Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1905-03-10
well I'm soin'. 0eod-dag. n.
~0ood-day, All"

Grocer Bington and Clerk Norton |
were talking 1t over, earnestly, as be- |
came the subject in hand.
Ezra, we've belonged to the same |
church for ten years, you've been good |
clerk, and amt never found nothing |
wrong, and personally I don't believe |
you took that money
IT didn't" interrupted EZRA, dogsedly
II 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 bought down his fat hand on
the top of sugar barrel. "If l had that
money, I'd confess, and give it up-but
If 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, a
CLEAN of determination in his eye. Let
ms 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 yeu say-can
get off?" 5
:'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 bsttsr!"
It 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 a sopped and bedraggled pc
destrian turning in at the gateway made
straight for the hut. Avigorous rapping
brought Hank" to the door, candle in
hand, and cob pipe between his teeth.
! well, Ezra Norton!" cried the ranch
er, ~be you plum crazy? Come right
| I'M"
Hank" blurted Norton, 'T-No, I
amt coming in-Hank, hear that you
say got the $50 you lost In town last
week - but, Hank IL didn't I
| didn't find your money, and 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 d rath-
! er pay you this money than be called
thief! L amt got it now. but I'll getit
, and pay. you next week when you come
4 to town-No, won't come in, and I'm
going back now the way came. just
wanted you to know, that's all"
1 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.
We'll, swami" groWled Somers, "ef
that feller don't beat mel.
4 Grocer Bington was reading the
morning paper when, three weeks later,
Hank" Somers, much. excited and evil
IDENTIFY bursting with concealed intelli-
4 gence, clandestinely slipped through the
rear door Of the store and beckoned eau
tiously to Bington to follow him into the
alley.
i Got all three Of ,em this mornin'-
been sick and couldn't git in afore- had
the rheumatic! This un's mailed on
i the 7th, this un on the 9th, and. this un
on the 11th,' and Hank" thrust three
letters, one by one, into the hands OF
Bington.
/. /. The groceryman. bewildered, wonder
& ingly, opened the first letter, written in
a cramped and unruly hand, and read:
4 Deer Sur: MY gilty conshuns is
trublin me- Now, Hank Somers. found
: yer mony miself atween the kofe kan
an the pickul keg an hearn' you air trim
to lay this on Ezri Norton who never
done 1t. My conshuns won't stand it
and i'm sendia you $50 today and i'm
sgoin to keep sendin fassi kim
II Yours truely, The Guilty One"
"An the hull $50 il in the three letters .
; whispered Hank" joyously, but" his
face falling perceptibly, TN mighty
, sorry fer layin' this here job up agin
Ezra Norton-an'-an'- Bington.
amt much on begin pardons, amt
, never done much O. that. but you jest
git nice pair o. mittens out O. tn stock
! and Civ 'em to Ezra with my compli-
ments. an'-oh, yes, want about IS
cents wuth O, Big Hatchst plug-and
, then I'm Off"
. Grocer Bington studied the letters
long and carefully, serutinizing the
r ! writing and the paper, but at last he
gave it up as beyond his power to fer
ret out the guilty person.. In his heart
, however, he rejoiced that the stigma
attached to the good name OF his clerh
, could now be lifted He would put
the letters in the safe and save the sur.
prise until evening, when the village