The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-11-17


ketched up with us.
"Well," SEE Jed, did you git the
warrant, Bowers2"
mo" seq Ephrum, snappishly, 1--WE
don't need no warrant; the mans all
right"
whats thet9" SEE they, a-starin' at
him. Ephrum repeated what he had
said, addin' a few convincin' facts, SOS
to hev as little argyin' as he could.
A course they both held the pint that
eff they'd "a tended to seein' the jedge,
they'd "a made everything tell dead
agin McWilder, SOS the jedge 'ud a
been right round to their way a think
in no time.
When We got home, I went On in the
house, an the men folks set down on
the porch to continue the coDfab
Well, all of a suddint I heered a gret
scurryin' round, an Ephlum yelled
cut:
Come back here, Jim finder; you
needn't think you kin play the sneak.
Iresbed . the door, an there wu2
Ephrum q holdin' Jim by the COLA,
an Mr., McWiider je3t comm IN th>
gate. Fer a minut3 I couldn't think
what he'd happened; but directly il
dawned IN me tibet Jim must a seen
McWilder comm, an being Altered OF
a rumpus had started to skin out an
Eprum he'd stopped him.
Mr.. McW5lder turned to EN- with
equelchinest look on his face, an seq
he:
"Well, what have you three old gcs
eirs got to say for yourselves?"
They all stood lc 0kin' each at t'other,
but never said a word. Directly, Mr.
sez:
"Well, talk now, and talk fast, il
you want to avoid being arrested for
libel"
An mebbe you think them men
didn't talk; they all lit out talkin' at
wunce, each of 'em layin' ev'rythiDg
that he'd been done an said onto
t'other one. Well, Mr.. McWilder
couldn't git no senGo to nuthin', 81 he
hollers out, One at a time! And /
want a straight story; you've lied
enough for awhile"
Afore Mr.. McWiider he'd fairly got
the words out Of his mouth, Jim spoke
up, and eez be:
I'm dretful sorry this hez hap
pened, Nj. McWilder; but Bowers end
Tuggles hev KEEP tryin' to pizen my
mind agin you, lately, an I'll own /
did listen to some a their stories-but l
never b1ieved 'em."
Just here Ephrum broke in, an seq
he:
Tibet Jim finder hain't told you g
word a truth, he's been the biggest
frog in the puddle to talk agin you ali
the time. He wuz the fust one tibet
ever thought a yore bein' q counterit
ter"
Yes" SEE Jed, IAN 'twuz him thet
put us up to shadder the house, an he
wuz the very fust man up the tree"
"What are you talking about nowg'
SEE Mr. McWilder, not KNOWN notbin'
bout EN- watchin' the house.
Well, then, Ephrum, he told BIN
how they'd clumb the tree an listened
to him a hammerin' suthin' thet they
lowed must be lead, from the way it
sounded.
What if it had been lead9" eez Mr.
McWilder. You had no reason what
ever to suppose I was a c~ounterfeiter. s"
Yes we he'd" sez Jed, forgittin'
himself. "Eben Sykes give Mis- Bowers
a lead nickel in change t'other week,
an when she told him of it, he looked
skeered, an said the last place he tux
change Wuz at yore house, Mr.. Nc
Wilder. Now, if thet hain't proof, ]
don't know what is"
"What other proofs2" SEE Mr.. Nc
Wilder, smilin' sneeringly.
"Well, Marthy read in the 6apViile
Sword, " e z Ephrum, "thet there wuz
a counterft ten dollar bill out; an
Jerushi Bender he'd two bad bills
passed on her over at Hoopeston, long
the middle a last month; so, putin
two an two together, we lowed you
needed watchin'. A courCe, we want
so sure bout yore maxim paper money
but it 'peared to US eff you could make
one kind, you could t'other, je9t as
easy"
That's philosophy" SEE Mr.. Mr..
McWilder. 1T takes great minds to
reason and arrive at such conclusions;
and nothing short of such intellect
cnrId ever f. IRE OFT tha word nrcnfa