The Wilmington daily Republican., 1901-12-21

EpI4tns ~ yU4 ple4 III S5 3
"of course mi iiave to obey the Or
der Of the court" said the man. speak
ing milder, "but ! can't see what you're
getting at"
you'll find out soon enough" SAID
| the officer and we all started for the
door. But kept my ears open wide
for expected to be called back. And
sure enough. before we got into the
street the proprietor called to US tt
wait and came wiggling up to where
we were.
What is 1t about the clothes?" he
asked keeping his evil eyes fixed or
Mrs. Lawson, thinking perhaps that
shed be the easiest one of the party tc
scare into an answer that might give
him something like a hint to be guided
by. She did look pretty timid and
shrinking, but I gave her arm good
pinch and whispered to her to be firm
and she seemed to take on courage.
What is 1t about the clothes?" re-
peated the man. And what II did
sell them? It's my business to sci!
clothes, and there's no law against ii
that l ever heard of. So there's no
harm done, Is thefe
Yes" said the officer. there's harm
done. and young man Is to be tried
for his life on account of you, and you
can make things right by telling the
truth. IL you haven't forgotten how"
could see by the changing express
sion In the fellows eyes that he knew
all about the arrest of the poor boy and
had followed the case In the newspa-
pers, and felt like going down on my
knees there on his dirty floor, for saw.
Etoo, that he meant to tell what he knew
and there were tears in her eyes.
THAT old woman" began the man,
said moment ago that she had in her
pocket the tags taken from these
clothes. Show me the tags. and I'll
talk fast enough for the law can't
touch me for what did"
I handed the tags to the officer, and
bs let the proprietor look at them, be-
Ing careful to keep one hand on them
all the time.
YES" he said defiant like 81 did
sell this suit to young man matter
of three or four weeks ago. But before
that and on the same night I sold them
to another man who never lived to put
them on"
Mercy" said I. ''Why didn't he live
TO put them on?"
"All in good time, old woman" was
the impudent reply. you'll soon know
all about it If you'll give me chance.
This first customer bought this suit
and paid for it. Then he went to the
back end of the store to put 1t On.
l saw him shift some articles, such as
a knife. bunch Of keys and little
change, from the pockets of the pants
he had on to the pockets Of the new
ones, but he seemed to change his
mind. for he took them out again and
asked to have the new suit done up,
saying that he'd wear the old clothes
nome. But noticed that he put little
slip Of printed paper into the watch
pocket of the new pants and didn't
take it out again when he shifted the
other things. I remember thinking
about It at the time and intending to
call his attention to 1t, but another
customer came In just then, and | for
got all about it. From that day up to
a week or so ago I never once thought
of the matter, though I've been sorry
enough for my forgetting that little
slip of paper"
THAT must have been the lottery
ticket" gasped Mrs. Lawson. And
VIII has been telling the gospel truth
all the time we've been doubling his
word. poor boy!"
Yes" said the man. y guess it was
the lottery ticket I've been reading
about in the papers-No. 9S,567-that
drew fifteen thousand dollars. l was a
fool not to have my mind about me and
take it out of the watch pocket when
got the clothes back on the shelf again.
They wouldn't have traced it to me,
can tell you. and I'd have been fifteen
thousand dollars better off now"
II wish you had" said Mrs. Lawson,
with a sob. Il wish to goodness you
had!"
The rascal glared and went on with
his story.
About two minutes after the man
went away with the clothes there was
hue and cry in the street. and I went
out to see what was up. Leaving clerk
to wait on customers. When i got out
side, heard people saying that man
had just been murdered at the mouth
of an alley not far up the street. and
went there, curious to see who it was.
AS soon as l came up to the place
where the crowd was saw that 1t was
my customer that had been murdered.
He lay upon the stones of the alley,
with a knife wound In his breast and
the blood all about him on the frosty
ground This suit of clothes that had
just sold him lay there by his side just
as had tied 1t up for him. Then the
thought came to me
that l might take the