Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-11-19


The grocery business of Mr.. Roscommon,
although adequate and sufficient for the vii
lagc, was not exhallstinS or overtaxing to the
proprietor. The refilling of the pork and flour
barrel of the average miner was the work of
a brief hour on Saturday nights, but the daily
repleniShment of the average miner with wills
ky was arduous and inccssant. RoScommon
spent more timc behind his bar than his gro
GERS counter. Adi to this the fact that a lone
shed-ile extension or wing bore the legend,
Cosmopolitan Hotel Board or Lod.in; by
the Day or Week. NJ Ro5nommon,' and y-rl
got AN idea of the variety of the propriotor'a
functions The "hotvl.' however, was more
directly under the charge of Mrs Roscom-
mon, a lazy Of thirty years. strong, truculent
and gooG-hn2rtad.
MI Ros'ommon had early adopted the
theory that most of his customers wero in
sane and were to be alternately bullied or
placatod, as the case might be- Nothing that
occurred, no cXtravarance of speech nor act
ever iTlil.I his equilibrium, which was as
doggcd and stubborn as it was outwarClly
calm. When not serving liquor, or in the in
terval whilo it was being drank he was al
ways wiping his counter with an exceedingly
dirty toWcl-or indeed anything that came
handy. Miners, noticing this purely perfume
tory habit, occasionally supplied him silly
with articles inconsistent with their service
fragments OF their shirts and underclothing,
-four sacliinS, tow, and once with a flannel
petticoat of his wiie'S stolen from the
line in the back yard. Roscommon would
continue hi, wiping without looking up, but
yet conscious of the presence of each customer
"And its not another dhrop yen git, Jack
Brown, until yo've wiped out the black score
that stands agin yc." "And it's there ye are,
darlnt, and it's here's the bottle that's boen
lullin' for We sins Saturday" and fwhot
hev you dono with the last l sent ye, we divil
of a McCorkle, and heres me back that's brull
entiorely wild dipping Until the pork bari to
Civ ye the best sides, and ye spending yur last
clint on a taro into Gilroy Whist and if its
fer foghting ye are, boys, there's an ILL
CANT bit of sod bcyant the corral, and it may
be mcself II como out with aIticl and be
sociable.'
On this particular day, however, Mr.. Ro,
common was not in his usual spirits, and when
the clat ter OF horses hooss before the door
announced the approach of strangcrs, he alb
solu. ,ly ceased wipng his counter and looked
as pr Guild, the president ami secretary
II tho new company strobe into the shop.
we are looking said the president, for
A man 10y the name of Wiles, and three
Moxicans known as Pedro Manuel and
Miguel"
"Ye are"
1--WE arc.'
Fax, and hope yell fond 'om And ii
yen git from 'em the score I've got agin EN-
darlint, I'll add a blessing to it,"
There was laugh at this from the by
ISLANDERS, who, somehow, resented tho intru
sion of these strangers.
II fear you will find it no laughing matter
gentlemen" said Dr. Guild, little stifly
"when | tell you that murder has been com
mitted and the men | am seeking within III
hour Of that murder put up that notice signed
by thek Names" and DR.. Guild displayed the
paper.
There was breathless silence among IL,
crowd as they eagerly pressed around The
doctor. Only Roscommon kept on wipmg hi,
counter.
you will observe, gentlemen, that til,
-name of Roscomnon also appears ON thi
paper as one Of the original lorateIs.'
"And sure, darlint,' said Roscomison, with
out looking up, If ye've no better iydcnn,
agin thin boys than you have forninst me, it,
home ycd brtthcr be riding to wanst, Fol
it's mesclf as hasn't stirred fut out Of the stor,
the day and noight-mOre betoIen rs the boy
I've sarycd kin testify"
That's so; Ross right" choruSed tn,
crowd "Wcve been running the Old man a.
night"
"Thcn how comes your name on thi
paper"
80 murdhcr. will yo listen to him, boys
As if every felly that owed mo a whisky bill
didn't come to me and say: An Misthe
Roscommon,' or 'Moike,' as the cas-
might be, sure it's an illighant sthrke pv'
made this day, and it's meself that has pu
down your name us an original locator, ans
yer fortunes made Mr.. Roscommon, and vii
yer fiji me up another quart for the gooC
luck betune you and me. All, but ask Jacl
Brown over yam if it isn't sick that | am o
his original locations
The laugh that followed this speech, and it
practical application, convinced the party tina
they had blundercd, that they could Obtain
no clew to the real cuprits hero, and that an,
attempt by threats would meet violent oppo