The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1905-06-01


| guilty-that's the truth-an' I've al
ways believed it,
Where's Mrs. Booth nOw?' said An
ME. to change a painful subject.
/ She's gone OUT he replied IAN the
| girls are upstairs. I've been cleanin'
UP the yard
\ sudden resolution seemed to seize
/ upon him. He turned the ladder about
| and mounted to the top of it, coming
almost to a level with Annie at the
| window.
Il told Mrs. Booth that I'd been
| down to Mexico" he said hurriedly. al
most in 4 whisper, AN now I'm goin
for fair, an you're goin' with me-"
What d'yOu mean?' demanded An
ME, frightened by his manner
What do we want to be so poor
| fOr?" said he, white with excitement.
Look at them diamonds, l saw 'em
from across the yard. l saw her tryin'
some of 'em in her hair an loOkin' at
EN- in the sun. What d'you think that
outfits worth? Well. well, l guess we
wouldn't do a thing with that money
down in Mexico"
You're dreamin'," retorted Annie.
"Who told you I'd go with you even
if the money was yours?"
You as good as told me that once"
said he, with fierce intensity, and the
next instant exercising an agility of
which he would have been incapable
in calmer moment, he transferred
himself from the ladder to the window,
where he perched with his feet hanging
out.
IF | ever told you that" said Annie,
lit was when 1 took you for an honest
man.
I'm that today" he replied. Il nev-
er stole nothin'. I'll swear to that. But
I've been behind the bars for three
months. I've had my medicine an
now
He choked with dry throat, and. be-
ing unable TO proceed, he made his
meaning clear by extending a hand to-
ward the plate Annie caught him by
the wrist.
Don't do that, Tom she cried.
You can't get nothin' that way in this
World-nothin' that's worth havin'. 1t
amt the way to get me-that's certain.
| wouldn't go with you if you had as
many of 'em as would fill a keg O. beer
unless they was yours"
How long would it take you an me
to earn enough money to buy one O.
them stones:' he asked angrily. An
how much work has she ever done to
get 'em all? Men give 'em to her.
Dudes send 'em round to the stage
door with mash notes l know all
about it,"
shes a good girl" said Annie, with
at least as much vigor as she would
have resented an attack upon her own
reputation. "She works hard. I've
seen her in the dead O winter. with
both these windows open, walkin' up
an down this room with the sweat
runnin' off of her face I've seen her
sit down on the floor an sob till it
near shook her to pieces because she
couldn't speak her words the way that
she wanted to. She earned those dia-
monds, she gets big pay, an she has
~ nav Sil4 ~ wear Oh TIE stage.
Il don't care how she got EN-" he
broke in. Il know how you an me
can get 'em. There'll never be another
chance like this"
Tom" she pleaded, Il do honestly
care lot about you. If you care any
thing about me nows your time to
show it. Don't say another word like
you've been sayin'. What's the use?
We'd both be miserable. We amt
thieves, neither one of us. If there'd
been any thief about me you wouldn't
have had much show with your step
ladder, Tom. I'd "a had big start
O you"
Wilson drew in hard breath like a
long gasp.
You don't care nothin about me-"
he said. You never did. | didn't
have any money. I couldn't take you
out An you was always tied to the
house anyway. That's the way with
women. They
Tom said she, you're talkin'
crazy. l never took any pains to fool
you about it, You could see how | felt.
All ever asked O. you was that you
should go to work steady an not hang
around at odd jobs-a days work for
Mrs. Booth an day somewhere else
next week. If you want me you know
how to get me-even now, after this
Why, Tom, there amt anything in
stealin' there amt anything into it at
all. An l know because I've tried
Look at this
She picked the small stone out of
the plate.
Il did my best to see if l couldn't
pinch that little bit of a di'mond," she
continued, IAN 1 couldn't"
Il cam he cried and clutched at 1t.
but she eluded him.
She stepped back from the window
and stood trembling, the pallor strug
Cling with the flush of the heat upon
her thin cheeks and shining temples.
Her blue eyes were big and bright, and
they looked him through and through.
'Then this is our finish, Tom" she
said. Il never knew you before. 1t
would "a been just like me to make q
mistake that would "a done for me for
ever. l guess this is my lucky day.