The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1898-01-20

You can raise all the racket you want
to, and no doubt you'll give 1t TO the
papers very strong. Make hero Of your
self If you can, but should you Lear
down ON me too hard | might pay you
another visit. -
"You-you rob me. threaten me and
would assassinate met eroaned the
colonel.
"Then don't threaten me- My desire
is to treat you like gentleman, but
you make it impossible. When you get
ready to talk like reasonable man, I'll
take my departure and you can finish
your nap"
But III call the policei Do you
think I'll let you escape me?'
Il do, colonel. Let's reason a mo-
ment. You have done any amount Of
Dragging about those window locks and
you don't want your friends to call you
down. People always guy man who
has been neatly done up, and you don't
want to be guyed. The plumber is be-
yond reach of the police, and were l to
be arrested and tried my identity might
be revealed.
BLAST your identify" howled the
colonel
"There you go again You d never
do in my trade If you lost your head
| that way. About those window locks,
colonel, the principle is all right, but
not being practical man you failed to
apply it, I'll come around in day or
two and show you the defect and RENE
| dy it. And about your nerves, I've
heard you spoken of as man who
wouldn't look surprised if the earth
| opened and took him in, but like all
other clubmen you affect that. It's the
proper caper, I've heard, but they ought
to have seen you half an hour ago. Hold
on, or I'll shoot. "
The colonel had jumped up in his
wrath to make bolt for the door, but
the man arrested him and he sat down
with the mt tered eXclamation
Eye gods, but must l put up with
this"
"You must, colonel, e." said the man
under the bed. I've been ready to
come cut for ten minutes past, and you
alone ere to blame that IN keeping you
up. Why not hold on to that peppery
temper Of yours until we can come to a
mutual understandings
Let robber go after he has plum
derod me-"
| 81 hat 5 what it must come to, colonel.
AS a soldier you see the situation
can't get out on account of you while
you can't stir from that chair on ac
count of me. We have got each other by
the short hair, SO to speak, but neither
of us is happy over it. "
"Should | let you CO." said the
colonel, after moments reflection, II
should always feel that | had diSgraced
my record. No. sir III sit right here
till doomsday but what III give you IN
charge"
still on the warpath, old man."
laughed the man under the bed "There
may be a question of honor involved,
but l think you'd better waive it. The
amount Of stuff my pal took away won t
fetch 5000 at the outside figure. For
such a sum as that are you going TO
have the police and the reporters over
run you with column after column =
the papers and caricature of yourself
held up to the world? You are too sensi-
BILE for that, old man. Never give your
self away for cheap price. Besides -
Besides what?" snapped the colonel,
who was rapidly taking the robber s
view of the case.
"The family honor, you know.
what do you know about my fan.
lily, sir?'
"A great deal, colonel. You had a
brother George"
g But he is dead. -
"Well, hardly. He was supposed to
have died several years ago, but as a
matter of fact he is very much alive to-
day"
"And you know HIM"
Like book. He's the chap who
carried off the swag just before you
came in,
lyon are lying, sir! | won believe
word of i'll" exclaimed the colonel.
ION your base again Your brother s
middle name is Yates He has light
| hair, blue eyes. small hands, hand
some mouth, and there is scar ON his
right cheek from IA wound received when
boy. The last you heard of him he
was i'll Dakota, Am l right, colonel:'
Yes, yes. Come out and tell me
more, whispered the colonel.
There's only this to say, said the
man as he crept out and stood erect.
Your brother has gone TO the dogs
that is, he is one of our gang He didn'
know that this was your den of course,
but he has helped to plumber it, and if
III jagged he'll get the same dose, and
the public will know his real name. Do
| you cotton to that, colonel"
And my brother George is robber
belongs to gang of robbers
Straight goods, colonel. Sorry for
you, but he's doing fairly well and may
conclude to reform after he's made his
stake. Can go now
For answer the colonel pointed to tho
door leading into the hall
THANK You. l can find my way.
Don't take it too hard, colonel. OF
course | shall say nothing to George
Good night, old man -
AT the door he halted to look back
and say
Eyes, sorry for you, but things do
come about i'll curious way. Good
night
But the colonel bad his face in his
hands and was weeping