The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1890-10-31


N3S5Ah ped in the other even
TH1s&2E&A ing, to make the old
1FnMa MP couple call.
NsEAM11TH "Yes," Ireplie d.
/.kssseSW 'Foster's store has
l4rYG;M been br ken open
~ ag lin, and he avs
there is lots Of goods gone. Two or
three houses have been entered when
the folks were away, and each Of
them lost something. There is
thief hanging around in these parts,
and he is growing holder every day"
"Ain't they got no track of who it
is?'
"No, there amt any clue yet"
"Do they mistrust anybody around
these parts?''
81 haven't heard that they do"
Cur us, ANTI it? Now, fold Harry
Tufts was a-living. l should feel
sure that it was him. He was the
master old thief that ever lived in
these parts. He was so cunning
that although you were sure he had
done a thing, it was hard work to
fasten it on to him. They used to
say that he was the Evil One hisself,
n nd III h, l,n Il
near relation. He would make a
bet that he would steal something
right ore your face and eyes. and
in spite of you he'd do it. But the
master game | ever knowed him to
play was on Nancy here"
''Biii Perkins!'' she disgustedly ex-
claimed.
"What do We want. old woman?"
Il want yer ter hold yer tongue,
you pesky fool"
Can't think of doing that, Nancy.
ut alwus gets her dander up when
l get speaking about that scrape,"
he resumed. Il don't wonder at it
getting fooled arter she had leen
warned about what that old scamp
had bet he'd do.
You see, one day in planting-time
it CHANGED to be rainy, and l went
down to The Corner ON an errand to
the store. / didn't want to go, but
Nancy sed she had broke her big
darning needle, and couldn' mend
my lettings till l got her one. She's
the master woman to send to the
store arter driblets.
''She can never think of only one
thing at a time. but it's always some
thing. l used to tell her that her
memory was MS short as our old
brindle cows tail, which Major Halls
dog bit off.
''There was halfa dozen men sitting
round, and arter talking about the
weather and any news that might be
stirring, we got tospeaking of Harry
Tufts and his habit Of taking things,
which lie had in such a quiet, easy
way; and Jest as we were fairly at the
subject, who should come in but
Harry himself
1--we was jest talking about you
said Eben Tasker, who was sitting
on bag Of meal chewing stick, as
he was always doing.
keep rite on said Harry, as he
hitched up TO the counter. ''I'll war
rant it want any good yer were say
ing OF me; but, like the Old Enemy, [
amt quite so black as I'm painted
81 don't know about that said
Eben. You know that they say that
you can beat him picking up things
that We find laying round loose
Harry didn't seem to mind this
hit at all. He was used to having his
evil doings flung at him, and kind OF
took pride to have people think how
light-i;ngered lie was.
"1'd like to have We coming round
my house trying to pick up any
thing said l. Thar amt q thing
that you can carry off from thar
"'I can carry off anything from
thar that want
"'I'll bet you 81 thar's one thing
you can't steal
Colonel said Harry. 'Putup your
money. Here's mine
''The store keeper took it and put
1T In his pocket, and then Harry
said:
What is thar up thar that l can't
get?'
"'Nancy's night-cap,' said I.
"All the men set up shout, for
they thought Harry was cornered.
''I'll have it, he said; and you
may ten the old woman about the
bet. if you wantto, in the bargain
"'Of course shall tell her. said I,
so that she will look out that you
don't get yer hands on it.
'When / got home told Nancy
about the bet. and she was mad as
a broke-up setting hen. She said I
ought to be ashamed of myself for
talking about her before a whole
store full of men, and TINT nobody