Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-01-15

than as Miss Mary seed, clothes and allr'
Then Gregson and Brabson came back
to the porch, and the former, standing
against post, said gravely:
81 s'pose we might as well tell them?"
CHATS my view of it. Can't keep it
back no longer"
Folks" said Sam Gregson, with sor-
rowful gravity, this is u bad streak of
business. John Wylie has unaccountably
dropped out. and we amt no ways certain
what's come to him. To our thinkin,
though, the thing is just here. Somebody
knew he had that money. He must have
went out while Mrs. Wylie was asleep.
Then he was knocked in the head and the
murderers slipped into the house and got
the money. Then they carried the body
off to the woods and burned it, this little
scrimption of drillin being all that is left
of poor john Wylie. But we've got the
man that did itI''
Where? Where~ cried the crowd,
looking around eXcitedly.
That is to say" continued Gregson,
1--WE haven't just got him yet, but.we know
who he is"
WHO is he. Who is he?" cried the pop
uLace.
why, of course he's the man that Mary
saw and Joe met" replied Mr.. Gregson
with conviction, and Dir. Brabson re-
marked:
Hill Goyl OF courser'
Now" said Mr. Gregson, "the next
thing we've got to have is an inquest"
Certain" said Mr. Brabson. Joe,
you'll have to go for Squire Spear and tell
him to bring his inquest tools along"
(Which don't pretend to know much
about it, like you folks" said Joe doubt
fully, but il seems to me the squire III
want the body afore he can hold much of
an inquest"
Mary Gregson laughed, and for some rea-
son joe felt idiotically happy in the belief
she had laughed at him.
(which Pa likewise like to remark that
| don't see how the man that Mary saw
and met could a-had much to do with the
burnin of Mr.. Wylie when the fire was cen
about out afore he got anywhere near it,"
Hill Goy" shouted Mr. Brabson, you're
my bound boy and you're not outer your
time yet for nigh unto two months, so you
jest make up your mind you don't know
nothin till you're your own man. You
Jest get after the squire and tell him to
bring the best inquest he's got in stock"
(which I'd like to ask, hadn't | better
tell him to bring along a corpse, seem as
we're shortly
forgot the lickin | give you about leYen
year ago" suorted Brabson.
(which don't jest call it to mind now"
replied Joe demurely, and again Mary
Gregson laughed Il slvery little ripple that
made Joe feel Us though u little stream of
warm JOY, swectened with hope, was being
poured down his back.
"Well, we may as well get to business"
said MIR. GregsOn hrishly. Joe, you go to
my place and tell Dau Walton TO hitch
wall eyed Bob to the buggy for you, and
see that you get Squire Spear here early
tomorrow morning"
Father, ! must 90 home and look to
the house Joe viii walk over with me;
won't you, Joes" said Mary Gregson, and
she smiled upon Joe in way that made
him feel dizzy, but lie managed to bIurt
out:
(Which to be certainly Will"
IAN right" said Gregson, and Joe and
Mary marched OFF down the lane, while
the crowd staid until dark discussing the
affair.
| Now, it is only q short three-fourths of
/ q mile from Wylie's gate to the running
pump; yet it took those two young people
two long hours to walk the distance, and
yet, as long rs they were in sight of any
one they were walking as though big
money WAS bet on them, and Joe only got
away with the buggy when Mary ex-
claimed:
/ Mercy on US, Joe, you must go, or ia
Their and all the rest OF them will come
and catch US here"
! As they walked home through the gath
! eriag dusk Gregson said to Brabson:
Tom, it's'Eind of borne in on me that
that there Joe Luton of your'n has got
more boss sense than we've been giving
f, him allowance for"
eli! Coy! Don't / know it, But it'll
never do to let him know it until he is out
Of his time
The next morning the whole neighbcr-
hood was on hand at the Wylies' place, for
1t became known that Squire Spear was to
be there and great things were expected
The squire appeared about s O'Clock, and
the first thing he did was to empauel a
jury, and then he said:
Now, gentlemen, we will view the
body"
Brabson and Grcgson looked at each
other blankly. Joe Luton grinned, Mary
! Gregsou laughed outright and Joe whis-
pered in her ear:
I (Which told you so"
These explanations had 70 be entered
into and the story was told the squire OF
the man that Mary saw and Joe met. The
squire laughed and told them that he knew
the man we'll. He was a young priest Of
Pennington, who was in the habit of TAX,
ing long walks in the country. While
they were talking rough, Unkempt man
came and leaned over the gate. Directly it
was whispered that he wore John Wylie's
overalls and warmus. The squire called
him and questioned him. He admitted be
! was a trann but didn't know whose buds
he had on. He never inquired into those
little matters. He found the things lying
on the fence yondar last Monday morning,
and while he was cooking his breakfast
over there in the woods he had cut the legs
off because they were too long. He reck
oned the other piece Of leg was over there
somewhere yet.
The crowd was so busy around the tramp
out in the yard that they failed to notice &
tired and dusty looking man who sat down
on the porch, until he called out:
IL !. ~