The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-09-13

of their fool drays tinkifn' along, pret. ty soon you'll hear the other And ir the meantime. just betwixt you and me 1.-the voice of MT. Rollins fell to n whis. per and roguish expression appeared in hts hishlike eyes--"unless things gs contrary to what I'm figuring, I'll bs marvin the widow fore them fool boys come to their senses. Don't say noth. in. of 1t. Salem: she's kind of beatin about the bush with me yet, after thu way of all women, but she's mine. ] ain't no fool when 1t comes to-" customer appeared at this ,juncturs "a woman who wanted calico. MT. Funk sat for time impassively blinking at the quiet scene presented by the principal throughfare of Wig. glefork. with its three, or four bust. 1 ness houses. It's iron pump and horse trough. and its hotel--a plain frame structure for which. as he chanced tc be aware. the Widow Ruggles had ex. changed a portion of the small farm left by her husband. As MT. Tunh | remembered the transaction, MT. Rol- lins. who had owned the residence now by exigency of circumstances become q hotel. had made a very good bargain He had taken what he considered the choicest of the widows land and joined 1t to his own, leaving her few rough acres, valueiess alike for stock oi crops: he believed he had managed 1, with huch cleverness as he had man. aged the deal with the quarrymen. HI m- -m-m: queer about that quarry fcller rummated MT. Funk; "don't seem to me altogether likely he'd be oi sort to let Ezra bamboozle him. All people ain't foolish in the same spot" He glanced into the store wheer Ezra was perspiringly displaying his stcls of dress goods. and then. with an idea forming in his mind, he arose and leisurely made his way to the stable where he had quartered his team. '''Twon't do no harm to find out what I can." he told himself as he turned the horses head in the direc- tion of the quarry. two miles from the village. "A man don't learn much in this world unless he asks questions now and then
 But he derived little satisfaction from the replies given in response to his questions at the quarry that day; for some reason the men were reticent and evasive. Yet, as he drove back to the village. he gave vent to an occa- sional chuckle. indicative that he con- sidered the time to have been well spent AAO odio hOthiiLS Ol tHc IHdttcT LO EZra who called to him from the store door:
 Well. goin' home. be you. salem?"
 "Whoal' said MT. Tunk. Yes, reckon it's time tb be gettin' along that way"
 Better wait and see the drays come up from the train," suggested MT. Rol- lins. facetiously.
 Here's Bill" said MT. Rollins, shad- ing his eyes with his hand, "and he's yes, he's got a box on, Now, that is worth waitin' for. Salem; tain't often you see one of 'em with a box on. What's he goin' to do with it?"
 The dray turned into an alley lead- ing to a narrow lane running parallel with the street. Fronting in this lane, directly to the rear of the hotel, was a warehouse.
 Its somethin' for the quarry fell lers; they've rented that buildin' to keep their truck in. Whats happened to Jim. do you suppose? 'Tain't safe for Bill to be that close to Ruggless without some one to keep an eye on him. By jing! there he somes up the lane on a keen jump! Told you so, Salem!"
 Tt appears to me, Ezra" remarked Salem. deliberately, that his horses are runnin' away"
 They be-they be-" cried Ezra, ex- citedly. and Bills backed plum across the lane and one of his horses Is balk- in. Can't make that horse budge till that horse myself. My Gawd! some- thfn's goin' to be all smashed up, Salem!"
 Looks favorable" agreed MT. Funk. He clambered to the ground and tied his team. T reckon, Ezra. we'd better be gettin' over that way"
 Hastily MT. Rollis locked the store door and. bareheaded. followed Mir. Funk across the lots. On the way they were joined by three boys and two barking dogs. When they arrived at tho warehouse Bills dray was upon its side. and his horses were plunging in an effort to break away from a de- termined looking woman, Mrs. Rug gles. who had chanced to be hoeing in her garden when the catastrophe oc- cured. Her daughter was hurrying to her assistance Both of Jim's horses were down. tangled in harness. and Jim was upon his face in a heap of re- fuse fifteen feet distant.
 Look at Bill" whispered MT. Rol- lins to MT. Funk. What's the matter of the fool?'
 Bill was sitting in the road, staring with a mortified expression upon his face at the box, which lay directly in front of him. He seemed incapable of either speech or action.
 T reckon he's scared" said MT. Funk. Let's get these here horses strengthened around and we'll find out"
 This was soon accomplished. Jim, somewhat dazed but uninjured, assist ing. And then the entire company. with the exception of Jim, gathered about Bill.
 What's the matter Billy?" Inquired MT. Rollins. 'Hurt?"
 Slowly Bill raised his hand. point ing at the box. It bore upon It's top the grim inscription