Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1903-03-05

off," suggested Snow. 'All we want
is to prevent inquiry as to our where
abouts last Tuesday night"
"a lawyer" grumbled White; "more
money!"
"Here comes tramp" cried Snow,
suddenly; ''the very chap we want. A
warm cell ought to be a welcome
change from the cold barns and colder
haystacks that he has probably had to
put up with these cold nights. Let's
sound him.
The trio were standing in the pub
lie square. The stranger drew near,
ragged, hungry looking fellow.
Hello, my mani" hailed Snow;
"don't go that way-it leads to the
lookup. Come here. How would you
like to- earn couple of hundred dol
lars without working?"
The tramp opened his eyes in amaze
ment. Snow was forced to repeat hi
question.
"Wot doin'?" asked the stranger.
"There's been a burglar doing no
end of mischief in this town of late,
and one of our friends is wrongfully
suspected. Now, we want you to act
as substitutes sort of voluntary
scapegoat-to save the good name of
our friend. If you will consent to go
, , to the police station, give yourself up
and admit you are the thief, we will
make you present of 5000. Good pay;
what do you say?"
The gentleman of the road smiled,
| pondered a minute or two and then
replied:
snake it tree hundred, gents; den
I'm yer man. I might halter 60 to
prison fer a year or two, yer see."
"No such thing. We don't want to
see you punished too severely. Well
hire a lawyer to defend you. He'll
| keep you from getting a severe SEN
tence; that's what We'll pay him for.
You may get off scot free"
Lawyer be blowed! Say tree hun.
dred or shut up"
White, the penurious, nodded assent.
Gail right" said Snow; "three hun.
dred it is. Remember, you are the
burglar who has been operating in
town for the past two months. You
needn't admit that, of course. You
are simply the fellow that walked into
old Browns henshed last Tuesday
night-remember the date!-and took
a couple of his hens"
81 won't forget it. Now wot about
/ de bride ~
"We'll pay you the money just az
soon as you confess and are locked
| up"
can have de Jail blokes take de
Doodle away from me? Nit"
swell. what? Will a check post
dated do?"
"Naw. I want cash in advance. I'll
send de money by mail to a Teller kin
trust. Den I'll go an give myself up,
an take my medicine. You gents can
keep yer eyes on me all de time an if
I try to fool yer yer can tell de police
I confess bein' the thief dey want
Yer word will be taken all right"
So it came to pass that Luke Var.
den, after receiving and disposing of
the $500 contributed by Snow & Co.,
went to the police station and con-
fessed that he was the much-wanted
! thief. He had entered Mr.. Browns
henhouse on the previous Tuesday
night and stolen some of that gentle
mans hens.
| Varden's case was sent to a higher
court; in due time he was put on trial,
convicted, and sentenced to the peni-
Tertiary for eight months. More than
one person in Benton breathed more
freely.
One day early in the following sum-
mer, Deacon Snow, who had quite for
gotten all about the burglars substi-
tute, received a letter which caused
him first to swear, then to laugh. He
gave the missive to his brothe r-in-law.
White read:
MIR. Thomas Snow and Friends-Gents
desire to thank you again for the 500
you kindly gave me eight months ago for
acting as a substitute for the Benton bur.
glar 1t may surprise you to hear that ]
vas really the burglar you gents wanted
to catch. When I met you I was on my
way to the police station to give myself
up, as had got tired of my line of bust
Hess anu Wduleu " pe sent away 1Or the
winter. The 900 plunks will work in handy
for my summer vacation. Yours, with
thanks, LUKE VARDEN''
$50 the $500 l won at poker il
Feffer's roadhouse that Tuesday night
went to that scoundrel of a tramp,
calculated White.
my net loss," murmured Snow
reminiscently, twas $15O-$10O to thu
substitute and $50 lost at poker. Whar
will Bristow say? His net loss wa.
1925"
Such being the case, it is not yer,
difficult to guess what Bristow said.-
! Boston Globe.