The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1896-10-08

| hihoCi tiiiIlkiuS vi SpcCuidtln Win
it,"
"Perhaps you would like to have me
invest it in wheat. l think you could
make big stake
"Im kinder 'fraid of losin' it,
Con, not at all; not if it's we'll in
vested. People only lose their money
through carelessness. But of course
some one has to lose money to keep
the stuff properly in circulation
"Well, l hain't got much money
to lose, and Pm feared il l was to open
that ere bag that mine would get te
circulatin', and you bet it would cir
culate mighty dern fast"
"Well, if you did lose it, it would
stick to some ones stingy fingers"
"You bet your blame life she would
and she'd stick purity gol darned fast" "
$50 you don't want me to inves
it for you?'
"I'm little bit scary bout putin
it in wheat"
"No risk whatever said Bloomfield
sWhy, l tell you, Mr.. Tatman, good
speculation can pick money off the
trees here in Chicago"
Dloomfield's expression tckled
Tatman. He laughed uproarously, and
said:
"You can pick it off the trees in
Bunkum, too, but you can't keep i,
long, cause it circulates too dern
! fast"
| About this time the men were
growing impatient and Tatman noticed
that they looked more frequently and
longer at the carpe,bag. Hethought
it about time TO take his revenge, Sc
he said:
"Well, gentlemen, reckon I'd
better be goin', and I'd like to lea We
that ere money with you, so as it'll
be safe when l hunt up stoppin'
| place
The men were perfectly willing to
accommodate Farmer Tatman. They
assured him that the carpetbag and
its contents would be perfectly safe,
and that they would be willing to wait
until he came back.
"Much obliged, gentlemen,' and
Tatman arose. "'Tisn't very often
that a feller meets such kind friends
as you are in strange city, and it's
kinder soothin' ter know that a fellows
leavin' his money with honest people.
| reckon IN be back in about an
hour" And Tatman once more thank
ed his friends as he passed out of the
room, closing the door behind him.
Tatman did not leave the saloon, as
the men expected. By clever dodge
he managed to slip the key Of the doo1
in his pocket before he left the room.
He remained on the outside long
enough TO silently turn the bolt in the
lock, after which he slipped into the
adj ,ining room he did not wait long
before he heard one of the men say:
"Well, that was the easiest snap
ever saw Silas recognized the voice
as that of Cunningham. Then Bloom
field answered.:
easy! Why, you could rob that foo
before his eyes and he wouldn't know
l.. Hand up the granger's grip5ack. .
Tatlnan heard the sound of the
gripsack striking the top of the table
Then he heard the prying at the lock
Presently he heard the clasp give, anc
in another instant piercing yelp rem
the air. Whack! Crash! Bang! The
chairs were upturned and the table wa:
,umbled over in the mad scramble fol
the door.
i Then he heard some one say
"Great heavens! They are hornet:
and the door is locked
The howls and yelps w1ich followed
brought the bartender and the proprie
tor to the scene. The Bumkum farmer
seized the opportunity 10 Slip out Q
the saloon, and as he was passing into
the street he heard the door crash il
as one Of the men on the inside deal
it blow with a chair. Over hi:
shoulder he saw a stream Of hornet
sail after the bartender.
Twenty minutes later, from his re
treat in the alley across the street
Tatman saw his five friends limpins
out of the saloon to the ambulance
which had been called, aud which
had backe'! up to the curbstone.