Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1890-02-12


young woman was as cool as you please
and she had me showed into room of
the hall, and then she went upstairs.
II sat a-waitin' long time, which
gave me good chance to look around
at things. The room was real hand
some, and took a peep at the window
1astenln's and the lay of the doors, think
In the knowledge might como in handy
some time. Right in front of me on a
table was little yellow mouse, and it
struck me as / looked at it that that
must be gold. listened if anybody was
comm, and then l picked it up to see
what 1t really was. 1 thought / heard
the door bell ring just then and shut it
up in my hand quick, but nobody went
TO the door; and then l looked at the
little mouse, and if it wasn't pure gold
1t was tho best imitation ever / see, SO !
shipped 1T quietly into my pocket to look
at 1T again when 1 had time.
"Pretty soon old Groppeltacker come
In, shut the door and sot down. so you
brought my daughter back saws he.
Yes, says 1. And you expect to be
paid for it?" says he. YES says 1, Il
do How much do you ask for your
services" says he. Now this was a sort
OF staggerer, for l hadn't made up my
mind how much l was goin' to ask, but
there wasn't time for no more thinkin'
about it, and so says l. plum: "A hun
dred dollars, and there was some ex-
penses besides Well, well,' says he,
that seems like good deal, just for
bringing a little gal from school 1t
couldn't have took you more'n a couple
Of hours 4 n'tcharge for time, saws I,
it's for the risks and the science of
the thing. There's mighty few men
In this town could have brought your
daughter home as neat as l did We'll,
well, says he, rubbin' his hands, 4 ex-
pect I'll have to pay for the whole term
OF the school, whether she's there or
not, and the business will come heavy
on me. Don't you think sixty dollars
would pay you| Now 1 know when
you deal with this sort of man there's
always good deal of difference split
tin, and SO, says I: No, it won't. I
might take ninety dollars, but that's
the very lowest peg The very low
est" says he, gettin' up and walkin'
about little, and then l thought 7
heard the door-bell ring again, and
was dreadful afraid somebody would
come and call off the old man before
he finished the bargain. 'Well,' says 1,
we'll call it eighty-five and expenses,
and there I'll stop
"Groppeltacker, now he sot down
agin and looked hard at me. Il didn't
ask you to bring my daughter back
says he, speakin' gruff, and very
different from the way he spoke before,
and what's more, didn' want her back,
and what's more yet, I'm not goin' to
pay you red cent Now, look here
says L, mighty sharp, none o. that, old
man; fork over that money, or I'll lay
you out stiff as poker and help myself.
I'm not fellow to be fooled with and
there's nobody in this house can stop
me- Old Groppeltacker, he didn't turn
a hair, but just sot there, and saws he.
Before you blow any more, suppose you
take my little gold mouse out of your
pocket and hand it to me- I must say
was took back at this, but l
spoke back, as bold as brass, and
said l never seed his gold mouse. %,
no., says he, what you didn't see was
the electric button under the table cover
which rung bell when the mouse was
picked up. That's what call my mouse
trap.
"At this l jist billed over. Now says
l, 'jist you hand out every cent you've
got, and your watch, too; not another
word And 1 jumped up and clapped
my hand on my pistol in my hip pocket,
and just that minute there was a click
and the nippers was on me, and there
was big policeman with his hand on
my shoulder. l couldn't speak 1 was SO
bilin' and so dumfounded both at once.
Old Groppeltacker he just leaned back
and he laughed. You came in he said
to the cop, jest the second rang, and
as soft as cat, and the first thing that
want you to do is to take that gold
mouse out of his pocket, and I'll be on
hand whenever you let me know I'm