Warren sheaf., 1899-12-14

Well she said, 4 won't put you
to much trouble. It ain worth while
for you to go poin' around into I'M
necessary corners. Here's what there
is left of the last haul. The potatoes
is She stepped to the cupboard in
the corner and threw back the door.
tMartha!' the man called out,
sharply.
"'That's all right, Hi,' she said, 4
knew it'd have to come sooner or
later, an it's no use to beat about the
bush now that the officers is here.
There's the potatoes she repeated,
down there in that box. The meal is
in that jar on the second shelf. The
meat is wrapped up in that towel.
The stuff is almost gone already, for
we've got good many mouths to feed
here, countin' in the dogs. It's a good
thing you come when you did, for like
as not there'd have been another haul
| tonight or the night after
1.-THE woman sat down on a stool
opposite her brother, and motioned
Tatman and me to chairs in front of
the fireplace. I took the seat, but Tat
man remained standing.
"'I'm sorry to find things as they
are,' he said. I come, of course, to ar
rest Mr. Leach, should I find him
| guilty. He is evidently a, very sicA
man. I don't see how can take him
into custody to-day, yet-if he is
guilty, as you say
''The woman sprang to her feet like
a wounded animal.
"'Who said he was guilty?' she
broke in. I said we got the stuff from
Peter Fagin's, but didn't say Hi took
it. He didn't. Why, man, where are
your eyes and your common sense?
Can't you see? Can't you understand?
Don't you know that those weak arms
couldn't carry half that load hundred
yards, let alone three miles? No, if you
are goin' to arrest anybody, you'll have
to arrest me. I did the stealin'. I've
been doin' it all along. T.
''There was catch in her voice then.
The woman sank back on her stool again
and gathered the youngest child into
her arms and began to rock her body
to and fro nervously. Tatman took the
vacant chair beside me and mOpped his
| streaming forehead.
| "'You wouldn't think I'd be able to
do it, either, would you?' she resumed,
pitching her voice in it's high-keyed
monotone once more. I'm 72 years
old, but I've still got heaps of strength.
I've always been strong as an OK. I've
had need to be, too, for I've had to work
like one most of my life. I've had all
my brothers to do for. There were six
of them. Somehow, their wives all died
when the children were little tots, and
I've brought 'em all up the best I
knowed how. HIS the last I'll have to
do for. liked HIS wife better than any
of the rest of the women folks, and I
like her children best. If she'd been
my own sister couldn't have thought
more of her, and if the children was my
own I couldn't think more of them.
At least, it seems that way. Anyhow,
[ wouldn't have stole for anybody but
them. I promised their mother when
she was. drawing her very last breath
that they shouldn't want for anything
if I could help it, an I guess they never
have, so far.
ELI never did have the 'knack of
gettin' on very we'll, she said. 1T was
this little fellow that set me goin'-
this one here, in my arms. He was hum
cry for two days an nights. He cried
an cried till 1 couldn't stand it any
longer and then I-well, hustled. I
took from Peter Fagin the first night.
You'll say, of course, ought to have
asked for help. Well, mebbe had, but
I don't know as it would have done
any good. Folks was always down on
us. Somehow, they don't seem to un-
derstand that His sick, and has been
ailin' for months. They still think he's
sufferin' from lack of ability to get on.
But it amt that now. If begged,
the best they could have done would
be to send us to the poorhouse, and
thereis so much red tape to be unwound
before body can get in even there,
that the chances are we'd have starved
to death before the business could be
settled. That's the way it was with the
Dolan family
"Tatman remembered the Dolan epi-
sode and nodded an acquiscence.
"'You may think it's strange that a
woman as old as am could get around
as lively as I've been doin' this winter.
It is funny. I can't understand il my
self, but somehow when I was out
stealing-I was spry as a cricket and
as still as a mouse. I never felt afraid,
either. I guess that's the reason never
got caught. But now that you've got
me, I suppose I'll have to give IN. Do
you want to take me along with you
now? It won't take me long to get
ready. Clothes don't cut much of a
figure with us. All I wish is that you'd
kind of look after Hi and the children
when I'm gone
The man in the corner sobbed aloud.
Tatman arose and walked over to the
small window and stood looking at the
snow-dimmed glass. By and by he came
back to the fireplace. He reached out
and grabbed old Martha's hand, and
when he spoke I saw that his hand and
voice were both unsteady.