Middletown transcript., 1894-04-28
the settler turned to the strangers and

lasting obligations to you. You hav
{ savei my little possessions, which
Q though small, is great deal to mt
Q since it affords me the means of savin
8 my child's life. The doctor says tn
' little one must have a change of cl
mate and the care of friends, in orde
} to recover from this dreadful malaria
' If you had not saved my money froI
7 the robber we could never have bee
able to leave here for our old home
back east.n
Jim looked..at Joe and nodded towar
the door. Joe understood, and remark
! ing something about their horses
, followed Jim out. They walked
little distance from the cabin an,
stopped.
Joe" Jim said, ''that man AM
child don't dream that we're robbers
do they?"
''Of course not" Joe replied. Il
| GhCy ulu, oil huOW WHdt NO COuiG u6Ei
for, they wouldn't feel so thankful tt
US, 1 reckon"
| Hardly" Jim answered.
There was an awkward silence, dur
ing which Jim shifted about in an un
easy manner. Finally he spoke again
saying:
'Joe. that little one is purity bad off,
amt it?''
''Reckon it is" Joe replied. "Gu. 8
the doctor is right, an if it don't git
away from here 1t won't live long"
THAT'S So" agreed Jim. "An' it
can't git away from here without that
money, can t?"
"Pears like it can't" Joe said.
at was right touchin' to hear it talk
about the old home an the way it
grieved to- go back there, wasn't it,
Joe?"
Yes, right touchin', Jim."
AN ii seems like it would be a great
pity if the little one couldn't go, when
its heart isso set on it, DON'T itp''
Eyes, it does.''
"An awful pity Jim said, musingly,
But" he added, 81 reckon 1t can't be
helped, because if we take the
money
"Jim," Joe interrupted, whats the
use o. talkin' all over creationp Why
don't you come square out am say
you're opposed to takin' the money!"
81 amt said | was opposed to takin'
il. Joe."
mo; but if you got speck of heart
in you you are opposed to it,
Are you opposed to it, Joe2''
Of course l am. I've been opposed
to it ever since see that little one an
heer'd its weak voice a-beggin' that
onery rascal not to take all the money.
That sneakin' scamp looked so cussed
mean settin' there waitin' to rob that
sick child that | jest wanted to kick
him out O. the country. l made up my
mind then an there that nobody WASH t
goin' to touch that money if l could
help it,"
Jim made no reply, but took Joe's
hand in his and gave it hearty pres
sure. They stood for some time in
silence, then Joe Iesumed in softened
tone:
"Jim," he said, Il never felt so GUS
sed emery il all my life as did when
stood thar by that winder an watched
that sneakin' thief an that poor leetle
sick gal, an remembered what we had
come thar for. It's bad enough 10 steal
at best, but when it comes to robbin a
sick child that amt no mother, its 50
pizen, low down mean that old Satan
himself 'ud be ashamed of the feller
that does it. jest looked at that fell
Ter settin' thar an imagined he was
me, and I felt like bloody wolf ready
to spring down on a poor little help
less lamb.''
''Them was jest my feelin's,n Jim
replied II felt sneakener than a
sneakin dog. Somehow the way that
leetle gal pleaded with that scamp
teched my heart awful deep, an her
talk bout her old home took me right
back to myb ,yhood days, when l was
as Innocent as her. | could see my old
home with it's shady blue grass pas
ture, aud its red clover meaders, an
the little branch of clear water, an all
that. But palmer than all, Joe, |
could see an old couple settin on the
long porch in the shade Of the big lc-
Gust trees, one of era gray haired
| man and the other gray haired wo-
man, but both of them as kind and
lovin as father an mother could be-
An Joe, when l see my old mothers
face, jest as it used to look, an re-
membered what l come here for,
'pearen like jest want to sink right
down into the ground an never see
day light ag'in. | had a good mother
if-there ever was one, and she never
dreamed that I'd ever come to be a
| thief.
Joe was silent ssve for a sound thai
was like a long low sigh. Finally be
| said;
"Jim, I've got a long way from my
home an it's early teachin's, but ain t
got way FROM my mother, Now Pm
goir' to lead different life, We amt
stole nothin' yet, an it amt too late
to turn back. I'm goin' to be an hon.
est man, an' that little gal has saved
me. God bless her!"
A moment later they entered the
cabin and asked permission to remain
till morning.
You see. "tJim said to the settle,
"the robber might come back, an il
he does you'll need somebody to pro.