Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1904-10-27
The. Suspicion
of Ezra
n. nYpnM pnppnr MIIIIAMc

By BYRON ROBERT WILLIAMS

at Bington's grocery, and usher l.
tue Mount Hope Saviour church.
Hank" Somers was the not Away
genteel cow-puncher out at Big Man
Elbow, and he chewed plug!
Ezra did not chew plug, but circum
stances forced him to sell 'it-and tina
is why, on this particular raw fall da.
in Platts Corners, Ezra and Hank
faced each other over the chocolate-col
ored counter and exchanged pastora
courtesies.
Gold enough for you, Hank?" queriet
the clerk, showing the packages toWart
his customer, graciously.
Purity burned chisely, e." fun
bling beneath the bunglesome overall
for roll of bills in his hip pocket
"How much?"
Tobacco, $1.10; sugar, 20 cents; cot
fee, 40, and candy, $3.50 all told
How's things out on the Elbow?"
Things is-bad. Ell we don't git
warm spell of Injun summer, fust thing
we know they won't be bushel o corr
in this hull county. Frost'll 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,
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-flled 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 bit, be ye?
quired ALI. Scuiggs, forging into the
store and rubbing his blue hands Wig
orously.
"Hey, there! Wait a minute! Look
a-here" and ALI, bobbing quickly to the
floor, picked from amidst the shavings
q plump roll Of bills!
Don't ye 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. AIT" excitedly,
after moments hesitation. shes just
left, too! Here" hurriedly thrusting
the money into his pocket, you watch
the store a minute and III just run and
catch her! She leaves for Denver to-
night"
Sure, Ez, sure! Skip! l won't suck
no eggs while yer gone! Git!"
Norton slammed the door behind him,
and All, raising the lid to the cheese
box with alacrity in his heart and wa
ter in his mouth, cut of a liberal hunk"
If cheese. Cramming this into his
cheeks, he speared a half dozen olives.
.ook q splinter of goldfish and an apple.
Ind grinneN
"Keepin'-store's-a'rlght," between |
''ef yer-hungry--an' l (swal- |
owl most (swallow) allus ami" (gulp). |
Norton's face was aglow when he re-
urned.
"Hetty was mighty glad to get her
money back!" he painted. said she
COULDN'T have gone west without 1t.
lucky, wasn't it,"
"How-how (choking) how much
?" gasped ALI, striving to clear
is strangling and outraged throat from
is last superhuman gulp. and looking
bit sheepish.
''Oh, there wasn't much, but she was
mighty glad to get It. Just the samel"
Looked to me like It nd most choke
cow" grinned ALI, gazing longingly
| the cheese-box. "0ne-dollar bills,
pose. mostly!"
81 suppose So" acQuiesced Ezra
Have a cigar. AIT"
NO, thank ye," reaching eagerly
Or It, 81 don't smoke se-gars any more,
eptin' when | kin git 'eml Havi
law!" and Alfred laughed immoderate-
at his waggishness as he scratched
he match where It would do the most
God. and "iit up"
Silence and smoke
Then; ''when's IL boss comm hOns'
'sf' A
Tomorrow
''soi"
~Yas