Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1903-10-06

blue beca'se they won't LET TN fight
fer 'em. Yes, he'll fight, an eff he
ever does jine the ranks above he'll
do the work o. ten men when thar's
blood to spill. I seed i'm in a row
once durin' election when he was
leggin' fer a friend o. his'n. He
stood right at the polls an wanted to
slug every man that voted ag'in i'm.
He knocked three mems teeth down
Their throats an bn...~u UP Two more
SO that they looked like they had on
false faces"
Here the preacher permitted himself
to laugh. Being a fighting man him
self, his heart warmed toward a man
who seemed to be born to that sort Of
thing.
He looks like he could do sight Of
it." was his comment.
At this juncture the subject Of the
conversation came round the house.
carrying big piece of bacon wrapped
in tow grain bag.
Say thar, Pole" Abner called out to
the long, lank fellow. 1--WE are a-goin'
to have preachin' at Rock Crest to-
morrow. You'd better have a shirt
washed an hung out to dry. They are
a-beatin' the bushes fer yore sort"
Pole Baker paused and brushed back
his long, thick hair from his heavy
eyebrows.
"1ve been a-waitin' to see eff meetin'
ever d do you any good, Uncle Ab,'
he laughed. "They tell me the more
you go the wuss you git to be. Neil
Fillmore said tother day eff you didn't
quit shootin' off yore mouth they'd
give you trial in meetin'."
Abner laughed good naturally as he
spat over the edge of the yeranda floor
to the ground
THAT'S been talked, know, Pole"
he said, "but they don't mean it. They
all know how to take my fun. But
you come on to meetin'. 1t will do you
good"
well. maybe WILL" promised Pole.
And he came to the steps, and, put
ting his bacon down, he bent toward
them.
Its powerful hard matter to know
exactly what's right an what's wrong
in some things" he said. ''Now, looky
heer." Thrusting his hand down into
the pocket Of his trousers, he drew out
a piece Of quartz rock, with lump of
yellow gold about the size of pea half
tmbedded in it. "That thar's puore
gold. 1 got it this away: A Teller that
used to be my right bower in my still
business left me when I swore off an
went over to Dalonega to work in them
mines. Tother day he was back on a
visit, an he give me this chunk an
said he'd found 1t. Now, I know in
reason that he nabbed it while he was
at work, but 1 don't think I'd have a
right to report 1t to the mimi compa-
ny, an so I'm jest obleeged to receive
stolen goods. 1t amt wuth more'n a
dollar, they tell me. an I'll hang on to
1t, | reckon. ruther n have laborin'
man discharged from Job. I'm tryin'
my level best to live up to the line now,
an don't know how to manage sech
a thing as that. I've come to the con-
clusion that no harm will be done no
how, beca'se miners amt too well paid
anyway, an eff jest keep it an don't
git no good out of it won't be in ii
any more n eff I'd never got hold O. the
blamed thing"
"But the law, Brother Baker," said
Dole solemnly. without the law we'd
be an awful lot o. people, an every
man ort to uphold it. Render the
things that are Caesars unto Cesar"
Poles face was blank for moment
and Abner came to his rescue with a
broad smile and sudden laugh.
Il reckon you don't remember him
Pole" he said. Hes dead. He was q
niger that used to belong to old man
Throgmartin, in the cove. He used to
be sech an awful thief during slavery
days that it got to be common sayin
that everything lynn round mought as
well be his'n. fer he'd take it sooner vi
later anyways"
i've herd O that Niger" said Pole
much to the preachers disgust, which
grew as Pole continued: "Well, they
say n Teller that knows the law il
broke an don't report it is as guilty as
the man who does the breakin'. Now
Mr.. Dole. you know how l come by
this nugget, an eff you want to d.
your full duty you'll ride over to Dalo
mega an report it to the right parties
can't afford the trip"
Abner laughed out at this and ther
forced a serious look on his face
THAT'S what you rally ort to do
Brother Dole" he said. Them Caesars
over thar I'D appreciate IT.
Then Mrs. Bishop came out to shake
hands with the preacher and invited
him to go to his room to wash his face
and hands. AS the tall man followed
his hostess away Abner winked slylJ
OF Pole and laughed under his long
scrawny hand.
Uncle Alb, you ort to be killed.
smiled Pole. you've been settin' heel
the last half hour pollin' fun at tina
Teller, an you know it. Well. I'm go
ir on home. Sally's a-goin' to fry som
o. this truck fer me, an I'm as hungr,
as bear"
A few minutes after he had pon