The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-02-07
WHY HE TOOK THEM.
4 Man Who was Strictly Honest But Who did Not Want his Daugh-
 ter to be Sacrificed.

tet VO OS 0oSftuSSus
 Old Mortimer Clark was arrested on a charge of stealing q suit of clothes. When he was arrAigned before court, the entire sympathy of the neighborhood was with him, for the people, knowing that he generally kept good Ticker" at his house, knew that it stood them vel: ;s. hand to remain his friends.
 "Mr. Clark" said the judge, iA a low and sorowful voice, "i 1 am deeply grieved to see you in your position"
 "I'm deeply grieved to see you In your'n, jedge," replied Mortimer.
 "I had always taken you to be man Of strictest honesty. You are too old man to have acted in this way"
 ";'m sco old .c=, jedge, hut want a few days ago. A man most ginerally grows old as he gifts along in years, at least it was allus that way with me"
 %You do not deny having stolen the clothes, do your"
 "WAll, jedge, ain't goin' round blowin' about it, still when a man like you asks my honest opinion, 1 tell him that from the present s,andp'int 1t looks nightly that way"
 "Why did you take the clothes ?"
 "Wall, It sorter struck me that wanted to wear 'em."
 "! am interested in you, Mir. Clark, and l hope that you will not think that my questions are prompted by mere curiosity"
 "Not a tall, jedge."
 "Is this the first time you ever stole anything 1"
 "Wail," scratching his head, |" 1 sorter feel that am on my honor here and ! don't want to do nothin' that will dis. grace me. have lived iong time aad l don't know that any man has ever known me to ,eil lie. Now, as to your question, jedge, you'll halter let me think awhile Yes, ef recollect right stold a dog cac. rum a widow woman. but that's out O date long ago."
 "Then you have been comparatively honest 2"
 "Yes, reasonably so."
 "Weli. now, tell me why you stole these clothesr
 "I1l tell you. It want as said that l wanted to wear them, for aint that kind of man. That was a joke. Let me go back little. One Sunday about five months ago, when went home from church, ssw that one of the triHin- est fellers in the whole country had come home with my daughter Mulsie and that he was actin in way calculated to make . clost observer believe that he was tryin' to win her evss.sssss' !e.e. Now, wouldn't mind havin' an able bodied son-in-law that would work, but one that would have to support is shockin' to my refined sense of how things should be conducted. He was one of these here grinnin' feilers {; the kind that nevsr had no sense. As 1 walked through the house, he grinned at me a time or two. said nothing, but thought, old felles. the leass you have to do with me, the better for all parties closely coosarnsd. Al dinner he eat like CT man that's been keepin' back the straw from . ground hog thseshin' machine. When he made pass at plate, the biscuit wouid fade away, and when he looked at his cup, the coffee vanished. Butter-milk turnsd green s;:h excitement when he looked at it, and ham of meat quivsred when hs begun to pay 1t his regards. Mulsis, she keeps jabberia' an giggiin', but hs dids't pay much attention to her for sevss scsd man with mose of basisso ais about him. Yes, cir, wien hs sot down at the table, he tuned his back os social plaasaatriss and never tuck his mind oG i.s fsss tsst ss == :ssse ss ct. l islt iise hiffin' him with . ctees when hs got up, but q t vas Susdsy did not care b violate the la~ by sngasia' is vesk, for ! knowsd that fl ! bsgsa sn hin under the pisassns szcisemass l vosjdss kspt e till somsbody was hurt l tailed to nyI daughter about him, bat shs loved tAss the sun nsvw shined sa . bsttsx man. Well t begun to gse vosss. Every Sss- dsy hs woaid eous-svsr asd ! vushs ! J