The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1902-02-21
DE SER TED
p OG r ANS
Iorisinail

WtAt Vile morning uk ne slOOu IN iron
ot the house looking down over th,
corn to the rear OF PoSram's farm
Thar hain't no life about the place no
how, M mar liain't been none sine,
Thursday"
..You Jist mind your own business
Dave bingham. an let other people,
alone. You know the trouble sou go
into by Investigating the Partridge nj
fair. Like enough Pogrim's gone
a.shootin' or someihin'.'
"But thar's such deathly look about
IT. pogram never lenves his place 'ccpl
MT feg'lar times. He lives thar AL
alone mn is jist In condition fur q
first class murder. Now think Of IL
hight aforc last l hearcd shot in that
direction right in the middle of tliy
night, an somehow felt as eta ghost
had passed.
well. why don't you go down an sec
about it?'
Reckon hain't got no time"
The truth was that bingham Was a
.superstiious man. with horror At
coming upon anything ghostly. He
could have gone down 10 Pograms
as well ms not for all the work he did
on his farm, for he was as lazy as he
was superstitious. Instead of going 10
work, he went over TO talk 10 Steve
Blackburn. who owncdsthe next farm
and endeavor to interest him in the
matter. Steve was picking berries. hut
paused in his work and heard Hing
ham through. then said deliberately:
"Reckon hain't got no less TO do
than YOU" Then he turned 10 his Der.
ry picking. He WIS well aware OF
DIVES laziness.
Dave went the round of the farms
that morning. spreading the news OF
n tragedy at Pogran's. The farmers
could all look down on the deserted
place for Pogram's was IN the valley
an open space through which thesrond
ran-and knots OF them gathered on
the hills and. speculnted us to what
was the. matter. The Posram farm
had indeed an hncanny look about 1t.
Tile gate was open, as well rs the back
window; also the door of the stable
where Pogram kept his horse and bug.
Ey. The overlookets. compared notes
as to when they had. Fist seen Pogram
and Deacon Illusions date was the
latest. three days before, when he had
met Pogram walking along the road
very much detected. After the dca
cons Testimony the theory was chang
ed from murder to suicide.
Still no one had yet been found with
sufficient nerve to go down ana face
the corpse. The white curtain IN the
rear window continued to flap. as much
as to say. why don't you Gomez But
the better the groups looking down on
Fogam's understood the invitation the
more disinclined We're they to accept
it Finally it was agreed that some
one should 90, and the choice fell up
Oh Dave bingham.
"Oh, don't take no interest in the
natter" said Dave. blancliins. "l'm
goin' to work"
But Dave had called attention to the
tragedy and dwclt upon 1t and stirred
1t up till his ncighbors began to hold
him responsible. Ike Merton ana ION
Marley boldly told Dave TINT. since
he had first noticed the stiffness about
Pogra ms, lie was the person to inves.
tiGate the cause. Dave trict I" crawl
out OF it. but the two men insisted.
agreeing to back him up.
Serves you right. DIVE" said his
wife, who understood his natural dis
inclination at facing unpleasant scenes
EFF you hadn't said nothin' about IT.
you'd IA been let alone"
The three men started down the h'll,
Dave IN advance. He wah'"n 'he rear
but Ike Merton had concluded tc take
his revolver. to be ready In case OF an
emergency. and playfully pointed II al
tile chosen leader. lnfnsin. into nun
tile necessary stimulus. The investi'
gators proceeded. climbing the fences
on their route. watched by the group
of people on the hill. When they came
to the rear OF Posrams larni VIZ!
halted a moment for observation. Inc
willow tree hung mournfully over the
woodlouse; the tin cup rested immoy.
.nble on the pump: the curtain fappcd
from the rear window.
Reckon you'd better 90 ahead with
the shootin' iron. Ike" said Dave
"rbar mou:ht be some Of the murder
ers thar yit."
"You take IT, said Ike, handing HIN
thcrcvolver Il hain't no shot nohow"
Il ~ al