News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1903-11-11
Abncr Daniel.
;. BY ;.
WILL N. HARDEN
-
Author OF " WesterteIt."

"I'n believe my part o. that cat-an'-
bull story when see
"Well, come in the house, then" she
cried. 'FYou kin hay yore hands on it
an count it. It's an awful big pile, an
nothin' less than fifty dollar bills"
Graspng his arm, she half dragged,
half led him into the house. Enter
ing the sitting room. he strobe to the
table and, without a 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.
1.-The toughest job l 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 on, 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 'er she'd be ar
rested fer holdin' the money, an that
got her in trot. SIZE fetched it out
purity quick, a-cryln an uh@sin, 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 10 see me you ever looked
at. He thought | was goin to leave
lin 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 $4,000.
When Pole had concluded, the group
sat in silence for long time. 1t looked
as if Bishop wanted to openly thank
Pole for what ne 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 as he filed his pipe anew and
stood over the fireplace.
They say moneys a cuss an the
root Of all evil" he said dryly. but
I'm this case'it's give Pole Baker thar
chance to show what's in i'm. I'd "a
give the last cent | have to "a done
what he did today. | grant you be
used deception. but it was the fust
water sort that that Bible king resOrted
10 when he made out he was GOin' to
divide that baby by cuttin' it in halves.
He fetched out the good an sQuelched
the bad" Ahncr glanced at Pole and
gave one of his mpulsivP Inward
laughs "My boy. when | reach tother
shore ! expect TO see whole strings G
lecA law breakers as you a-playin' leap
frog on the golden sands, You don't
sing an pray Whole lot, nur keep
.yore religion in sight, but when thar's
work to be done you shuck off yore
shirt an do it like a wildcat a-scratch-
In"
No enc spoke after this outburst for
several minute, though the glances
cast in his direction showed the en-
barrassed oxmCoushner that one and
all had sanctioned Abner Daniels opin-
ion
Bishop leaned forward and looked at
the clock, and, seeing that it was 8. he
put the money in Il bureau drawer and
turned the key. Then lie took down
the big family Bible from its shelf and
sat down near the lamp. They all
knew what the action pretended