Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1904-11-02
Ee Suspicion
Of Ezra
lib S 1~
By BYRON ROBERT WILLIAMS

taED G@& GILL;
TZRA NORTON was the model clerk
at Bington's grocery, and usher in
the Mount Hope Saviour church.
Hank" Somers was the not always
genteel cow-puncher out at Big Mans
Elbow, and he chewed plug!
Ezra did not chew plug, but circUm-
stances forced him to sell it-and that
is why, on this particular raw fall day
in Platts Corners, Ezra and "Hank"
faced each other over the chocOlate-col-
ored counter and exchanged pastoral
courtesies.
Gold enough for you, Hark?" queried
the clerk, showing the packages toward
his customer, graciously.
Purity burned chisely Ez," fun
bling beneath the bunglesOme overall
for a roll of bills in his hip pocket.
"How much?"
Tobacco, $110; sugar, 20 cents; cof-
Zee, 40, and candy, $3.50 all told.
How's things out on the Elbow"
Things is-bad Eff we don't git a
warm spell Of Injun summer, fust thing
we know they won't be bushel o corn
In this hull county. Frost'n git 'er,
sure! Well, so long, Ell" and Henry
slouched off to the hitching rail along
side the town park, to get his team and
lumber away over the country roads
towards his shack in the Moquin valley
to the north.
In the village store. Ezra Norton,
6hivering at the sudden inclemency of
Boreas, opened the door of the cavern
Gus sheet-iron stove and peered within
its sooty nav. The accumulated debris
from the sweepings half-filled the heat
er, and would make wholesome blaze
with the scattered WRITINGS left by
the dilatory loafers of the village dur
Eng the morning, as they whitfield and
sailed the ship Of state.
Every little helps!" unused the clerk
IN ancient axiom. reaching for the
broom.
''GOin' to- freshen 'er up bit, be YEP"
quired ALI. Scuiggs, forging into the
store and rubbing his blue hands Wig
orously.
Hey. there! Wait minute! Look
a-here!" and Alf, bobbing quickly to the
floor, picked from amidst the shavings
a plump roll Of bills!
Don't we care nuthin fer this sort O.
truck, EZ, or are We gittin SO dodgasted
rich ye kin afford to burn 'er like
corncobs?"
Ezra Norton gasped,
That's risky place for Hetty Brown
to be losing her money, Aft" excitedly,
after moments hesitation She's Just
left, too! Here" hurriedly thrusting
the money into his pocket. you watch
the store minute and I'll just run and
catch her! She leaves for Denver to-
night"
Sure, Ez, sure! Skip, I won't suck
no eggs while yer gone! Git"
Norton slammed the door behind him.
and ALT, raising the lid to the cheese
box with alacrity in his heart and wa
ter in his mouth, cut off liberal hunk
of cheese. Cramming this into his
cheeks, he speared a half dozen olives.
took splinter of Goldfish and an apple,
and grirned
"Keepin -stcre's--a'right," between
munches, "ef yer-hungry-an'I (swal-
low most Swallow allus ami (gulp).
Norton's face was aglow when he re-
turned.
"Hetty was mighty glad to get her
money back!" he painted. said she
couldn't have gone west without it.
Lucky. wasn't it?"
"How-how (choking) how much
was-they?" gasped ALI striving to clear
his strangling and outraged throat from
Its last superhuman gulp. and looking
q bit sheepish.
"Oh, there wasn't much, but she was
mighty glad to get it, just the same."
Looked to me like it 'ud most choke
a cow. grinned ALI, gazing longingly
at the cheese-box. "One-dollar hills 7
S'pose mostly!"
Il suppose So" acquiesced Ezra
Have a cigar, Alf?"
No, thank ye," reaching eagerly
for it, Il don't smoke se-gars any more
'ceptin' when I kin git EN-, Haw,
Haw!" and Alfred laughed immoderate-
ly at his waggishness as he scratched
the match where it would do the most
good, and ''lit up"
Silence and smoke.
Then: "When's tn boss comm home
Ez?"
."To-morrow!'
ssSo?"
'.Ya."