Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1890-09-30

nohow, " said old "Dad" Tangle, with
decisive shake of his unlept head.
"There in that old shanty he's lived
for three weeks now, and barrin' when
he's bought grub here in the store, nary
word hez he said to me since the night
he come.
@Ner me.
@Ner me. :"
Then speculative silence fell on the
smoke enveloped group gathered around
the stove.
Like ez not, continued the old man
between his puffs, @we're harborin' a
runaway criminal from the East or a
hoss thief.
"He don't look 'zactly like a criminal, !"
spoke out a prominent citizen known as
Fizzletop. "We didn't s'picion nothin'
when he drove up in that big wagon o
his'n and asked if there was cabin he
could rent
"That's jes' it, interrupted Dad, with
emphasis. "'Pearances is deceivin'.
Would man shut hisself up alone in
doors all day if he wasn't a sharp or
sump'n9 Would man live three weeks
in tn town without minglin' with the
boys or invitin' 'em up to his place, if he
knew thar warn't nothin' agin him?"
These unanswerable arguments had
hardly been unburdened when there
came gentle knock at the door, and
moment later the subject of the conver-
sation stood within the room.
He was man of perhaps 80, tall and
slight, with skin of effeminate white
ness and deep set eyes, which reflected
the earnestness of an unusually thought
full and sensitive mind. An intensely
black dropping mustache seemed rather
to assist in the prevailing tone of sad
ness in the face.
With an easy self possession the new
conner removed his hat, an act evidently
of natural and unconscious courtesy,
and with slight inclination of the head,
which seemed to include all in the room,
he greeted the loungers with low
spoken "good evening. !"
There was long awkward pause. A
bright spot flashed into each of his pale
cheeks as his greeting passed unanswered,
but he still retained his thorough self
possession. Replacing his hat with a
firm motion and keeping his eyes un-
finchingly on the crowd, he proceeded
to explain calmly what he wanted. His
horse had died the day before in the shed
at the cabin. If some one could be got
ten to remove the body he would be well
paid for the trouble.
It required a strong prejudice to out
balance an offer of this kind, but popu-
lar feeling seemed to bedecidedly against
the stranger, and in Saddletown popular
feeling was very likely to prevail.
Finally one of the men removed a
corncob pipe for sufficient length of
time to drawl out, with mock gravity:
@Reckon you'll have ter git rid O. the
boss meat ,yerself, mister. None o the
bows seem to cotton to the job
The speech was hailed with round of
outlaws from the Saddletown citizens,
and before these had died away the
stranger, with slight bow, had disap-
peared as quietly as he came.
Perhaps it was the laugh that had so
modifying an effect on the assemblage.
Perhaps it was the ever increasing to-
bacco fumes that soothed it into better
mood. Be that as it may, there certainly
was a reaction in favor of the stranger
after his departure.
The Western miner of dozen years
ago was curious mixture of good and
evil, swayed by the slightest impulses,
and, perhaps, only this can account for
the flood of good feeling which rolled
into Dan Tangle's little shop as the even
ing progressed. Fizzletop declared, with
more good humor than respect, that the
old bone bag seemed gamey. and even
Dad himself allowed that he mightn't
be so bad, arter all This was the state
affairs had reached when one of the
boys suggested, with a laugh, that they
should 20 over and @cart the old hoss
away before morning. F"
The idea had been offered as a Joke,
and yet, fifteen minutes later, the crowd
was struggling through the moonlight
toward the strangers cabin.
1t was decided that Fizzletop's team
should be used, as his shanty was nearest
that of the strangers. and the boys had
almost reached the old shed, when sud.
denly there was q quick exclamation
from Fizzletop, clatter of horses hoofs,
the sharp crack, crack, Of derringer,
and ia another moment some of the
party were chasing q riderless horse