The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1904-10-14
well, I'm goin'. Good-day, EE."
"Good-day, All"


church for ten years, you've been q good
clerk, and l amt never found nothing
wrong. and personally / don't believe
you took that money"
Il didn't" interrupted Ezra, doggedly
Il didn't"
And while. of course. there's . lot Of
talk going around about Hank suing
you, and some folks are criticising me
for keeping you here till it's cleared up.
just tell you what I'd do" and Grocer
Bington brought down his fat hand on
the top of a sugar barrel. If had that
money. I'd confess. and give it up-but
II didn't, I'd see 'em in H-h-Hanover
first! That's what I'd dol"
And that's just what I'm going to
do, Mr.. Bington," answered Ezra, .
gleam of determination in his eye. Let
me of to-day. and I'll get my defense
ready and begin the fight It's rainy.
and bad. anyhow. and there won't be
much doing. What do you say-can
get off?"
"Of course you can, Ezra. I'm Just
as anxious as you are to get this thing
settled" agreed the grocer. "and the
sooner it's settled the betteri"
II was dusk Of the same rain-whipped
day. The lone shack OF Henry Somers
could scarcely be seen from the main
road, now inches deep with wet, slippery
clay, but sopped and bedraggled Pc
destrian turning in at the gateway made
straight for the hut. A vigorous rapping
brought Hank" to the door. candle in
hand. and a cob pipe between his teeth.
well, Ezra Nortoni" cried the ranch
er. ''be you plum crazy? Come right
in!"
HANK" blurted Norton. 'T-No, l
amt coming in-'Hank,' hear that you
week - but, Hank IL didn't! !
didn't find your money. and I amt
guilty." tremblingly, but this talk and
suspicion is killing my wife. and it's
hurting me- AS member Of the church.
and an honorable citizen. Pd-I'd rath-
er pay you this money than be called Q
thief! amt got 1t now, but I'll get II
and pay you next week when you come
to town-No, won't come In, and I'm
going back now the way I came. just
wanted you to know. that's all"
And before the astonished and half
convinced Henry could interfere, Ezra
Norton had turned toward the ten miles
Of black and sticky road. and was swal-
lowed by the plutonian darkness.
well, I swami" growled Somers, "ei
that feller don't beat mel"
Grocer Bington was reading the
morning paper when, three weeks later
Hank" Somers. much excited and evi.
IDENTIFY bursting with concealed intelli.
gence, clandestinely slipped through the
rear door of the store and beckoned eau.
tiously to Bington to follow him into the
alley.
Got all three OF 'em this mornin'-
been sick and couldn't git In afore-hat
the rheumatic! This un's mailed OF
the 7th, this un on the 9Th, and this III
on the 11th," and Hank" thrust thre,
letters, one by one, into the hands o
Bington.
The groceryman. bewildered, wonder
ingly, opened the first letter. written IL
a cramped and unruly hand. and read:
Deer Sur: Ny gilty conshuns Il
yer mony miself atween the kofe kal
an the pickul keg an hearn you air tril
| to lay this on Ezri Norton who neve
done II. My conshuns wont stand 1
and i'm sendin you $50 today and in
goin to keep sendin fassi kin.
yours truely. The Guilty One"
IAN the hull $50 is in the three letters,
whispered Hank" joyously. but" hi
face falling perceptibly, I'm might
sorry fer layin' this here Job up agil
Ezra Norton-an'-an'-sa Bingtor
I amt much on beggin' pardons. ain
never done much O. that. but you jes
git a nice pair o. mittens out o. tn stoc
and Civ 'em to Ezra with my compli
ments. an'-oh, yes. I want about
cents wuth o. Big Hatchet plug-an
then I'm OIL"
Grocer Bington studied the letter
long and carefully. scrutinizing tn
writing and the paper. but at last b
gave II up as beyond his power to fer
ret out the guilty person. In his hear
however. he rejoiced that the stigm
attached to the good name OF his cler
could now be lifted. He would pu
the letters in the safe and save the SUI
prise until evening. when the villas
strategy board" met about the grocer
stove to settle "pints" of state! H
would then bring out the evidence. ant
having rendered II. would hand over tn
mittens to Ezra with nice little speech
and the incident would be closed wit
the clerks complete vindication!
Thrusting the proof OF Norton's In
nocence into the safe, he slammed shr
the ponderous door. AS the mass {
iron and steel settled into its place wit
jar. a notebook fell from behind th
safe to the fioori
i. Bington picked II up absently. Il
did not remember OF having such a pat
Opening the cover carelessly, th
groceryman gave a sudden star
Glancing about hurriedly. he reopene
the safe and took from the pigeon-hol
where he had placed them, Henr
Somers' lettersi Holding one of tn
sheets to the light alongside a she,
from the notebook, the honest merchar
gaspedi
The water mark, Xxx Niblic
Mills" showed plainly in both page
He picked up the pad. and. turnin
the cover backward. quickly scanne
the stubs. Three sheets, and thrs
only, had been removed!
Guilty, by thunder" he whispers
feelingly.
ton erased a charge from the day
accounts. 1t was this item:
Henry Somers, one pair mittens Z,
Ezra Norton, S2.25."-Retailers' Jou
nal