Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1888-12-29

and ragged came into view, ana = nov
terrier overcame the timid housewne As sac
fancied that he looked rough and nefce ana
threatening.
What do you want?'
/ Food, I'm nigh starved: shelter. or the
means of getting il. Don't look SO scareo'
missus. I'm no thief Old Jerry. the tramp.
am 1. and If don't look civil ana gentle IL
1 amt because aint!'
| Mrs. Gregory hesitated; she had reason
to. It was Christmas Eve. and she had seen
the time in the happy years agone wnen'
her heart warming to the festive occasion
| she would have welcomed score OF hungry
| tramps to hospitality; but just now hard
lines had come TO the Gregorys. and every
mouthtul counted.
She went to the cupboard. however. keep
| ing an anxious eye on the window. and made
| up liberal lunch of meat and bread; hesl-
| tated again. with tear in her eye. and
| added piece of pie-her piece OF pie Tor
| the sparse Christmas dinner on the morrow.
T! Then she approached the window. raised 1t
1 slightly, pushed out the package, and said:
I'm sorry we are IA trifle short OF pro-
| visions. and Mr.. Gregory is away. and have
| no money
Hey? Gregory? Is this Gregory's? l
heerd tell about yeur trouble with that old
skeezicks. Marble l know him. Say.
| missus, / thank We, and more because
know We can't spare the food, and. bless me.
if gets strength out of it. and a drop or two
| to warm me up, I'll seek out Old Marble
and give him a couple of good licks just for
expressing such good people as you are.
Ho. no! Marble. How hate him!"
He went off stumbling and croaking e,e
Mrs. Gregory could say word A slight
flush OF humiliation crossed her face as.
with a sigh. she sat down again by the
hearth.
Everybody knows our trouble. it seems"
she murmured brokenly: even that old
tramp has heard the gossip. Oh. how the
years have brought misfortune and care.
and bleak. cherries Christmas. when We
have tried so hard. oh. SO hard. to make
life happy for our darling child. Janet.
Yes. pastoral tragedy was being enacted
in the lonely farmhouse. more pathetic than
those of daily fiction. Here were honest
hearts, bleeding and torn and desolate, and
old Jerry. the tramp. had struck the key
note of the cause when he spoke that name
-Marble!
Marble. miser. hypocrite, usurer!-how
much of sorrow did the honest Gregorys
owe to him!
Ten years previous the next farmhouse
was owned and occupied by William Tyler.
His wife had died. leaving boy. Cecil.
eleven years of age. He and pretty Janet
had become warm friends and playmates.
The lonely widower was frequent guest at
the Gregory home. When the children be-
came sixteen they were lovers.
One day the two farmers did a foolish
thing. Mr.. Tyler wished ten thousand dol
RI 70 in fl1l
covered some distance to the west. He got
Gregory excited about it. He tried to bor-
row the money. and. going to Upton. met
the misery Gabriel Marble.
Marble agreed to advance the money on
conditions. Tyler was to deed his farm to
him as security. give bis notes. and obtain
as indorSer to the same his neighbor, John
Gregory. This was done. Tyler went away
to the mines. He wrote frequently of fail
ure, success, failure, success, and finally,
after long lapse of silence, that he was
coming back to the old farm to die. He had
been badly injured by an accident at the
mine, had sold it out. and. he wrote Greg
DRY. would pay Marble. and pass the few
years the doctor said he might live on the
farm.
And now came the strange part of it. One
dark night Cecil Tyler was awakened by a
loud knocking at the door. Arising, he
found there Gabriel Marble and his hired
man. Debbs. A wagon stood at the gate.
Between them they bore an insensible form
that of William Tyler.
We found him on my doorstep" explained
Marble. He had just come to town. and
I guess wanted to see me on business, but
his strength failed him. and he tainted dead
away. Doctor said he was very ill. and told
us to get him home.
The next day, at eventide, William Tyler
died. The farmer had scarcely been buried
when Gabriel Marble seized upon the farm
and all its belongings for debt. and notified
John Gregory that. as indorser for Tyler. he
should hold him responsible for any deficit.
Young Tyler took the matter into court.
He affirmed that his father just before his
death had aroused sufficiently to tell him
that he had paid Marble all he owed him. 1t
was proven that Tyler had received suff-
cient money for that purpose from the sale
of the mine; but when Marble demanded
evidence of receipt. and exhibited the I'M
cancelled notes. the jury decided in his favor.
The Tyler farm became Marbles property.
Cecil became homeless pauper. Gregory
was sued for q deficit of 5000. forced to sell
his outside land. mortgage the homestead,
fortune grew out of the affair that the farmer
had grown old and spirited.
One year before that Christmas Eve upon
which our story opens. Cecil Tyler. with the
kiss of his fair betrothed. Janet. warm on
his lips, had bade the farm and Upton and
the Gregorys farewell.
L am going West to seek my fortune he
said. Cheer up. farmer. I shall work day
and night to earn the money to pay you back
what you have lost through my father.
Watch Marble! He is scoundrel-a
swindler. He knows my father paid him
that money. There is some plot in it all. He
has cheated u.s.
And then. full of hope and love. away to
the golden West went Cecil. leaving Janet in
anxious tears. Farmer Gregory dubious and
gloomy.
Now Marble began to show his real hand.
In paying his demands Gregory had been
forced to sell every bit of land he owned.
excep: the homestead. That he had mort
gagged heavily. Bad crops had come. One
day the crafty usurer drove up to the farm
house. For half an hour he was closeted
in close conversation with Gregory. The
good housewife was amazed shortly to hear
loud. angry voices and the sound of blows