Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1893-03-18
TOMS MONEY.

Mrs. Laughton had found what she had
been looking for all her lfe-the man under
her bed.
Every night of her nearly thirty years of
existence this pretty little person had
stopped on her knees, before saying her
prayers, and had investigated the space be-
meath her bed; had then peered beneath the
dark recess of the dressing case, and hav-
ing looked in the deep drawer of the bureau
and into the closet, she fastened her door.
and felt AZ secure as snail In a she'll As
she never, In this particular business,
seemed to have any confidence In Mr..
Langhton, In spite of the fact that she nd
mired him and adored him, neither his
presence nor his absence ever made any
variation In the performance. She had
gone through the motions. however, 10
long time that they had come to be in
manner perfunctory, and the start she
received on this night Of which speak
made her prayers quite impossible.
What was she to dor She, a coward par
eminence, known TO be the most timorous
of the whole family, and here she was now,
the two maids away In the little wing.
locked out by the main house, alone with
a burglar, and not another being nearer
than the works, half mile of.
How did this man know that she was
without any help heref How did he hap
pen to be aware that Toms money was all
I'm the houses II that money was taken,
nobody would believe the story. Tom
would be cashered, he never could live
through the disgrace, he would die of a
broken heart and she Of another, What
a mischance for her to be left with the
whole thing In her hands, her little, weak,
trembling hAuds-Tom's honor, his good
name and his success, their fortune, the
welfare Of the whole family, the livelihood
of all the men, the safety of the enterprisei
What made Tom risk things so'
1t was worse than any loss of money To
have such wretch as this so near one, so
shudderingly, so awfully near, to be SO
close as this to the bottomless pit itself
Light and electricity are swift, but
thought Is swifter. la the fraction of a
second Mrs. Laughton was on her feet. and
before pendulum could have more thaH
awung backward she took the light brass
bedstead and sent it rolling away from her
with all her might and main, leaving the
creature uncovered. lie lay easily on one
aide. a stout little club in his hand, some
weapons cleaning In his belt.
''You look pretty, don't you," said she.
Perhaps this was rs much OF n shock 70
the man as his appearance had been to her.
Get up" said she. ''I'd be man IL
was man. Get up. I'm not going to hurt
You"
The idea of this little fairy queen OF a
woman, almc st small enough to have
stepped out of a rain lily. hurting hint
But II was 50 different from what he had
been awaiting that IL startled him. He
was on his feet now, towering over her.
No. said he grnfiiy; II don't suppose
you're going to hurt me. And | am not
uUiuu m Hurf Won If ya1 hand rvaF thas
money
What money!" opening her eyes with
a wide sort of astonishment.
"Comel None OF your lip. want that
money!
"Why. haven't any money! Oh. yes.
have. TO be sure. but
Il thought you'd remember IT, said the
man, with grin.
"But want It," she exclaimed.
81 want 1t, tooi' said he.
'oh, il wouldn't do you any good,e aha
reasoned. Fifteen dollars. And it's al
the money I've got in the worldf'
81 don't want no fifteen dollars said ths
man, ..and don't want none of your chin
ming. want the money your husbandis 4
going 10 pay Off With
..0h, Toms money! in quite n tone o.
relief. "0h. haven't anything 10 do with
Toms money. Ii yon can get any money
out OF Tom it's more than can do
Yes. see, you little hen sparrer," hi
eyes coming back to her from n survey o.
the room, THAT you've got Toms none,
In the house here. and would like 70 throw
me of the scent!f'
.If had, said she, you'd only get 4
across my dead bodylt'
Come said he again, I've had enough
of your shack
81
something like pout.
People in my line ainit," he answeres
grizzly. II want that money I'D rathe
come by IL pcaeeable." he growled. .'bn
IF
We'll yon can take It, of course your
she stronger. But | told you before, IT,
all have, and I've very particular use 70
t. You just 90 DOWN. she cried, indi
eating a chair with the air Of really hav
ing been alone 50 long In these desola.
regions as to be glad of having some on
10 talk TO, and throwing herself into th
big one opposite, because, in truth, alb
could not stand up another moment
There H. is, said she, right unde
your hand all the time, You won't hay
10 rip up the mattres for 1t. or rummag
the clothes press, or hunt through th
broken crockery on the top shelves of tn
kitchen cupboard" she ran on, as IL sh
were delighted 10 hear the sound Of he
own voioe and couldn't talk fast enough
81 always leave my purse ON the dressin
case, though Tom has told me time an
again It wasn't safe. But out here'i--
''Stopln thuudered the man. "f 20
know enough 10 stop. Stqpi or III cn
your cursed tongue out. That's not wha
want, though III take II. I've told 20
time and again that | want the paymai
ter's moEey. I'll put daylight throng
that little false heart OF yours II you don
give Ii to me without five more word"
And I've told you Just as often that ~
nothing 10 do with the paymaster
money and with the great limpid tear
oYerfiowing her blue eyes Rose f,aughto
knew that the face enc turned up a. hi
was enough to melt the strongest heart q
ing.
do ron mean To tell me- said h
evidently wavering. and possibly incline
70 doubt II after all she we're not telhn
the truth.
Il don't mean to tell you anythingf At
cried. "Yon won't believe a word | sA.
and never had any one doubt my wor
before. hate 70 have you take that d
teen dollars. though. iou never would
the world If you knew how much self-d
nial II stands for.
Every time think would Ike an le
cream out hera In this wilderness T.
made Tom give me tho price Of cna Ye