Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1903-04-23

him to change owners. Don't Itstrike
you SO, Joe?"
Il reckon" Joe replied. But the
first thing to be attended to is that
three hundred dollars"
eyes, of course, But say, not
knowing who that chap may be in
there, it might be Just as well for US
to use little caution. He may be
feller that knows how to handle pis-
tol, an he may show fight"
Joe nodded his assent to this pro-
posal, and the two robbers stole eau
tiously forward to the one window Of
the cabin. There was pane broken
out, and they found that they could
not only see all that was being done
within, but could hear all that was be-
ing said.
In one corner of the room, on
small bed, lay child with thin, sharp
features with great hollow eyes. On
a chair near by sat a great, rugged,
burly man, with black hair and beard,
who had buckled around his waist a
pair of huge, Misunderstanding pistols.
Are you dead-sure your pap took
that money with him?" the man was
heard to say.
Eyes, sir, the child replied in a
weak, piping voice.
"Wall, it would a been an accom-
modation to me if he'd left it here,
but since he didn't, it can't be helped,
I reckon. All I can do is to wait till
he comes back.
There was a momentary pause, af-
ter which the man went on
"How long yo' reckon your papll
be gomez" he asked.
Not long now, guess, the child
replied. "ue was just qoin' to git
some medicine an come right back.
The man said nothing and long
silence followed. After awhile the
child looked timidly upinto the rough,
bearded face, and, speaking in eager
though trembling tones, said
please, mister, you won't take all
of pas money, will you?"
81 reckon I will, the man an
swered, unfeeIngly That's jest
what come here for, an I calculate
I'll not leave a dollar that can git
my fingers on. Taint my way o do
in business.
"If you take it all we can't 60 away
from here" the child said, sadly, IAN
the doctor says if we don't go pap an
me both will die, cause pas got the
consumption an I've got the fever.
THAT amt anything to me-" the
man replied with cold Indifference.
The child put its thin hand to it's
face, and something like sob came
from it. 1t was almost a minute be-
fore it looked up at the man again,
both eyes full of tears, and lips trem-
bling with suppressed emotions.
81 do want to go back to our old
home so bad" it said, plaintively;
"cause was always well there an it
was so pleasant
"You won't take all Of pas money,
will you? 1t won't take much to take
US back home, an if you knew how
much I wanted to go, and how grieve
to think of dying here, you'd let us
have that much. You will let US keep
little, won't you?"
at amt likely that I will, the man
replied with an oath. 1T don't make
any difference to me whether you 60
back to your home or whether you die
here. It's money want, and l amt
apt to leta chance to gititslip through
my fingers on account of any Pitiful
stories.
At that moment there came the
sound Of a horses feet beating on the
hard earth. The man in the cabir
arose and placed his hand on his pistol.
"Iti pa, the child said, fearfully.
The man waited, his eyes fixed on
the door. The horseman dismounted
and approached the cabin. There was
the click of a pistol at the window,
and the man in the cabin looked
around to see head thrust through
the broken sash and a pistol leveled
at his breast. The head and the pis-
tol were Joes.
Throw up your hands" the latter
said, and the man could only obey,
for he wac in Joe's power.
Jim" said Joe, go in an relieve
the chap of his guns while I hold him
quiet. He's made mistake in sup
posin' that that three hundred dollars
was intended fer him.
jim acted on Joe's instructions, and
a moment later the man was driven