The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1878-08-07
ssCold?" growled the squire; for Thoff

L 4 "a t4 It3 / go
"Yes, sir,--that is--not much.n' He
wasn't coward naturally, but he was
more afraid Of the squire that day than
he would have been OF band Of Sioux
with all their war-paint on.
The squire was a silent man, some peo
| pic said a surly man, 50 there was no talk
irg for d while. UP the hill they drove,
and out on a hlghleyel where the wind
was blowing
"There goes my hat! cried Thof. He.
was out over the wheel and back into the
wagon again in a twinkling.
'"Say fort you're not bad jumper"
the squire said. "Better have band to.
that hat, hadn't you2"
Ibid have one, si:, but The stopped,
remembering. #
''Lost it, most likely. Stop I believe
I've got a hat-bad some'ers /" s!5
The squire put his hand in his pocket,
and produced from it a strip Of folded
blue cambria.
''There I found that up on Spruce
Hill" The gray eyes seemed to Thoff to
go through him and come out on the
other side. His fingers trembled as he
tied on his own hat-band. t"Some fellow
lost it up there, s'pose. Ever go up on
the hill much?" sst
Sometimes, -blackberries.'
bad place to lose things up there.
Don't find 'em again so easy.'' And the
man added, "Somebody else does, may
be-" m " ~ ss~ ga@&
Gle knows I've cot that money!"
thought Thoff; watched me OF some
thing" . ..g~ .a..@5. ~.es lii.
"Tell him all about it, said Con-
science. "Dursnt; he'd kill me if /
should" 81. ..f ..u,. H.. va
mo, he'd forgive you if you gave him
back the money. Come; now's your
time" - ..r ..aa. '..g@
"Good mind WILL And Thoff drew
a big breath to start with .
"Here we are!" cried the squire.
"Out with you, m see how quick you'll
get those southdowns together. Lively,
now!" .-E.a. @gHEg4E W. -
No chance for confession then, but
with that drive wen. the last of the Toff's
peace Of mind. 49,. ri @s#
He knew something, haint doubt
OF it, he said to himself, wretchedly.
II dare say he docs, answered Suspicion;
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 twentv-four hours, he
thought. Il know the squire's just hold
ing 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'd know twas me t did it, m he'd
have me took up all the same. Mercy!
who's that?' 49,. 5= %.g 4n @,s.. ~:
He had got back to the bridge, and
just ready to climb up to his den, when
ne heard a 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 platform
under which he could crawl In the
policeman searching his retreat he had
recognized a Springfield detective The
wallet was not in the bridge, but among
the stones Of the pier. II ~
Twenty -four hours later, Thof crouchins
and cramped under the platform from
which he dared not stir, heard voices near
him. .....z
"Wonder if Pixley found what he was
after yesterday?' ST.. 5&z @ .As
"Pixley?n the squires voice. Didn't
know he'd been over" ~ .&s4s
eyes. Stolen goods; surmised they'd
been struggled over here't Diarmid.
Don't believe he found 'em, though.o A
pause, a watt of tobacco smoke, and then
the words, "Do you know, squire, I be-
leve your wallets hid away round here
SOMEWHERE" @ as} $50
$50 do l." answered Squire Granger;
but the thing is to lay hands on it,"
md then the voice passed beyond hear
ng, and ragged, faint. wretched bow
crawled out, and skulked off through
the soft dark Of the summer night.
| hope no one of you will ever know
how miserable Thoff was during those
July days. He looked back on the
time when he had quiet conscience, and
was only cold and starved, and abused,
as a time of perfect bliss Things got
worse and worse. He seemed to meet
Squire Granger on every corner, and fan !,
cied a sheriff behind every tree. At last
there came this end: el. n H.$# #
Sunset of a very hot day, thunder
shower fast coming on, mutterings in the
black clouds, and Thoff seated in the
bridge starting 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 a house close by was lifted, and then,
quicker than I can tell it. the timbers be-
gan to rock and sink under him, there
was a great flash of light, he saw figure
real on the opposite end Of the bridge,
and knew it was his drunken father, and
then-he knew no more z
The storm passed, the moon came out,
and crowd Of people stood on the river
bank. IA. ~ 81 IL sls# & sa
ii "Well. the old bridge is gone, thew
said. 'Good there was no one on it
What's that you say? Jim -Skelton-
seen gong on the bridge as it went
| down?' .ESa a5tt fs $685. 3 !
Yes. Just as Ihof, who had been
stunned and afterwards had lain only
half-consclous 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
1 u