Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1904-02-27

I tulIS uutll lie > out OIL the way.
The girl gave low cry with sharp
intake of breath. ''Ah. one grows tired
of this everlasting American patience!
Why don't the Plattville people do
something before they
Its just as l say Briscoe answer
ed. Our folks are sort of slised to
them. l expect we do about all we
! can. The boys look after him nights,
but the main trouble is that we can't
make him understand he ought to be
more afraid of them. If he'd lived here
all his life he would be. If they get
him there'll be trouble of an illegal ma
ture." He broke off suddenly and nod
! ded to little old man in buck
board turning off from the road into a
farm lane which led up to trim cot
tage with a honeysuckle vine by the
door. That's Mrs Wimby's husband"
| said the judge in an undertone.
Miss Sherwood observed that Mrs.
Wimby's husband was remarkable for
the exceeding plaintiveness of his ex-
preston. He was weakened, blank,
pale eyed little man, with thin white
mist of neck whisker, and he was
dressed in clothes much too large for
him. No more inoffensive figure than
this feeble little old man could be i'm
agined, yet his was the distinction of
having received a hostile visit from his
neighbors of the Crossroads. A vaga-
bonding tinker he had married the one
respectable person of the section, a
widow, who had refused several gen
tlemen at the Crossroads. and so COM
plete was the bridegroom's insignifi-
canoe that to all the world his own
name was lost. The bride continued to
be known by her former name as Mrs.
Windy" aud her spouse was usually
called "Widder Woman Wimby's hus-
band or ''AIr Windy" The bride sup
piled his wardrobe with the garments
of her former husband, and. alleging
this proceeding as the cause of their
anger. the White Caps broke into the
farmhouse one night. tore the old man
from his bed and before his Wifes eyes
dashed him with sapling shoots till he
was near to death. A little yellow cur
lAiot lolio"Su Ou uiS
wanderings was found licking the old
mans wounds. and they deluged the
dog with kerosene and then threw the
poor animal upon a bonfire they had
made and danced around in heartiest
enjoyment.
The man recovered, but that was no
pal!iation of the Otfense to the mind of
hot eyed young man from the east
who was besieging the county authori
ties for redress and writing birthstone
and saltpeter for his paper. The pow
ers of the county proving either lack
daisical or timorous, he appealed to
those Of the state, and he went every !
night to sleep at farmhouse the own
er of which had received warning |
from the White Caps, and one night it !
befell that he was rewarded, TO: the
raiders attempted an entrance. He and |
the farmer and the farmers sons beat
off the marauders and did satiSfacto-
~ amount of damage in return. Two ,
of the White Caps they captured and
boCnd, and others they recognized. t
Then the state authorities hearkened to
the voice of the Herald and it's owner.
There were arrests, and in the course
Of time there was a trial Every pris-
oner proved an alibi-could have proved
a dozen-but the editor of the, Herald,
after virtually conducting the prosecu-
ton. went upon the stand and swore to
man after man. Eight men went to
the penitentiary on his evidence. five
Of them for twenty years The Platt-
vile brass band serenaded the editor Of
the Herald again.
There were no more raids. and the
Six Crossroads men who were left kept
to their novels. appalled, and shaken.
but as time went by and left them I'M
they recovered a measure of
their hardfneHs and began to think on
what they should do to the man who
had brought. misfortune and terror up
On them. For a long time he had been
their threatening letters and
in Il column which he headed
'HumOr OF the Day" +
When the Briscoe blackboard had left
the Crossroads far behind and had
come in sight Of Plattville Mr. Bris- "
GOES visitor turned to Fisbee with
repetition Of the shiyer that the laugh
ter Of Mr.. Skillet had caused her aud
laid half under her breath. II wisil-I
half wishtllat we had not driven
through there" She ciasped Mr.. Ttis.
bees hand gently. His eyes shone. He
ouched her fingers with strange. shy
"You will meet him tomorrow" he
laid softly T.
She laughed and pressed his hnnd
I'm afraid not. 4 was almost at his
Tide last night when Minnie asked hil,
o call on me. He wasn't even inter /.
,sted enough to look at me-"
T.
Something over two hours later, as
MI. Tom Martin was putting things to
lights in his domain. the Dry Goods
Emporium. previous to his departure
or the evenings gossip and checkers
It the drug store. he stumbled over
soft lying on the floor be
lind counter. The thing rose and