Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-10-08

the woman. Hes back of the house
some'rs settin' a trap fer the children
to ketch some birds in. I'll blow the
horn. When I blow twice, he knows
he's wanted right off"
She took down cows horn from a
nail on the wall, and, going to the door
on the opposite side of the house. she
gave two long, ringing blasts, which
set half dozen dogs near by and some
far off TO BARKING mCllowly. In a few
minutes Pole appeared around the cor
ner of the cabin.
"Hcllo, Uncle Alb" he said. won't
you come in?"
"No; hain't time" smiled the old
man. Il jest come over to see how
| much money you wanted to borrow"
Il don't want any o yorn." said
Pole, leaning over the fence. his I'M
buttoncd shirt sleeves allowing his
brawny, bare arms to rest on the top
rail. Il wanted to talk to you about
Alan an that bank burst up
you've been to town, l heer," said
Abner, deeply Interested
Eyes, an I've been with Alan an
Miller fer the last week tryin' to do
somcn', but we couldn't. They've been
sendin' kilograms by the baskctful, an
Jeff Ixikes has trotted his legs off back
an forth, but nothn' hain't been DONE
:You say the hain't?" Abncrs voice
quivercd and fell.
no. They both kept up Their sporits
purity we'll fer about ten days bcca'se
/ that dang Atlanta chief Of police kept
| Wirin' he was on a scent o Winship,
but day before yesterday they give in.
We was a-settin' in Mllcr's office when
| the last message come from Atlanta.
| They said they'd been after the wrong
man an that they'd give up. You ort
/ "a seed Alan's face. Miller tried to
! cheer i'm up but it wasn't no go Then
/ who do YOU think come? .Alan's sweet
| heart. She aXcd to see i'm. an they
/ talked awhile in the front room. Then
Miller come back an said she'd aNcd
TO be introduced to me. Jest think of
it, / went in an seed she'd been a-cry-
in. She got up, by jnks. an kctchcd
my hand an said She wanted to thank
me bcca'Se I'd been sech friend to
/ Alan, Uncle Alb, | felt as mean as Il
/ egg suckI' dog, bcca So thar was Alan
/ fiat o his back, as the Teller said. an /
| hadn't turned Il hand to hep i'm. An
thar she was, the gal he loves an
/ wants, an is poverty standin' betwtXt
ON. ! couldn't say nOthin'. an | rcck-
on | looked more kinds of Il durn fool
/ than she ever seed on two LEGS
"Wcll, what did you do asked All
her, too much moved 10y Poles graphic
picture to speak with his usual light
ness.
What did do? l made my bow
an slid. made hcelne fer Murray's
bar an put two down as fast as they
could shovel 'cm ont. Then tuck an
other, an quit countn'. begun to
think | owned the Shebang an broke
several billiard cues an throWcd the
chalk around. Then Dukes come an
said he'd give me a chance to escape
trial fer misconduct eff I'd straddle
my boss an make fer home agreed,
but thar was one thing had to do
1 fust. l had promised Alan not to
drink any more, an SO | didn't want
to sneak away to hide it. went to
Millcr's house. whar he's stayin', an
called i'm ont. told i'm I'd jest come
fer no other reason an to let i'm see
me at my wust | felt like il was the
only manly way. after I'd broke faith
with friend as true as he is
TOO bad" sighed Abncr. "Ill bet
it hurt Alan to see you in that fix"
"W"ll, he didn't complaint said Pole.
But he put his arm around me an
come as nigh cryin as ever seed IA
strong man. Its my fault, Pole scs
he. i can see that Then him an
Miller both tried to git me to go up
stairs in that fine house an so to bed
q an sleep it off. but | wouldn't.
come on home an got mad at Sally fer
talkin' to me an come nigh as peas
hittin' 'er in the jaw. But that's over,
Uncle Alb, What I'm III fer now is
work. l amt no fool. I'm on a still
hunt an | jest want yore private
opinion. | don't want you to commit
yorosef unless you want to, but ia
go more on yorc Judgment than any
mans in this county. | want to know
eff you think old Craig is a honest man
at heart. Now don't say you don't
know an keep yore mouth shet, fer
what | want to know. an oil | want to
know, is how you feel about that one
thing"
Abner hung his head down. His
long thumb trembled as its nail went
under II splinter on the rail and pried
it off.
Il see what you are a-drivin' at" he
said. "Iou jest want to feel shore o
yore ground" Abner began to chew
the splinter and spit out the broken
4 bits. He WAS silent, under Poles anX-
ious gaze, for a minute and then he
laughed dryly. Il reckon me n you
has about the same suspicious" he
said THAT p'int's been worryin' me
fer several days, an | didn't let it end
thar nuther."
"Ah, you didn't?" exclaimed Baker.
You say you didn't, Uncle ABB"
NO; / got so ! couldn't lie down at
night without the idea poppin' into
my head that maybe Craig had made
tool Of Winship fer some minor crime
an had hustled i'm out o the country
so he could gobble up what was in the
bank an pose as a injured man in the
community"
Same heer, pine blank" said Pole
eagerly. What did you do, Uncle
Ah?'