Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1905-01-12
The Suspicion
of Ezra
By BYRON ROBERT WILLIAMS
ia S.-.S g.
T. IRA NORTON was the model clerk
It at Bington's grocery, and usher in
- 49, H.. C1..rg-.,w

| EZRA NORTON was the model clerl
at Bington's grocery, and usher il
the 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 cireum
| stances forced him to sell it-and thai
is why, on this particular raw fall day
in Platts Corners, Ezra and Hank
faced each other over the chocolate-col-
ored counter and exchanged pastoral
courtesies.
Gold enough for you, Hank?" queried
the clerk, showing the packages toward
his customer. graciously.
Purity burned chisely, En-" FUN
bling beneath the bunglesome overall
for a roll of bills in his hip pocket.
-How much?"
Tobacco. s11O; sugar, 20 cents; cof.
fee, 40, and candy, $3.50 all told.
How's things out on the Elbow"
Things is-bad. Ef we don't git a
warm spell of Injun summer, fust thing
we know they won't be bushel o corn
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-filed the heat
err. and would make wholesome blaze
with the scattered WRITINGS 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 a bit, be ye?"
Quired All Scuiggs. forging into the
store and rubbing his blue hands Wig.
orously.
Hey there! Wait a minute! Look.
a-here!" and All, bobbing quickly to the
floor, picked from amidst the shayings
q plump roll of bills!
Don't ye care nuthin' fer this sort o
truck. Ez, or are ye gittin' so dodgasted
rich ye kin afford to burp 'er like
corncobs?"
Ezra Norton gaspedl
That's risky place for Hetty Brown
TO be losing her money, Aft" exeitedly,
after a moments hesitation. She's Just
left, too! Here" hurriedly thrusting
the money into his pocket, you watch
the store a minute and I'll just run and
catch her! She leaves for Denver to-
night"
Sure, Ez, sure! Skipi / 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 liberal hunk"
Of cheese. Cramming this into his
cheeks, he speared a half dozen olives |
took a splinter Of goldfish and an apple |
end grinned!
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS." between
''ef yer-hungry-an' (swal |
low most Swallow allus ami" Cgulpl |
Norton's face was aglow when he re-
turned
"Hetty was mighty glad to get hei
money back" he painted. said she
touIdn't have gone west without il
Lucky. wasn't it?"
"How-how (choking) how much
gasped All. striving to clear
bis strangling and outraged throat from
It's last superhuman gulp. and looking
\ bit sheepish.
'Oh. there wasn't much. but she was
mighty glad to get Il. just hesamei"
Looked TO me like il I'd most choke
COW. grinned All, gazing longipgI,
Il the cheese-box. "One-dollar bills /
ipose, MOSTLY"
Il suppose so" acquiesced Ezra
Have a cigar, Alf2"
No. thank ye." reaching eagerly
Tor IL, Il don't smoke se-pars any more
ceptin' when I kin git 'emt Hawi
aawl and Alfred laughed Immoderate- |
y at his wagglshness as be scratched
he match where ii would do the most
good, and tit up"
Silence and smoke.
Then: 'Wheu's tn boss comm home
Ez2"
Tomorrow
sc, 81