The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-10-09
aaEs SALT LAKE HERALD: SUNDAY OCTOBER ., 1898

Billy would have been certain he had a
new and especially acute grievance. 1t
was drawing on to o'clock, but still
very warm There had been no frost
to nip the aSterS and goldenrod All
the wayside was gorgeous with them,
their howery mass fecked here and
there with reddeping sunach or yellow
and purple briers. But. Billy had no
eyes for them. All the mile betwixt
spring and house he had been mutter-
ing Think they might a-let me stay
think a boy, big boy, don't keer
nothin about hearin' nothin' in the
world 49,
Still he had heard something-enough,
at least, to tell vaguely. So he bright
ened perceptibly as he drew to the
spring. for only thirsty folks were
there-two men in very dusty buggy,
with a tired-looking horse. As he came
/ up one of them hailed Billy: 'HoWdy,
sonny. Dear bless my soul. but I'm
! glad to see you. I've been clean lost
! this half hour-itSN good to find my
self anywhere about, Squire Clark,s''
"Howdy. brother Amosl It's funny
you gettin' lost! Thought you'd rode
| the circuit till you knew. every pig
track" Billy said. beamingly. Brother
Amos, the colporteur, a WORKOUT tin
Grant, was a prime favorite with all
the boys. he had such a knack of fetch
| ing exactly the books they wanted
| books that had blood and fighting in
them, and good boys who did not die
young of their own goodness,
1T is funny, l never hit on this cross
road before-I've often heard of your
spring. Brother Amos returned ::
Whats the good word up at the
house. Billy? Any chance for travellers
to stay all night?''
"Plenty-at least, reckon So" Billy
answered, his sense of news to tell sud
denly checking hospitality. Reason /
say that. 1 don't just know how
things'll he when we get there. 1 left
the sheriff there-and bout a dozen
more men-and they We're tellin' how
the man they were after had stole
bout 81 100000 in town last highland
gone cashin' off in a buggy this morn
in as if he hadn't done a thing
Dear mel Why. we came from
town. We heard nothing of all thisr'
| Brother Amos said, turning to his COM
panion, who yaWned and shook his
head. Then suddenly he sat upright
and looked at Billy with a very keen
| pair of eyes. The barrel was by this
| time underneath the spout. and filling
very fast. The stranger got out of the
buggy and went beside it, peering into
its depths as though it were something
out of the common.
Here's a new style of waterworlzs,
eh, Brother Amos?' he said with
gurgling laugh; then, to Billy. Tell me
how you get the water out?"
Easy enough. Don't you see the
Spite there at the bottom2" Billy-Boy
retorted over his shoulder He was
busy cutting dogWood boughs to shade
the barrel in transit, and keep the wa
ter cool. AS he turned with both hands
full, a vicious fly made Merry Tom
dance so the slide was in danger Of
upsetting.
Here, give me the bushes. I'll fix
them while you hold the horse" the
stranger said, fetching a hand out of
his pocket There was a knife in it so
keen and sharp that when it was
opened it awoke Billy to Covetousness.
By help of it, in trice the boughs
were in place, though Billy-Boy could
not quite understand why in the plac-
ing the stranger meddled so much with
the wedge-shaped board that went into
the bung.
I'll tell mother who's comm She'll
be sure to have asplace for you" he
shouted to Brother Amos, determinedly
taking the road ahead of him. For the
first time in Is years understanding,
Merry Tom had to -trot uphill with
full barrel. @
The sheriff, riding out of the Clark
gate. almost swore at sight of Brother
Amos companion. ITO think of ketch-
in him, when we'd about give him upH'
he said to the man. at his elbow, then
spurred to the side of the buggy, cry
ing out: Halt! You're my prisoner,
Hold up your hands!'
who is your prisoner? Explain your
self, Mr. Sheriff. Brother Amos said,
with dignity. you can scarcely NEAL
me. 1t is still more impossible you can
mean my friend Bradley, who is a phil
anthropic man of means, travelling with
me to learn the needs of my work.
Didn't he stay, all night at the
Franklin House in Clearview, and
leave there at daylight this morning.
the sheriff demanded. Another man
stayed there, too-a travelling man,
with a packet Of unset diamonds
worth $4,000. He had them last night
the man you call Bradley knew he
had them, because he looked at some of
them, and even spoke of buying. This
was at 1 o'clock; at the diamonds
were missed. So was Bradley. Then
it came about that he had been seen
leaving so early. We searched the
house until sure the lost stones We're
not there; then, as the travelling man
was sure he had been chloroformed.
and as Bradley's room had opened on
the same porch
81 seel A strong case of circumstan-
tial evidence" the man named Bradley
said calmly, stepping from the buggy.
Mr.. Sheriff, do not blame you in the
least Your mistake is not merely nat
ural-it is inevitable. Now in justice.
ask to be searched at once. I am a to-
tai stranger. 1t had been arranged by
letter that Brother Amos should call
for me at daylight He met me at the
steps of the Franklin House-unless
am mistaken, anybody will accept his
word for truth. We have been together
ever since. Ask him, please, if I have
parted with, thrown away. or in any
way disposed of anything?"