Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-05-20
court of law" said Mr.. Duckett.
am going for the constable at once"

| court of law" said Mr. DucKett.
am going for the constable at once"
Dolly button, sitting singing at hel
| work, by the window of the Dutton
farm house, was nearly frightened e
death by the clasp of the constaole's
hand, ali of q sudden, on her shoulder
"You,re my prisonerW said the con-
stable. "But don't be skeart."
"What for?" cried Dolly, trembling
all over.
.sFor murderw
SIS the man crazy% said Dolly.
"Whose murder?"
"Miss Pidgeon's," Said the constable;
aand the quieter and quicker you
come aloug with me, the better iPh DE
for you."
aBut never dreamed Of such a
things cried Dolly, Historically.
"That,s all TALK said the constable,
changing his tobacco from one cheek TO
the other. 'FThat's what they all say"
HI am innocent" pleaded Dolly.
s'That's for the judge and the jury to
decide said the constable.
There was a great crowd that after,
noon, around 'the willow tree" well
known gnarlcd veteran, on the edge OF
the merry little rivulet. All the spades
and picks in the nejghbOrhood were In
rCuuisition; an undertaker's wagon
waited in the convenient vicinity; tall
people stood in the foreground, and
short ones climbed up on stone walls,
stood on tip-toe, and lodged under their
neighbors' arm.
Dolly, the implied murderess, was at
Mrs. Hopkins house under strong
guard, until they could take her to the
neighboring Jail, and Alphonso Pays,
lev, at Mr.. Duckett's suggestion, had
been arrested as an accomplice.
"Why don't they tell me on what
evidence they have dared to arrest me"
sCbbed poor little Dolly.
"Them wasn't my orders, said the
constable, who, in truth and In fact,
was as much in the dark as Dolly her-
self.
But the spades and the picks, after
much diligent labor, produced no com
mensurate effect. About quarter OF
ton of red earth had been heaped IN
disorderly piles about the ground, and
nothing but tree-roots and cobblestones
had as yet been found. 49,
Pm blessed if / believe there's any
thing therew said the biggest and
stoutest of the excavators; and, at the
same moment, there was murmur
through the little crowd, a woman
pressed her way through, and Miss
>Phebe Pidgeon herself stood in the
front rank.
"What on earth are you doing"
said she. "SimOns told me had been
murdered. If it really is the case, l
don't know it myself yet"
The diggers dropped their implements;
the undertaker's wagon began to back
down the road as quietly as possible; the
crowd stood, open-mouthed. And Mr..
Duckett stared as hard as any or them.
''Then," said he, show do you ac-
count for this letter."
And he read it almost in sonorous
tones.
Just then a tiny little hand plucked
at his sleeve.
ats my letter." said Squire Aliens
little hired boy. 81 wrote it to Billy
Bliss. It's about my pet pigeon-my
Phebe-dove. Dolly Dutton Kept it at
her house for me, and it got poisoned
with some stuff she got for rats"
''Then," gasped Mr.. Duckett, "why
didn't we find it, themm
"CauseI took it up yesterday" said
the boy, whimpering, ''and buried it in
our own backyard, so i could look at its
grave"
There is nothing so quickly turned as
the tide of public feeling. People who
had wept five minutes ago now shouted
with laughter.
ats all Daddy Duckett's own pieW
shouted an irreverent young man. 81
hope he's satisfied with the way he
baked it,
So Dolly Button was released, with
many apologies; AlphonsO Pays
ley was notified that he need no longer
consider himself under arrest; Miss
Pidgeon went home, to find herself in
possession of half dozen artists OF Illus
trated newspapers; and Mr.. Duckett-
disappeared.
Not mysteriOusly, however. He paid
his bill at Mrs. Hopkins, gathered to-
gether his scientific implements, and left
the town.
And the inhabitants of Standale have
never seen him since.