Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1903-11-20
BY 80.
WILL N.
HARDEN
Auf6er IF
"UsSfe.feh"
Copyright. 1902. by
HARPER q BROS,
Who Publish the Work
In Book Form. All
RIGHTS Reserved -.

others, as II bewildered by what seem.
ed hooking impossibility.
us it our money-is it our'n?" she
finally found voice to say. ooh, is it,
Pole?"
"Yes'm," replied Pole; 'it's yo'rn."
He produced a crumpled piece of pa
per and handed it to Miller. Hers
Craig's order on his wife fer it, an in
It he acknowledges it's the cash depos-
Tied by Mr.. Bishop. He won't give
me no trouble. I've got i'm fixed. He'll
leave barley in the mornin'. He's
afeerd this II git out an he'll be
lynched."
Alan was profoundly moved. He
transferred his gaze from the money
to Poles face and leaned toward him.
you did it out of friendship for me-"
he said, his voice shaking.
THAT'S what did 1t fer, Alan, an
wish 1 could do 1t over ag'in. When
laid hold o that wad an knowed it
was the thing you wanted more'n any
thing else, felt like fyin'."
Tell us all about 1t, Baker" said
Miller, wrapping up the stack Of bills.
cali right" said Pole, but Mrs. Bish-
op interrupted him.
"Wait fer Alfred" she said, her voice
rising and cracking in delight. wait;
I'll run find i'm"
She went out through the dining room.
toward the stables. calling her hus-
band at every step. alfred! Oh. Al
fredp'
"Heerw she heard him call out from
one Of the stables.
She leaned over the fence opposite
the closed door, behind which she had
heard his voice.
ooh, Alfredo she called. "Come
out, quick! I've got news fer you
big, big newsp'
She heard him grumbling as he emp
tied some ears of corn into the trough
of the stall containing Alan's favorite
horse, and then with growl he emerg-
ed into the starlight.
THAT fool niger only give Alan's
boss six ears O corn" he fumed. II
know, beca'se counted the cobs. The
boss had licked the trough clean an
gnawed the ends o. the cobs. The idea
O. starvin' my stock right before N.Y.
"Oh, Alfred, what do you think has
happened?" his wife broke in. We've
got the bank money back! Pole Baker
managed somehow to get it. He's go
in to tell about it now. Come on inw
Bishop closed the door behind him.
He fumbled with the chain and pad
lock for an instant, then he moved to-
ward her. his lips hanging, his eyes
protruding.
"I'll believe my part O. that when
But" she cried, opening the gate
for him to pass through, "the moneys
thar in the house on the table; it's been
counted. say it's thar! Don't you
believe it,"
The old man moved through the gate
mechanically. He paused to fasten it
with the iron ring over the two posts
But after that he seemed to lose the
power of locomotion. He stood facing
her. his features working.
"I'll believe my part o that cat-an'-
bull story when 1 see"-
well, come in the house, then" she
cried. you kin lay yore hands on it
an count it. It's an awful big pile, an
nothin' less than fifty dollar bills"
Grasping his arm, she half dragged,
half led him into the house. Enter
ing the sitting room, he strobe to the
table and, without word, picked up
| the package and opened it. He made
an effort to count the money. but his
fingers seemed to have lost their cum
ming and he gave it up.
"It's all there" Miller assured him,
"and it's your money. You needn't
bother about that"
| Bishop sat down in his place in the
chimney corner, the packet on his
knees, while Pole Baker modestly and
not without touches of humor recount
ed his experiences.
"The toughest job had was manag-
in the woman" Pole laughed. "You
kin always count on a woman to be
contrary. ! believe eff you was tryin'
to git some women out Of burnin'
house they'd want to have Their way
about it. She read the order an got
white about the gills an screamed,
low, so nobody wouldn't heer 'er, an
then wanted to ak questions. That's
the female of it. She knowed in reason
that Craig was dead fixed an couldn't
git out until she complied with the in
structions, but she wanted to know all
about it. Then told Ter she'd be ar
rested fer holdin' the money. an that
got her in trot. She fetched it out
| purity quick, a-cryin' an abuSin' me
by turns. AS soon as the money left
FER hands, though, she begun to beg
me to ride fast. wanted to come heer
fust, but felt sorter sorry fer Craig,
an went an let i'm out. He was the
gladdest man to see me you ever looked
at. He thought was goin' to leave
i'm thar. He looked like he wanted to
hug me- He says Winship wasn't much
to blame. They both got in deep water
speculatin', an Craig was tempted to
cabbage on the $25,OOO."
When Pole had concluded, the group
nat in silence for long time. 1t looked
| as If Bishop wanted to openly thank
Pole for what he had done, but he had
never done such thing in the presence
Of others, and he could not pull himself
to it. He sat crouched up in his tilted
chair as If burning up with the joy Of
his release.
The silence was broken by Abner
Daniel us he filled his pipe anew and
stood over the fireplace.
/ "Thcy say moneys cuss an the
| root of nil evil" he said ilrylv Hbut