The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-09-22
AUNT JUDITH'S HORSE THIEF
By JASPER PEYToN

It would probably have been a ten or
fifteen mile gallop, with foundered horses
| at the end OF it, but for an accident. A
cow was lying in the dust of the high
way, and as the horse thief was close
upon her she. started to rise up. The
horse lifted to clear her, but not high
enough, and as result horse, COW and
| rider went down in a heap. A minute
| later Aunt Judith came racing up. She
was off her horse and had the man by
| the hair of the head as he recovered from
| the shock of his fall and tried to sit up.
Don't you move much as an eye
! lash or you are dead man." warned the
| widow, as she almost twisted his head off,
Don't, Woman-please DON'T Say, my
legs broke, and couldn't get away if I
wanted to-" ~ - ~
"How dared you steal one Of my horses
how dared your" demanded Aunt Judith
as she lowered over him.
ct was In my line of business" he re-
Piled = .- " -
/ "Oh, it was? Well, my line of. business
| is sending horse thieves to state prison!
You'll get twenty years behind the bars
for this!'' .5.-zs..- ..a-..
"But before I get, twenty I'd like to
know what about this leg. It's the right
one, and it's gone for sure. You'll have
| to get, me to the house and then fetch
| a DOCTOR"
II most wish it had been your neck
muttered Aunt Judith, land if you think
| I'm goin' to take you into my house and
go to any trouble over that leg you are
mistaken. I'll have you carried into some
cowshed.''
| Good hearted women always talk that
| way" laughed the man. you'll see me
| taken care of even if you send me to
prison afterward. What has become of
those sleepy hired men of yours? Between
| the two Of us one of them left the stable
| door unlocked tonight"
! That's jest like 'em-jest like EN-"
| Aunt Judith mounted one of the horses
! and set off for home, and it was a long
| hour before she returned with the hired
men and vehicle: 1t was a JOB getting
| the patient into the wagon and out again
and into the house and upstairs. The
hired men were doing considerable
swearing over it until the widow turned
| on them with: ,, ....:
CHOW then, you shet up! If one OF you
hadn't left the door unlocked. he would
never have got in. I amt defendin' horse
| thieves, but there's no call to rub 1t In
:, when when a man is down."
i, Aunt Judith found her horse thief to
|be a man of 80, rather good looking. fairly
educated and a devil may care fellow.
She liked his looks and thought he might
put to better use than being sent 10
prison. o.
In the course of two or three days 1t
was known for several miles around that
Aunt Judith Hobson had captured a horse
thief and had him in her house, ana
among her callers was the sheriff, who
came to say:
I'll just have the fellow taken to jail
this afternoon, and you won't nave TO
bother with him no more. '.-.
But he's goin' to stay where he IS till
his leg is mended,'' she protested.
Its my duty, bein' the sheriff, to ar
rest him."
} "You may go to pot with your duty,
) Steven Taylor! This is my case, and no.
body need NEEDLE with it. When I get
! ready to have him arrested, I'll swear out
warrant, but until then he stays right
here"
| Days and weeks passed, and the sheriff
l waited. He meant to have Aunt Judith's
l patient the first day he was able to walk
l about. No one had yet seen the man or
his feet when the widow entered his room
one evening to say:
, Its goin' to be dark night, and my
l hired men are goin' to town. Here's your
, clothes, and here's food, and money"
my good woman" began the stranger,
who was deeply grateful, but Aunt judith
interruted: 1900 ...
Don't say nothin' about it. Jest &c
away and behave yourself. You've go1
5 lots of grit, and you are not such bac
;. man, and I wasn't goin' to let the sher.
9 if back me down. Yes, shake hands, anC
j don't steal any more Of my horses, ant
good night and goodby''