St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1901-12-21
<&<%<<<<<%<<<<<<%%%<*

one another. A child, carrying tin
pail, appeared and stood waiting I'M
til Duggles arose and made way for
her to enter the saloon.
"There was only two men in the
party" he went on, land one of 'em
was old Drummer, chief squirt of the
Rag Row bank, and the other was
Bowd, the cashier. I come within an
inch of breakin' right in on 'em. My
hand was on the doorknob, and"
"Cut the trimmin's," the, girl inter-
rupted impatiently. "What did you
hear?''
His reply caused her to start. "Go-
in to close-Friday-the Rag Row
bank-aw, say, now!"
"It's straight, tell you. They went
over the whole thing, figures and all.
There's shortage of 10000 plunkers
and some cents on the bank books, and
they're goin' to sneak with what they
can get their claws on before the thing
comes out. They don't want to do it.
Old Drummer sniveled like a kid, but
Bowd didn't; he cussed 'em both for
speculatin' with other peoples spuds:
said they might as well make clean
job of it now. AS near as he could tell
,, there was $4,000 apiece for 'em, all
cash."
"Well?'' said the girl, after an inter-
val.
"Well, it's up to me to do somethin'.
This is Tuesday. What'll do?'
II don't know. Dad keeps his money
in that bank"
"Yes, and the Multons do and the
Tolands and the Riggleses and all our
folks; but they'll pay nothin' to the
one that saves the stuff for 'em-not
a pistareen. There's the maxim in it.
Molly, of nice little front room with
plate glass fixtures and nice little
back room with easy-chairs and vel-
vet sofa. All I've got to do is to ask
for s., 900 and I'll get it."
"Ask who?"
"Old Drummer"
"He'd laugh at you; he'd say no ono
would believe you.'
"He wouldn't laugh when I worked
the shortage gag on him; that's where
I'd have him dead to rights. know
newspaper guy that'll give me hum
dred in cold cash, and maybe more,
for the steer the minute the things
proved; and he'll see that it's proved
devilish quick, too, and won't ask
unpleasant questions"
They were silent for time. A cab
| ratified over the cobbles, and frag-
ments of 'The Wearing of the Green
played on an accordion, waited from .
nearby alley.
"Bill." The girl spoke first.
"Yes?'' ....
"Twouldn't be honest; 'twouldn't
be square"
maybe not, me girl. You think I'd
better put the coppers on, and let the
chance go?"
She did not reply at once. Softly he
stroked her hair, waiting. Five min
! utes passed. Ten minutes. Aquarter-
hour. Then, very slowly:
Eyes, Bill, you'd better let the
chance go. We'd never feel just right
about it. Let it 60"
Duggles hesitated. His forehead
was wet with sweat, and he ground his
teeth. The hand in which he held
that of the girl contracted with such
vigor that she gave utterance to an
exclamation of pain. But the tone of
his voice was cheerful.
"All right, Molly"
Impulsively the girl put her arms
about his neck. ''Ill marry you, Bill,
any time you say" she whispered.
you're awful good"
He gasped. you said you wouldn't
till I was fixed to buy place. You
amt gufin' me, are you, Molly?"
"Nit," she replied. "I've changed
my mind. I'd rather have you poor
but honest than to have you rich with
the spuds stole from our own people
by swell thieves. Our people trusted
'em, Bill, and they've proved false. I'm
surprised that you'd think of takin'
the"
II didn't want the stuff, Molly" he
interrupted; ION the dead didn't;
wanted-you. I can graft enough
from them that can afford to lose it to
keep us goin', dear"
eff you can't" she said, and the
note in her voice was one of high pur-
pose according to her lights, well
starve, old man."
''You know it'll" said Duggles.
| And the next day two miserable men
were transferred from homes wherein
the Three Corners district was never
thought of except with horror to that
place where the state confines the
violators of its laws until they shall
be tried.