps, something that had happened to
himself once At all events, new
meaning came into the stern face, and
he asked:
90 Had nm hrnnlrfnnA Qll