News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1897-10-27

tiers now. Orders is mighty strict. y
Then LATE spoke up: "Thess put hit
In with the rest of 'em," he suggested.
might nigh ever body does that
away.
The farmer hesitated for moment
and then concluded to risk it, and five
minutes later Anderson was once more
jogging on his way to Vigo.
There was the usual crowd of loaf
ers in Cantf$ll Bros. store when the
mail carrier rode up to the porch and
dismounted on the high platform.
Throwing the bride to his 10-yearold
brother and giving the pouch to Will
Cantrell, LATE edged his way into the
group of loungers to distribute his budg-
ct of up valley gossip.
Cantrell went behind the counter and
disappeared beyond the low partition
which fenced off a sleeping room in the
end of the building. Behind the parti-
ton Inspector Jaffray was smoking a
cigar, sitting with his chair tilted back
at a comfortable angle against the wall.
But he came out of his listlessness. with
a jerk when Cantrell entered with the
mail pouch.
"Open it quick-right here, ," he COM
menced. And in q moment he had
scanned the address on every letter i'll
the small heap.
"It's gone. | knew it would be. Slip
out quietly and send your brother back
here. "
When Bud Cantrell came in, the in
spector handed him $40 bill. go into
the crowd out there and ask if any one
can change it. Give Anderson a chance
to do it if he will.
Cantrell came back almost immedi-
ately and gave the inspector four bank
notes There were two twos, a one and
five, and Jafray glanced at the num-
bers before putting the money into his
pocket.
Hes Our man," he said quietly.
eco and talk to him and take him to
the door with you. When you see me at
his other elbow, grab him and hold
him. Do you UNDERESTIMATE
Cantrell nodded and sauntered back
into the store. "Want to see you a min
ute, LATE, a" he said, linking his arm in
that of the mail carrier and leading
him toward the front door. On the step
Cantrell saw the inspector over Lafe's
shoulder and obeyed his instructions
literally. There was a fierce struggle,
like that of an unbroken horse when he
first feels the weight of man on his
back, ending in the ratchetlike click
Of the handouts, and then the prisoner
relapsed quickly into quietude and sui
| lenness.
Jaffray spoke to CantreIl. ''I want
you to come with me. Well take him
up to Layne's for the night"
LATE suffered himself to be walked
away between them, and no word was
spoken until they reached the porch Of
the farmhouse. There the inspector
placed three chairs and sat down to
question his prisoner.
"You may as we'll make clean breast
Of it, my boy" he said after LATE had
sulkily resisted for time. It'll go
easier with you in the end, and I'll do
what | can to get your sentence short
ened if you'll open your head and tell
us all about it. :"
In the silence that followed this ap-
peal there was a rustling in the laurel
bush at the end of the porch, and Jaffray
got up to investigate. He came back in
moment, apparently satisfied but this
was because he failed to see little Joe
Anderson covering under the dropping
branches of the laurel.
You'd better open up, Anderson, "
he repeated. "We'ye got all the evil
dence we need; but, as say, I'll do all I
can to help you if you'll tell us the
whole story"
Whereupon, being something less
than hardened criminal, the young
mountaineer broke down.
II don't keer much what-all you do
with me, S long as you git me out OF
here fore pawr TT Willie Godfrey
fms out, he said. ~ reckon she'd say
things 'atI new could forgit.. Hit all
commence with that thar ring of John
Corny's. You see, | done asst Willie, and
l was a.wonderin which way could
git ring when that thar little box
dropped out thoo the hole in the mail
bag. l knowed what hit was, Gaze John
he lowed to me he was a-lookin for hit.
1 didn't low to keep hit, and l on'y
opened the box to see what for kind of
ring hit was. But that thar very evenin
l slipped hit on Willie's finger, thess in
fun, an she lowed / done meant hit to
be her'n.
The sweat stood thickly on his fore
head, and he tried to get his manacled
hands around to his pocket for hand
kerchief. Jaffray helped him and said,
"Well, what then?"
"Then l didn't have sense enough to
tell her the straight of hit, an after that
the fence SEEM sort of broke down, and
and they's been other things come out
thoo that hole-money mostly"
Concluded next week
What do the Children Drink?