Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1900-07-13

looked suspiciously toward Sal. But
she behaved with admirable discre-
ton.
sFor what should Miss Judy be
here!" she said, with an air of sur
prise. 81 mant, eff tn was an answer,
I could take"
"Ah, if you would be SO good as to
go after her." said Dick. 1Thank her
for me and say Certainly
Sal slid from the room, leaving Dick
to maintain his parley. AS she en-
tered the room directly beneath she
was greeted a little anxiously with
the question: 'Wen, did you mark
exactly where it stands?" .'Iss, Miss
Judy" said Sal. 'Just here to the
left" She pushed the table under the
spot, and Miss Judy mounted there
upon. "Quick, Sal, the men may be
back any moment! Lock the front
door and then come and hold the can.
I'll do this
The room was the bar parlor, with
two doors to it-one for the front and
one for the back. For the rest it was
also usual enough, and thin boarding
only separated it from the room
above. Through the boarding. in 81
lence, with the utmost care, Miss Judy
drove gimlet. In very short time
squirt of brandy followed, and Sal
received it in can.
"How I shall smell of brandy!" said
Miss Judy. as it trickled over her
fingers.
81 doan't expect Mr.. Shenston will
maind," said Sal, gleefully.
Miss Judy became very severe. Gre
member, Sal, that this is most dis
graceful affair."
81 doan't think Mr.. Shenston mant
to do wrong" said Sal.
'sAnd I should not have supposed
your father would have been guilty of
| it. If he is ever caught again."
'sHe willn't be such fule.''
Miss Judy concealed a smile. can
| other pail" she said. "And empty
| that into the duck pond"
Sal fastened off with her burden and
another pail received the brandy.
'ReaHy, Dick,'' murmured Miss
Judy, apostrophizing the boarding in
a whisper. sit was most naughty of
YOU
Meanwhile Dick was showing his re-
pentance by faithfully engaging the
lieutenant in conversation. It was
rather a difficult thing to do and an
! noying exceedingly to see him sitting
| there on the cask. Dick, consulting
his watch, found that 10 minutes had
passed, and he made another effort,
for Curwen was getting restless.
"You see,'' he urged, sin any case
there is a nice point of law involved.
If I am an ignorant accessory there
| cannot"
Squire dew not see nice points of
law" retorted 'Curwen. There's
morals and there's sins; there's sheep
and there's goats"
"And asses" Dick suggested.
There's keeping straight and
| there's running contraband."
"And my contention is" repeated
Dick, YEARLY, shat so far as I know
| there is no brandy in that keg."
| The lieutenant's retort was inter-
rupted by the tramp of his returning
men. They showed empty hands and
said they had had no luck. But the
| lieutenant was too contented to be
| greatly put out by this.
@'Never mind,' he said, there's
enough here. Get the barrow ready
and we'll go up to squire's.''
And he turned to the landlord
rancorously. 'Prendergast, yew have
made off with the rest O. your sinful
contraband, but yew cannot escape
when yew have broken the law
''Stow ut!" said Prendergast, sulk-
lily. "Yew come here to ma house an
call me rascal. Yew've gat no prewf.
ask yew where's yew're prewf?''
"Here," said the lieutenant. And
again he kicked his heels on the keg.
It gave out q hollow sound. He 1eaped
off it, as if he had been suddenly
stung. A faint glimmer of the truth
dawned upon Dick.
Remember" he said, provoingly,
"my contention has been that there is
no brandy in the cask.''
The lieutenant turned it over on its
side without answering. It was emp
ty, and though the floor beneath was
damp, the holes had been stopped up.
ssThere was brandy in it," he said,
rounding on Dick.
ssThe-soda water seems to have
evaporated," said Dick, innocently.
Some of the revenue men began to
Singer.
SEARCH the place!" said Curwen,
crashing his teeth. One of the men
returned presently and announced a
StIOuS SIuS11 VI OIdAOy III thS ydIO,
particularly in the duck pond.
cit would hardly do to show the
squire water from the duck pond
as contrabandN spirits" said Dick.
There's sheep and there's goats -
said the lieutenant, hardly able to con-
tain his wrath. so that Dick came near
to plying him. and only murmured
land asses,' this time under his
breath. The lieutenant ordered his