Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-03-09
A FOOT.RACE FOR MONEY.

owed his father Ills mother having declined offer
Of compromise from Tinkham, Gtay's lawyer, these
latter are discussing the reason OF her refusal
They've got wind of something" said
Mr.. Tinkham to Mr.. Gray, cor else
they are waiting for you to resume
payment,-or else the widows got
money from somewhere for her present
necessities"
IL don't know what hope they can
have of getting money out of me, +" said
GRAY, with laugh. 1--WE tangled
everything up, so that Beal can't ind
a thing to levy on. have but one
piece of property exposed, and that's
not in this State"
"Where is it ?" asked Tinkham.
"It's in Kentucky, five miles back
of Port William. | took it last week
in a trade, and haven't yet made up
my mind what to do with it."
That's the very thing" said link
ham, with his little face drawn to n
point,-"the very thing. Mrs. Dud-
ley's son came home from Port vii.
liam yesterday, 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"
"l'll make mortgage to my brother
on that land, and send it off from the
mail.boat as | go down Tomorrow"
said Gray.
"That'll 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 oil, 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
packet "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 re-
cord would take the land. Jack Won
dered why Mr.. Francis Gray was
aboard the packet, which went no far.
ther 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
dangerous in a foot-race. Jack re-
flected with much hopefulness that no
-,
straightaway run when he was fox.
He would certainly leave the some.
what puffy Mr.. Francis Gray behind.
But in the hours run down the
river, including two landings at Min.
uit's and Crags, Jack had time to re-
member that Francis Gray was q cum
ming man, and might head him off by
some trick or other \ vague fear
took possession of him, and he resolved
to be first off the boat before any pre-.
text could be invented to stop him.
Meantime, Francis Gray had looked
at Jacks 1.-THE legs with apprehension.
II can never beat that boy" he had
reflected. "My running days are over"
Finding among the deck passengers n
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, |
reckon" answered the seedy fellow,
with shufFling impudence.
do you know where the county
clerks office y" asked Mr.. Gray.
ayes, and the market-house. | can
show you the way to the Jail, too, if
you want to know, but s'pose you've
been there many time" laughed the
"wharfrat."
Gray was irritated at this rudencss,
but be swallowed his anger.
Would you like to make five dollars p
'Now you're talkin' interestin. Why
didn't you begin at that eend of the
subjick? I'd like to make five dol
lars as we'll as the next feIler, provided
it isn't to be made by too much awful
hard work"
"Can you run well?'
eff they's money at t'o.her eend Of
the race | can run like sixty fer a speA
'Taint my common gait, howsumever.
"If you'll take this paper said
Gray, "and get it to the county clerks
Office before anybody else gets there
from this boat, I'll give you five dol.
lars"
"Honor bright2" asked the chap,
taking the paper, drawing a long
breath, and looking as though he had
discovered a gold mine.
"Honor bright" answered Gray.
"You must jump off first of all, for
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 the
younu man tn yo ont forward and ha