Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-05-22

| pitcher OF cool water from the spring
| and little Martha rendered what assist
anee lay within her power.
Miss Rossiter was almost astonished
when Mrs. Baxter refused payment for
| her kindness and seemed half hurt that
it had been offered. These prairie peo-
pie were hardly barbarians after all, the
the lady decided. Even the lieutenant
| to whom she whispered this agreed with
her and was almost gracious to Dolby
| and Martha who stood in manifest awe of
this very important appearing ofncer
| who walked as erect as If he had swal-
lowed a poker whole and had IS yet
failed to digest it.
So busy was Dolby with his helpful
ness that he forgot to wonder what had
become of Lijer and what rascality might
be keeping him out of sight.
Presently the guests were ready to de-
part, and they had almost reached the
door, the lady clinging to the officer IS
arm, when she gave little cry of re-
membrance:
"My diamond ring! 1 placed it on
the little stand near the window when
my hand was about to be bandaged.
But the ring was not there! Mrs. Bax-
ter looked carefully about the floor but
no ring appeared.
"-I-" she began, looking worried
and half frightened.
"I placed it there. - said Miss Rossi-
ter. cit has been stolen!'
"Do you mean that
cit has been stolen!" repeated the
visitor. ''I feel sure that boy stole it! -
"I never! I never?'' cried Dolby.
The idea of thus being accused set his
honest heart to beating wildly. 81
didn t see your ring at all, ma 'am!"
"You must have seen it when you
placed the pitcher of water on the stand,
and
"But 1 didn't" protested Dolby.
" Deed an double, didn 'tl''
And the pompous-appearing officer
looked into the lads honest, troubled
face and felt that he told the truth.
''Miss Rossiter, - he began, 'isn It it
possible
"No. sirl" interrupted that lady, de-
cidedly. ''That boy stole my ring, and
if he does not return it instantly, must
be arrested. -
81 didn It, deed an double
Little Martin burst into howl of fear.
A rough-looking man was just stepping
in at the open doorway.
cob, Mr.. Cash, you won't arrest
Dobby?' cried the child. ''Please
don 't?''
- Rest Dobby2'' snorted the new
conner. oval, 1 reckon not. Sorter
dropped in to see if you folks had noticed
Injun Jim sneakin' yerRbouts. He
''Are you an officer?" questioned Miss
Rossiter.
eyes, NON, constable. Name IS Cash.
WHAT
''Arrest that boy, the lady COM
manded, "unless he instantly returns
my diamond ring, which he has just
stolen.'
''Oh, don't arrest Dolby; please
don IT, cried little Martha.
''My boy would not steal,' said Mrs
Baxter, bravely. dolby is good
bov.'
Her chin quivered as she spoke. Little
Martha was almost choking with sobs,
and Dolby was very close to the crying
point. The idea of being arrested seemed
very terrible to these honest souls.
The lieutenant looked several times as
if on the point of speaking, but re-
Trained. Miss Rossiter was the guest of
his commanding officer, and must not be
offended.
"Mom," began the constable, ''I
don I reckon Dolby ID
"Will you or will you not arrest
Hmm" interrupted the lady impatiently.
81 s'pose I'll hafto,'' admitted the
constable, reluctantly, ''if you make q
complaint, but you'H hafto go before
Squire Ashburn. But L don't be-
heve-'
"What you believe or do not believe
has nothing to do with the case. The
ring must be returned at once, or"
81 haven It got it - cried Dolby.
''Then it must be paid for 1t cost my
father $3.50, and
awe have no money" began poor
Mrs. Baxter.
'Mr. Constable, do your dutyl These
people"
And then there was wailing in the lit
tie weather. beaten house. Martha just
simply howled, Mrs. Baxter broke down,
and even Dolby shifted little.
"I'n hat to do my duty, Dolby
said the constable. HBut l don't be-
lieve you re guilty.
"Neither do IL said the straight
backed lieutenant, suddenly.
There was a fiuttering sound at the
door, and Lijer, the prophet, staggered
in, looking as if he had been very hardly
used. Some of his feathers were out,
huu OLnOIS 4OOhSO as IL Luey uhu Oeeu
ruff1ed the wrong way. One wing
dragged as if broken, and as he stag
gered feebly across the room to Dolby
he left few spots of blood on the floor.
At the boys feet he stopped, unable to
hop into his lap, but he held up his bill,
and in il glistened the lost diamond ring.
As Dolby took the jewel the prophet
uttered feeble "Whoor- hoor-ha-a-a!"
of satisfaction and settled down on the
floor completely exhausted.
"My ring!" cried Miss Rossiter.
Chow
SkimpY Jackson and little Joe Ridden
slid in at the open door.
"We've brung back the lady 8 boss, -
said the foremost. "He's tied out to
the fence, an reckon it's worth bout
a halter dollar, bein's we've BEN
chasin him for the last halfanour.
"Oh, you've got Lijer,'' said the
other, as soon as the first speaker had
concluded. ''We told Injun Jim If he
didn It let the crow alone we'd tell Mr..
Cash on hImiP
''What do you meant"
HWal, while we was chasin' the boss
we saw Injun Jim sneak away from here
an Lijer flynn along after him. The
Tn fonLr m tho IN n I;.sIa