Middletown transcript., 1892-07-14

seems to me you're a-Workin power
ful hard fur thirty-fve cents day
Prices in this country is drappin
lower an lower, an coffee is a-gwins
up. No tellin' whar it'll end. Now
grease your hans with the muttor
suet. They keep a-crackin'. an e
you ain't kearful you'll tex colo
in 'em."
"Dry up, Linda r growlsd thu
father, angrily. You'll spile tha
lazy whelp with your pettin'. HI
don't more'n earn his sal: now.
know fellers kin chop Their cord in
half the time it teks him"
A few moments later, as Fred stood
pale and troubled, at the wide fire.
place, man came up to the door and
seated himself on stool outside in the
slsnting sunbeams.
"Gooa evenin'!" said he, eagerly
AVAIL hesrd the news? 2"
Whats up, Sam ?" queried Lloyd
moving near to the door. Mrs
Lloyd's loom ceased its rattling, and
she turned toward the visitor.
aColonel Winbridge has beer
robbed !"
"Robhed p exclaimed Lloyd and
his wife in a single breath.
"Yes," said the man. "He TUX his
money to the field with i'm this even
in to pay off his hans. He had it in
his overcoat pocket, an laid it down
to 90 cross to show the men how to
do his haulin'. He went furder frum
| it than he calculated, an when ne got
back the money wuz gone"
"Have they got any idee who tux
it2" asked Lloyd.
"Not fur sartin," said the man, "bui
they're on track of him. He wuz
new han at the business, kase he run
off an lef' his axe behind the identical
log the coat wuz on"
A startled movement and a quick
frightened glance on Fred's part drew
Mrs. LIoyd's eyes from the visitors
face to~that of her boy. His pallor
and the wild, hunted look in his eyes
chained her thoughts in mingled hor-
ror and suspicion.
"Hold on, Sam I" called Lloyd after
his visitor, who was starting away
"rll go with you they may need US
to hep hunt the culprit. If I had my
way all sech 'ud be strung up to =
limb. The idee O. havin' thief in
sech community as ourn !"
As the crunching sound of their
heavy boots died away down the
gravel path, Mrs. Lloyd, as pale and
trembling as Fred, left her stool and
went to him.
"Fred, fur the Lords sake what's
the matter? What makes you look
that way?"
He did not reply, but remained
with downcast eyes as if unable to
look into her pale face.
Fred" after moments pause, in
which the old woman raised her hand,
stained with the dye Of her cloth, and
put it pleadingly on his arm, Erred,
whar's your axe? You didn't fetch il
home with you as common"
Fred said not word.
"My God!" she gasped. iD a low
tone, and opening her arms, she took
him into them. In silence she held
him clo.e, while the flames in the
chimney rose and fell at the will Of
the blasts which whistled through the
cracks between the logs of the wall.
Hearing steps on the walk, she
seemed all at once to awake to the
realization of her boys immediate
danger.
"Fred," she gasped, resting both her
hands on his shoulders and trying to
catch his eyes, "Fred, it wuz wrong,
but it's done, an you must own up to
it. It's the only way out of it now.
You're good at heart, an wouldn't do
It agin fur worlds. Give up the
money don't try to hide 1.-THE
amt no use p.
The crowd that came up to the
cabin door was led by Lloyd, carry
ing Fred's axe in his hand.
"It's his'n !" he was saying in
rage. "No use denyin' it. It's my
sons axe, fur whitfield out the han.
die myse'f. He's my own flesh an
blood, but he shall tex his chances
anil give back the money, colonel.
Thope you won't low he TUX bis
habits frum me. The amt livin
soul at ever heerd O. me tekin' what
want mine"
Colonel Winbridge and the sheriff
preceded the others into the cabin.
"Colonel Winbridge," faltered Mrs
Lloyd, with her arms still around
Fred, you've got children O. your
own. I hope you won't be hard OF
the only poor little weak one God evel
gave me. Fred's willin' to give uF
the money"
"It's under the fiat rock in the
sassafax bushes nigh the watermelon
patch" said Fred, so low that hi.