The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1902-1905, 1903-09-11
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.bY He
Was Caught
tOriginal.l

Vthti lhlh6S hC lOiNl llI AlON III AtlliS
to be caught at last. This is the story:
I'd had things pretty much my own
way for a long while, and 1t made me
careless. It's never best for man to
have run of good luck. He needs a
backset now and then to keep him eau
tious. While l was hOldin' people up
and gittin' away with the plumber I
forgot that those I'd levied on was
stirrin' up trouble for me.
One day rode by ranch and seem
1t was prosperous lookin' place |
thought I'd stop and see If l could haul
In anything. The door was opened by
as trim gal as you ever see. Not a
plains gal or , greaser or anything like
that, but lady all over l told her ]
was a-travelin and would like TO get a
dinner If might be allowed to pay for
1t, and she, said could have all |
wanted to eat with nothin to pay and
welcome. | heard an old crone's voice
speakln' from above.
what you thinkln' Of, Lillian? or
course he can pay for dinner! Dyou
s'pose we're made of money!
The gal colored, but said nothin' and
went out and give orders to the cook,
while /, bein' convinced that the place
was open to me, went upstairs, and,
searin' the old woman by shown my
weapon agin her scalp, aXed her what
valyables there was in the house. She
was vixen, you bet, and | was
afeerd Ia have TO blow her brains out,
but the cold iron and my thinkin'
whether to do it or not, which she
could see in my face, helped matters,
and she at last give in and showed me
where she kept her yalyables. 1t hap
pened that they was all together, so
she was 'bleeged to show 'em up all at
Oncet.
Well, while we was a-talIin' the gal
come upstairs, and though for awhile
she couldn't seem to git on to what
was up to, she did at last and give me
look I'll remember to the day |
swing. Somehow it made me feel
what | was. Nobody ever made me
feel that way before.
Come" she said, when you've got
what you want I've had what we
have in the house set out for. you. Pm
not accountable for your acts, only my
own. You asked for a dinner and |
promised to give it to you. 1 shall
keep my promise"
She TUX me downstairs, and there
on the table was such snack as she
could get up in short time, cold beef
and bread and butter, eggs and such
like, and l set down and eat hearty,
for was hungry. | felt sort of mean,
with the gal a-waitin' on me as though
she was a servant and I a gentleman,
specially as / had all the movable
property in my pocket. Every time I'd
look up there was that innocent face
lookin' at me, and when l wanted any
thing she'd help me to it. So by the
time I'd got good meal into me l
was ready to do the only decent thing
| ever did in my life.
You're a nice leetc GAL" l said, land
you've treated me fair. Oncet | was
respectable, and somehow the way
you've been actin toward me and
lookin, at me has made me ashamed O.
myself"
l TUX out what I'd stuffed In my
pockets and put it on the table and got
up and walked out o the house and
rode away.
Well, that was right enough so far as
1t went, but it went furder Somehow
l couldn't forgit the looks O. that leetle
gal 1t seemed to me that if | could
live where L could see her sometimes
and have u chance I'd turn decent.
One day when was near the ranch
rode over there. That was the I'M
luckiest visit of my life. hadn't
more n rode in through the open gate
before the committee that was a-lookin'
for me came round a turn in the road,
and there was caught like rat In
trap.
The only man on the committee that
knowed me for shore had gone back with
alamo horse, SO after they'd taken me
In on suspicion they called the leetle gal
for they knowed I'd been there
afore-and axed her IL 1 was the man.
She looked at me. maxim believe she
was puzzled or couldn't remember OF
somepln, then said:
"NO"
l was that surprised you could "a
bowed me over with kitchen bel
lows.
"Never seen him beforeT" axed one
Of 'em.
mot this one. The other was bad
fellow. This man, I'm sure, is good
one and wouldn't hurt any one"
That was true so far as l hadn't
robbed any one since l seen her.
"All right, stranger" said the leader.
''You kin so. I'm sorry to have dis
turbed you"
was walkin' forward to the door
when heerd a rustlin' on the stairs
and the old crone come down Just in
time to meet me face to face. She give
q shrek, yellin': Take him. He's the
man that robbed u.s."
Well, seen at oncet it was all up
with me. They took me in and brought
me here for trial, and I'm waitin' for
the end of it. What gifts me is that the
only decent thing l ever did was the
thing that got me into trouble. If I'd
"a TUX the valyables and not got soft
hearted I'd probably be roamin' on
the road now. tell you, when man
starts out to be bad he don't never
want TO turn aside to be good. 1t II
give him away dead shore.
TAnTTIT INyIS Il AcmUnnn