Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1886-06-26
THE DEMON PLAQUE
A STORY IN FOUR CHAPTERS.
BY FRANK X. STOCKTON,
Copyrighted. |

lS'PS' ShNH
WELL" said the old m ..she
came here to see these things as was
brought from Chiny. She amt the
fust one that's done that nuther, fur
the city's a good deal nearer than it
used to be, an peoples hcerd about
'em, an IA good many folks has come
to look ut 'em, mostly pretendin' that
they just stopped TO get IA drink of cool
water from the well, which they
couldn't see from the road, an why
these rich people in carriages should
have to drive up this lane to Git a drink
of water is more'n / kin tell, an none
of EN- got nOthin' fur there pains
nuther, fur | haven't come to sellin' the
things | was raised among yet. But
this young lady, an | wish I'd thought
to ask her name, she's above all sich
sneakin' lodges as that. She jest come
an said she'd heerd about my things,
an wanted to look at EN-, jest as Il
good Christian woman Oughter do,
though in finer clothes an ruther more
flowers an lace on her hat than would
have been thought not sinful in my
day. but people is changed. An l
showed my things, an while she was
ookin' at 'em | told how it was likely
Ukhey'd be sold, an the very house over
my head, if old Billy Haskell come to
have mis- way, an as ] said before, she
listened jest as if she'd been a relation,
an said she'd send somebody that nd
90 an see old Billy, an set cverythin'
all right, an that if 4 ever sold that
dish | must let her have it. an she'd
pay M a good price. / said couldn't
make up my mind to that AL of IA sud-
den, but I'd think about it, to which
she told me that she was goin' away
the next day to the sea shore, an when
she got back she was comm out here.
an hoped I'd let her have it, which I've
about made up my mind to do. An
then she went oven to see Billy,
As ! tellcd you, an come back to let
me know it want no good tn said
she'd send a LAWYER that she knew, to
make ii al straight to him. Afore she
went away she took the corner of her
handkerchief and rubbed some of them
brass lines on the plate that goes around
the flowers an the outlandish tiggers,
an said she believes they was pure
gold, an that the thing had been stole
from some heather palace. which wasn't
very smart thing in her to say when
wantin' to buy, but | shan't charge her
much more on account of theirs bein'
a chance that they may be gold
Il think you ought to let her have it
very cheap" said |, considering the
trouble she has taken on your account,
and if | should succeed in making your
neighbor come to satisfactory terms.
I'm not sure but that you ought to give
if to her"
''Oh, N.Y. cried Mrs. Grome, Il
couldn't afford to do that! But I'll let
her have it jest as low as | kim
Having obtained directions from the
old woman | rode over to the abode of
Mr.. Billy Haskell, but that gentleman
was not ut home, and as | had no time
to wait for him, | returned to the city,
The mex morning told Mr.. Curper
what | had heard of Mrs. Grome's case.
and he agreed with me that of course
the old man had not a leg to stand
upon. and that if he had not furnished
a horse, as he agreed, he ought not to
have half of the crop.
II think you will have to tell him so
Yourself" said l, ''for | can not ride
out there this afternoon. and rs the af-
fair has been taken in hand | suppose
it ought to be attended to at once"
''All right" said Curper, Il really
ought to knock off for a couple of hours
this afternoon, and as it won't be nee
essary for me to see the old woman,
I'll take "A spin out there and settle Mr..
Billy What-you-call-him, if you will tell
me where to find nim."
Hello" said Mr.. Curper the next
morning, when we met Mt the office,
.'you have got that affair all wrong.
Your old woman didn't half state the
ase. 1t appears that the agreement
Eyas that Haskell was t furnish the
horse, but she was to feed him. This
she did not do, and the horse starved
to death at the very beginning of their
partnership. Haskell took him over
there on "A Friday; Saturday was Deco
ration day, and the old man went to
town; and on Monday it rained, and no
ploughing could be done; and when he
went over on Tuesday the horse was
dead; and it was found that he had
died from starvation. The old woman
refuses to pay for the horse, nor will
she adhere to the original bargain, al
though Haskell has done all that he
promised to do. Now, if his statement
is correct, and | suppose there will be
no trouble in getting at the facts, the
old man ought to have the value of half
the crop, which, as | understand it, was
a very small one, and would scarcely
pay him for the loss of his horse, and
for his labor"
IL had an idea" said i, "when l
was talking to Mrs. Grome. that she
)yas a grasping old creature, and that
Nier gratitude to the yonng lady who
befriended her was more talk than