News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1903-10-14

rio OF tne naDlt. SlOcumS aDle, anu
| think he ought to foot that preachers
bill"
"You are a tough customer Miller"
said Trabue, with a knowing laugh.
YOU'D better look out-he's got an eye
on you. He'll call out yore name some
o. these days an ask us to pray fer
you"
81 was just wondering if there's any
thing wrong with Craig" said Miller.
81 see his doors not OPEN"
ooh, l reckon not" said the old law
yer. He's been taking part in the
meeting. He may have oversight"
There was a grocery store near Mil
ler's office, and the proprietor came out
on the sidewalk and Joined the two
men. His name was Barnett. He was
a powerful man, who stood six feet
FIVE in his boots. He wore no coat, ana
his suspenders were soiled and knotted.
81 see you uns is watchin' Craig's
door" he said. 1--WE had my eye on 1t
ever since breakfast. | hardly know
what to make of it. | went thar to
buy some New York exchange to pay
for a bill O. flour, but he wouldn't let
me in. | know he's thar, for | seed
i'm go in about an hour ago. l mighty
nigh shook the door off'n the hinges.
His clerk, that western fellow, Win
ship, has gone off to visit his folks, an
l reckon maybe Craig's got all the
boOkkeepin' to do"
"Well, he oughtn't to keep his doors
closed at this time of day." remarked
Miller. "A man who has other peoples
money in his charge can't be too care
full"
Hes got some O mine" said the
grocer, land Mary Ann Tarpley, my
wife's sister, put 5000 thar day before
yesterday. Oh, reckon nothin's wrong,
though | do remember | heerd some
body say Craig bought cotton futures
an sometimes got skecrd up little
about meetin' his Obligations"
Il have never heard that said Ray
burn Miller, raising his brows.
We'll, have, an I've heerd the
same O Winskip," said the grocer. but
| never let it go no furder. | amt no
hand to circulate i'll reports agin good
member of the church"
Miller bit his lip, and an unpleasant
thrill passed over him as Trabue
walked on. ''Twenty-fve thousand"
he thought, is no small amount. 1t
would tempt five men out of ten if
they were inclined to go wrong and
were in a tight"
The grocer was looking at him stead
lily.
You bank thar, don't you?" he asked.
Miller nodded. But happen to
have no money there right now.
made a deposit at the other bank yes
terday."
Suspicious, heigh? Now, jest a lit
tie, wasn't you? The grocer now
spoke with undisguised uneasiness.
Not at all" replied the lawyer 81
was doing some business for the other
bank and felt that ought to favor
them by my cash deposits"
You don't think thars anything the
matter. Go you?" asked the grocer, his
IUCS SIN uUIutDlbS.
Il think Craig is acting queerly-
very qucerly for Il banker" was Nil
lcr's slow reply. He has always been
most particular to open up early and
"IIcllo," cried out Il CHEEKY voice
that of the middle aged proprietor of
the barley FIGURING mills. emerging
from Barnctt's store. II see you fell
lows have your eye on Craig's front
If he was a drinking man. we might
suspicion he'd been on tear last
night, wouldn't WEI"
1T looks shaky to me-" retorted the
grocer. growing more excited. I'm
g0in' over there an try that door again
a man at has my money can't attract
the attention Craig has an me say
nothin'"
The miller pulled his little turf of
gray beard and winked at Rayburn.
you've been scarin' Barnett" he
said, with Il tentative infection. Hes
easily ratified. BY the way, now that
think of it, it does seem to me heard
some of the Methodists talkin' about
reproving Craig an Winship for spec
ulatin' in grain an cotton. | know
they've been dubbliH' in it, for Craig
always got my market reports. He's
been dealin' with a bucket shop in At
lanta."
I'm going over there" said Miner
abruptly, and he hurried across in the
wake of the big grocer. The miller fol-
lowed him. On the other side of the
street several people We're curiously
watching the bank door, and when
Barnett went to it and grasped the
handle and began to shake it vigor-
ously they crossed over to him.
whats wrong?' said a dealer in
fruits, a short, thickset man with
fiorid face, but Barnett's only reply
was another furious shaking of the
door.
"Why, man, what's got into your"
protested the fruit dealer in a rising
tone of establishment. DO you intend
to break that door DOWN.
81 will if that skunk don't open it an
give me my money" said Barnett, who
was now red in the face and almost
fOaming at the mouth. He's back in
thar, an he knows it's past openin'
time. BY gum, l know more'n I'm
goin' to tell right noww
This was followed by another rat
Ting of the door, and the grocer's enor-
nous weight, like battering ram, was