The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1897-02-16
~ didn't, deed an double".

"Oh. Mr.. Cash, you won't arrest
Dobby?' cried the child. "Please don'tr"
"'Rest Dobby2" snorted the newcom.
er. "Waal. reckon rot! Sorter dropped
in to sec if you folks had nodioed Injun
jim sneakin %yerabouts. He"-
"Aro you an officer?" questioned Miss
Rossiter.
"Ycs, mom-constable. Names Cash.
WHAT
ARREST that boy" the lady COM
manded, "anless he instantly returns
my diamond ring, which he has Just stol-
emf
"Oh, don't arrest Dobbyi Please
don'ti' cried little Martha.
my boy would not steal" said Mrs.
Baxter bravely. "Dobby is q good boy"
Her ohm quivered as she spoke. Lit
tie Martha was almost choking with
sobs, and Dolby was very close to the
crying point. The idea Of being arrested
seemed very terrible to these honest
souls.
The lieutenant looked several times
as if on the point Of speaking, but re.
Trained. Miss Rossiter was the guest OF
his comm anding officer and must not be
offended.
N1Chb pSBoh tbo SOhbUnDiCy i
don't reckon Dobby'd"-
will you or will you not arrest himp''
interrupted the lady impatiently.
II s'pose I'll haf to-" admitted the
constable reluctantly. "if you make %
complaint, but you'll hat to 60 before
Squire Ashburn. But I don't believe"-
"What you believe or do o believe
has nothing to do with the case. The
ring must be returned at once, orb
II haven't got it!' cried Dolby.
"Then it must be paid fori 1t cost
my father $3.50, and'-
eve have no money! began poor
Mrs. Baxter.
"Mr. Constable, do your dutyl These
people,
And then there was waiting in tho
little weather beaten house. Martha just
simply howled, Mrs. Baxter broke down,
and even Dolby sniffed a little.
"I'll haf to do my duty, Dolby" said
the constable. But l don't believe
you're guilty"
"Neither do l." said the straight
backed lieutenant suddenly.
There was a iuttering sound at the
door, and Lijer, the prophet, staggered
in, looking as If he had been very hard
ly used. Some Of his feathers were out,
aud others looked IA If thoy had been
ruffled tho wrong way. One wing
dragged as if broken, and as he stag
gered feobly across the room to Dolby
he left q few spots Of blood OH the floor.
AT tho boys feet he stopped, unable to
hop into his lap, but no held mp his bill,
and i'll it glistened the lost diamond
ring. AS Dolby took the jewel the proph-
ct uttered q feeble "whoor -hoor-ha-
a-al" Of satisfaction and settled down
on the floor completely exhausted.
my ringl'' cried Miss Rossiter.
Glow
Skinny jackson and little Joe Ridden
slid in at the open door.
"Wo've brung buck tho lady's boss"
said the foremost. "He's tied out to the
fence, an l reckon it's worth bout a
halter dollar, boin's we've bon chasin
him for the last half hour"
"Oh, you've got Lijerl' said tho 9TH
or as soon as tho first speaker had con.
oluded. eve told Injun Jim if he didn't
let the crow alone we'd tell Mr.. Cash
on him!"
"What do you mean?"
"Waal, while we was chasin the boss
we saw Injun Jim sneak away from
here an Lijcr tiyin along after him. The
Injun took to the gully in "a little while,
an we couldn't SEQ him, but Lijer kept
hyin along above as if follerin him."
The boy proceeded that, owing to
their attention being taken up with tho
horse, they had forgotten tho crow for a
few minutes. When they locked again,
they SAW him fly out Of u thicket and
alight in the top o. a small tree. Then
the Indian appeared, and they saw him
fire a shot from his revolver at Lijer
and saw the prophet tumble from his
perch and alight in the big fork OF the
tree, high above tho Indians head.
They shouted tho threat to inform MI.
Cash, which seemed to brighten tho In
dian, for he plunged into the gully and
disappeared. AS soon as they captured
the horse it was their intention to go
with Dolby to the rescue OF tho crow.
Before tho story was lone Constable
Cash had rushed AVA in pursuit of In
jun Jim.
1.-The explanation ID SIMPLE said tho
straight backed lieutenant. "Tho half
breed, in snoaking toward tho gully,
approached the house and looked in at
the window in hope that there might be
an opportunity to steal something and
discovered and took tho ring. The crow,
guided perhaps by subtle intelligence,
followed him and as tho Indian stopped
to gloat over his prizo In tho gully
swooped down md snntched it away
from him. Who will say that he was
not a hero in dragging his broken wing
all this long way homo, enduring all
this agony that he might lay his trophy
at his masters foet?"
Lieutenant" said Miss Rossiter
shortly. two must go. Mrs. Baxter,
how much do l wv you for the incon.
venicnco l have caused you?"
Nothing" answered Dobby's moth
err. Money cannot pay for suffering.
Goodbyl"
Skinny and Joe followed tho lady and
the officers out to the horses. Presently
Skinny came back.
"When tho woman wasn't lcokin, -
he said, "that pompous Teller handed
me this an whispered for mo to give it
to Dolby"
"This" was a bright goldpiccc.
That was last autumn. Lijor's broken
wing healed long ago, but it droops n
little, making him look moro rakish
and rascally than ever.
THE END.