The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1882-03-24
AFoot-Race for Money.

We make the following extract from
an installment of Edward Eggleston's
serial "The Hoosier School-boy," print
ed in ST. Nicholas.
Jack, the Hoosier School-boy," has
discovered some unencumbered proper
ty in Kentucky belonging to Mr.. Francis
Gray. This he intends to attach for a
debt owed his father. His mother hav-
ing declined an offer of compromise from
Tinkham, Gray's lawyer, these latter
are discussing the reason OF her refusal.
"They've got wind OF something"
said Mr.. Tinkham to Mr.. Gray, "or else
they are waiting for you to resume pay
mentor else the widows got money
from somewhere for her present neces-
Stiles.
ct don't know what hope they can
have of getting money out of me-" said
Gray, with a laugh. "I've tangled
everything up so that Beal can't find a
thing to levy ON. have but one piece
of property exposed, and that's not in
this State"
"Where is it ?" asked Tinkham.
cts in Kentucky, five miles back OF
Port William. / took it last week in a
trade, and l haven't yet made up my
mind what to do with it."
"That's the very thing" said Tink-
ham, with his little face drawn to o
point" the very thing. Mrs. Dudley's
son came home from Port William yes
terday, where he has been at school.
They've heard of that land, I'm afraid ;
for Mrs. Dudley is very positive that
she will not sell the claim at any price. !"
"I'll make a mortgage to my brother
on that land, and send it off from the
mail boat as go down tomorrow, said
Gray.
"That'n be too late," said Tinkham.
"Beal will have his Judgment recorded
as soon as the packet gets there. You'd
better go by the packet, get off and see
the mortgage recorded yourself and then
take the mail boat"
To this Gray agreed, and the next
day, when Jack went on board the pack
ct Swiftsure, he found Mr.. Francis Gray
going aboard also. Mr.. Beal had warned
Jack that he must not let anybody from
the packet get to the Clerks Office ahead
of him-that the first paper deposited
for record would take the land. Jack
wondered why Mr.. Francis Gray was
Their than Madison, while Mr.. Gray's
home was in Louisville. He soon
guessed, however, that Gray meant to
land at Port William, and so TO head
him off. Jack looked at Mr.. Gray's
form, made plump by good feeding, and
felt safe. He couldn't be very danger
GUS in foot-race. Jack reflected with
much hopefulness that no boy in school
could catch him in straight-away run
when he was fox. He would certainly
leave the somewhat puffy Mr.. Francis
Gray behind.
But in the hours run down the river,
including two landings at Minuits and
Craig's, Jack had time to remember that
Francis Gray was a cunning man, and
might head him off by some trick or 9TH
er. A vague fear took possession of him,
and he resolved to be first off the boat
before any pretext could be invented to
stop him.
Meantime, Francis Gray had looked
at Jacks 1.-THE legs with apprehension.
81 can never beat that boy" he had
reflected. "My running days are over. "
Finding among the deck passengers a
young fellow who looked as though he
needed money, Gray approached him
with this question
"Do you belong in Port William,
young man,"
81 don't belong nowhere else, 1 reck-
on" answered the seedy fellow, with
shnffling impudence.
EDO YOU know where the County
Clerks Office is ?" asked.Mr Gray.
| Il
show you the way to Jail, too, if you
want to know, but L s'pose you've been
there many time" laughed the
"wharf-rat"
Gray was irritated at this rudeness,
but he swallowed his anger.
| "Would you like to make So?
"Now you're talkin' interestin. Why
0ndn't you begin at that eend of the sub
iick? I'd like to make So as well
as the next Teller, provided it ISM
to be made by too mach awful hare
work"
"Can you run we'll ?"
eff they's money at t'other eend o
the race can run like sixty fer q spell
faint my common gait, howsumever.
off you'll take this paper" said Gray
| uuu Scb III W Vic OOihbN SiCih y OiiOe
before anybody else gets there from this
boat. I'll give you So.
"Honor bright?" asked the chap
taking the paper. drawing q long breath
and looking as though he had discovered
gold mine.
"Honor bright" answered Gray
"You must Jump off first of all, FOL
there's boy aboard that will beat you
if he can. No pay if you don't win."
(Which is the one that'll run ag'in
me ?" asked the long legged fellow.
Gray described Jack, and told thu
young man to go ont forward and h,
would see him. Gray was not willing Il
be seen with the wharf-rat, lest sus
picions should be awakened in Jack
Dudley's mind. But, after the shabb,
young man had gone forward and looked
at Jack, he came back with doubtful
air.
"That's Hoosier Jack, as we used II
call him." said the shabby young man
"He an two more used to row boa
acrost the river every day to 60 to oil
Niles school. He's hard one to bea
they say he used to lay the whole
school out on prisoners base, and tina
he could leave 'em all behind on fox"
= lyon think you can't do it, then 2