, 1897-04-14
yonr money. Mr.. Cunningham tells me

| your money. Mr.. Cunningham tells me
that yon carry it in your satchel."
"You bet l hava got a lot of money
in that ere old carpetbag. was kinder
thinkin of speculMtu with it,"
"Perhaps you would like to have me
invest it in wheat. I think you could
make a big stake"
''I'm kinder 'fraid of losin it"
"Oh, 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"
"Waal, I hain't got much money to
lose, and I'm feared if 1 was to open
that ere bag that mine would get to Cir
culatin, and you bet it would circulate
mighty dern fast"
"Well, if you did lose it, it would
stick to some ones fingers"
"You bet your blame life she would,
and she'd stick purity gol derned fast"
$50 you don't want me to invest it
for you?"
I'm u little bit scary bout putin it
in wheat"
"Norisk whatever" said Bloomfield.
"Why, 1 tell you, Mr.. Tatman, a good
speculator can pick money off the trees
here in Chicago"
Bloomfield's expression tickled Tat
man. He laughed up%roariously and then
said:
"You can pick it off the trees in
Bunkum, too, but you can't keep it
lone ',,r,o - ri,,,,l , foo too dawn fuyf -
By this time the men were growing
impatient, and Tatman noticed that
they looked more frequently and longer
at the carpetbag. He thought it about
time to take his revenge, SO he said:
"Waal, gentlemen, l reckon I'd better
be a-goin, and I'd like to leave that ERE
money with you, so rs it'll be safe while
l hunt up a stoppin place."
The men were perfectly willing to
accommodate Farmer Tatman. They as
sured 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 Teller meets such kind friends as you
are i'll a strange city, and it's kinder
soothin ter know that a fellows leavin
his money with honest people. l reckon
I'll be back in about an hour" And
Tatman once more thanked 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 a clever dodge he
managed t slip the key of the door 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 adjoining
room. He did not wait long before he
heard IL of the men say:
"Well, that was the easiest snap l
ever saw Silas recognized the voice a.
that of Cunningham. Then Bloomfield
answered:
EASY! Why, you could rob that fool
before his eyes and he wouldn't know
il. Hand up the granger's gripsack."
Tatmau heard thsksound of the grip
sack striking the top of the table. Then
he heard them prying at the lock. Pres
emily he heard the clasps give, and in
ohotiIer ihsthHt u pieIciLB Selp EeuI 'He
air. Whack! Crash! Bang! The chairs
were upturned and the table was tum-
bled over in the mad scramble for the
door.
Then he heard some one say: "Great
heavens! They're hornets and the door
is locked"
The howls and yelps which followed
brought the bartender and the proprie-
tor to the scene. The Bunkum farmer
seized the opportunity to slip out of the
saloon, and as he was passing into the
street he heard the door crash in as Ii
of the men on the inside dealt it Il blow
with II chair. Over his shoulder he saw
o stream of hornets sail after the bar
tender.
Twenty minutes later, from his re.
treat in the alley across the street, Tat
man saw his five friends limping out of
the saloon to the ambulance which had
been called and which had backed up
to the curbstone. Chicago Inter Ocean.