The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1889-04-26

red man and hi, wife had trampcd
INTO the village, covered with dust and
carrying their worldly possessions in
an old tattered valise, and rented an
old tumble down cottage. Eph was an
idle, good natured, worthless vaga-
bond; and Ephs wife was a hard
working, careful and saving woman.
Mrs. Eph Gf the couple had another
name no ono ever used III took in
washing, went out to help in house
work, and in others ways made enough
to support herself and her husband,
who passed his time fishing from the
rickety old pier, shooting stray quail or
duck with rusty old gun he had picked
up, or hugging the stove in the gen.
eral store of the village. And yet Eph
was favorite, for though he would
not stick steady at any employment,
he was always ready to do any small
odd JOB, and was perfectly satisfied
with a THANK we, Eph, for payment.
AT last one winter his wife fell sick,
and a hacking cough, the result of ex-
posture, threatened to turn into con-
sumption. Eph tended her as care
fully as trained nurse but the slen-
der stock of savings soon went, and
the couple would have been hard put
to it, had it not been for the kindness
of the judges little daughter
Summer came, and the sick woman
seemed to revive, and in spite of the
doctors orders, insisted ON taking up
her work again, while Eph, who dur
ing her illness had actually earned
some money, relapsed into his old
shiftless ways. He was passing the
judges house in the dusk OF q summer
evening, on his return from q days
fishing, and he paused, meditating
whether or not he could slip up to the
kitchen and leave string of fish with
his "best respect TO- Miss Ella" when
he found himself violently run into by
the judge himself.
"What are you doing around here,
you skulking vagabond?" roared the
judge, whose temper was none of the
best, and whose pet corn Eph had un-
willingly trodden on in his effort to
recover his disturbed balance. Look
ing round for what you can steal, ehs"
81 begs yer pardon, jedge," said
Eph, with not o little dignity. "But
1 amt o skulkin', and l amt never
stole muffin in nay life. No, sab. l
may be brack, but Use homes, l is"
And he strobe Indignantly off, leav
ing the judge still more enraged from
the consciousness that he had been in
the wrong. But the judge was obsti-
nate, and when he had once commit
ted himself to statement, he never
changed his mind.
"I'll DO bound that was just what
he was after" he muttered to himself,
as he entered the house.
That night the judges house was
broken into and articles of value, in
Guiding some trinkets of Elias, were
taken. When one of the scared SER
wants brought the news to the judge,
the old gentleman said not word,
but with grim smile, as much as to
say, 81 knew it, l told you So" he
dressed, put on his hat, and stumped
down the village street to Eph's cot
tage Early as it was, he found Mrs.
Eph already bending over the wash
tub.
"Mornin'," said the judge, abruptly.
$50 erasmus sake, ef it amt Jedge
Lawton," stammered the astonished
Mrs. Eph.
"Was your husband home all last
nighta" continued tho judge.
"Lemme see," pondered Mrs. Eph.
IVY, no, jedge, not orl night. He
jes' slipped out to look alter some of
dem ar fishin' lines o his'n. OATS
wheer he's gone jes' now, jedge."
THANK you, my good woman !;
that's all wanted to know" said the
Judge, his smile of satisfaction deepen
ing, and he was striding up the street
again, leaving Mrs. Eph staring open
mouthed after him.
When Eph came home to his din
ner he found Mat Raikes, the consta-
BILE, sitting in his cottage, staring COM
passionately at the weeping Mrs. Eph,
and before the unfortunate Eph knew
where he was, he was arrested by Mat
on q warrant sworn out by Judge
Lawton, and an hour later was on his
way to the Jail of the county town,
vainly protesting his innocence.
For two months Eph lay there
awaiting trial, and it is not unlikely
| that he would have been sent to pris-
on, so set in his conviction was the
Judge that he had in Eph secured the
burglar.
Luckily for Eph, the discovery of
some of Elias jewelry in New York
pawnbrokers shop led to the arrest
and subsequent confession of two
tramps, who had found the judges
parlor window conveniently open, and
had hurriedly helped themselves to
all of value they could carry off with
out attracting notice
Eph was released, of course, but he
came out of jail q changed man. Not
only did his unjust arrest, and the
consequent degradation of being led
through the street of Shreveport hand
cuffed, weigh upon him, but his wife
had died while he was in prison, and
nothing could convince him that his
misfortune was not the cause of her
death.
His former light hearted reckless.
ness was succeeded by a moody brood
ing over his real and fancied wrongs.
Even when the gentle Ella came to
visit him, he turned ON her like an en-