Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-04-27
Sally catch a word of Ba1ter's sullen

But I'm sure he won't give in and
they will go and whip Dawsey just like
he said, - was Sally's breatbless conclu-
sion.
Ally laughed, at first. "'We shall be
rid of grand rascal. - said he, "what
are you looking so queer over, Sis?"
''Do you really expect they'll whip
him very hard?'' Sally inquired.
'fNot half so hard as he deserves,
know that. -
Sally was silent but her face changed,
finally rather timidly she said: "Don't
you think it would do just as well to scare
him awfully, tell him they were fixing
| to whip him and maybe swing the
switches round and make noise in the
air like Cobbs does when he is driving
Net and Jake; and then let him of if
he's sorry and will go away and never
come back?''
Ally's blue eyes opened wider, his
stolid face assumed by degrees an ex-
preston of indignant scorn before which
poor Sally quailed.
81 do believe,'' said Ally, slowly,
"you II sorry for old Dawsey!''
"No, Amt, - protested Sally, "but
it must hurt so to be whipped!'
"He ought to be hurt, - said Ally,
firmly, ''it's only justice" Ally had
reached the age when a boy is a great
stickler for Justice I've heard
you wish him a thrashing many a time,
yourself, just like he gave Mr.. Hender-
son..
''I KNOW Sally admitted meekly,
''but then l was mad at him. It's SO
hard to hurt people when you amt mad
at them.
''When I'm mad, stay mad - said
Ally with much IoftiDess, ''but that's
just like girls, get mad at nothing and
get over 1t for nothlng.'
Sally, crushed not only by her con-
sciousness of her individual weak mind
edness but by thie singing estimate of
her weak-minded sex, looked ready to
cry; and, doubtless again, like girl,
took refuge in an entirely different rea-
son Anyhow, papa wouldn't like it
while he was away, and to have the dar-
keys lynch white man. 1t wonld mad
the white folks.''
his hand away with an angry motion.
He muttered: "Well, why couldn It you
say that IN the first place?'
Cecil wondered what the boy was
thinking about as he thrust his hands
into his pockets and frowned at the river.
Sally did not venture to interrupt. 'Yet
she is four times as bright as he, - Cecil
said to himself, ''what does she see in
him? If had sister I'd treat her po-
litely. He is young cub!'
Really Ally was no franker than broth
ers in general, who are not apt to use a
harmful fiattery TO their sisters but rather
to help them amend their faults by faith
fully and carefully pointing the latter
out; and he was, in general, very kind
to Sally; sometimes he almost forgot that
she was a girl, he liked her so much. l
dare say Cecil IS sister would have been
taken to task quite as roundly as Ally's.
Finally the boy looked up.
sit can't go on, for fact, Sissy
said he, with deep sigh. ''I'm sure
Cobbs will say that it would make
racket. We've got to stop it. -
81 hate to tell on them - said Sally.
Cecil smiled at another Inconsistency;
but here brother and sister were in full
accord.
"No, we sure can't tell on them to
hurt them,' said Ally.
Cecil suggested consulting with the de-
tective, having him warn Dawsey.
''Then, you see, Dawsey would feel
friendly toward Mitchell and wouldn't
suspect him - said the small man of the
world, who had read detective novels.
Sally lip quiyered with an impulsive
speech promptly suppressed, but Ally
spoke out bluntly: 81 don't just like
fooling even mean m an like Dawsey.
Pretending to be friends all the while
your fixing to do him meanness.
Cecil was too polite to smile or to shrug
his shoulders, as he had learned to do in
France; besides, his father disliked the
habit and he was trying to unlearn his
accomplishment; so he said gravely that
spies were not pleasant, but they were a
necessary evil; how did they expect to
catch Dawsey, anyhow
"Oh, reckon We got to do it, - said
Ally.
~ think you were mighty bright to
think of it, cousin Cecil, - said Sally; all
l could think or was to write him note
telling him to keep away tonight. And
that wouldn't have done much good. 1
recken.''
''Not a bit, said Ally. 81 know
what you thought of Ally - said Cecil.
tWhat?''
''Talk it over with Cobbs. .
Ally grinned as usual. ''Cobbs knows
a heap said he, cheerfully. FThat
was just what was thinking. Then we
can find out if Mitchell has got any good
of the handkerchief. -
"Boys, ," said Sally, her cheeks flush
ing with a sudden thought, ''why
couldn t We go and look over that place
where we found the handk erohief?
know Cobbs went next day, but may be
he didn t go into the creek and on to
Uncle Joe Simmons place. There g a
piece of right clavey land on the other
side, you know
''Do you reckon there would be tracks
in it?'' said ANY, ''but it's dry's
bone.'
ut wasn't that night. Don't you
remember how wet the road was when
we went for Cousin Cecil. There would
sure be footprints if they went over that
way to Uncle Joe's house.
''But how do you know they went that
waY?"
''Well, they didn It leave any trace
any other way; and if they went down
wading IN the creek why if folks we're
after them they wouldn't know where
they crossed and wouldn't find their
tracks.
MAYBE, T" said Ally, "any how We III
go. But first we've got to get that ras-
cal out or his hole. Come, let's go to
Cobbs. -
Tro BE CONTINUED.