The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1904-10-14
lie Suspicion
Of Ezra
IN BYRON RoBERr WILLIAMS
&ZS&
'By BYRON RoBERr WILLIAMS

HZRA NORTON was the model clerk
II 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 plugi
Ezra did not chew plug, but circum-
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.
"Cold enough for you. Hank?" queried
the clerk, showing the packages toward
his customer. graciously.
Purity burned chisely, e." fum-
bling beneath the bunglesome overall
"How much?"
Tobacco, s1.1o; sugar, 20 cents; cof-
fee. 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, first thing
we know they won't be bushel o corn
in this hull county. Frost'll git 'er,
sure! Well. SO. long. Ell" and Henry
slouched of 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,
shivering 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 a wholesome blaze
with the scattered whittlings left by
the dilatory loafers OF the village dur
ing the morning, as they whitfield and
sailed the ship OF state.
Every little helps!" unused the clerk
in ancient axiom, reaching for the
broom.
Coin to freshen 'er up a bit. be yer
quired ALT. Scuiggs, forging into the
store and rubbing his blue hands Wig
orously.
Hey. there, Wait a minutel Look
a-herei" and ALI. bobbing quickly to the
floor, picked from amidst the shaving:
plump roll of bills!
Don't ye care nuthin' fer this sort o
truck, Ez, or are ye gittin' SO dodgastet
rich ye kin afford to burn 'er like
corncobs?"
Ezra Norton gasped!
That's a risky place for Hetty Brown
to be losing her money. Alfi" ezcitedly
| after moments hesitation. shes jus
| left. too. Here" hurriedly thrustini
| the money into his pocket, you watct
the store a minute and I'll just run ant
catch her. She leaves for Denver to
night"
Sure. Ez. surel Skip! / won't sucl
no eggs while yer gone! Git,"
Norton slammed the door behind him
and ALI. raising the lid to the cheese
box with alacrity in his heart and wa
ter in his mouth. cut on a liberal hunk
| OF cheese. Cramming this into hi
cheeks, he speared a half dozen olives
took a splinter of Goldfish and an apple
and grinnedl
"Keepin '-store's-a'right," between
munches, "ef yer-hungry-an' (swal
low most (swallow) allus ami" (gulp)
Norton's face was aglow when he re
turned.
"Hetty was mighty glad to get he
money back!" he painted. said sh
couldn't have gone west without II
Lucky, wasn't it?'
"How-how (choking) how much
was-they?" gasped Alf, striving to clea
his strangling and outraged throat fror
its last superhuman gulp. and looking
a bit sheepish.
| "Oh, there wasn't much. but she wa
mighty glad to get it. just the same,"
Looked to me like II 'ud most chok
cow" grinned ALI, gazing longingl
at the cheese-box. "One-dollar bills,
s'pose, mostly!"
81 suppose So" acquiesced Ezr;
"Have a cigar, Alf?"
No. thank ye," reaching eagerl
for 1t, Il don't smoke se-gars any NOR,
'ceptin' when / kin git 'em! Haw
Hawi" and Alfred laughed immoderate
ly at his waggishness as he scratche
the match where il would do the mos
good, and "lit up"
Silence and smoke.
Then: "When's tn boss comm hom,
Ez?"
Tomorrow"
"So?"
"YsS."