Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1905-09-01

I
even let me leave the things for him.
or give him message from me. Aud
back to. the station | had to carry
the basket, and all the schemes | had
to make old Tom Dorgan grin.
All the way back | had him in my
mind. He's tiger-TOm-when he's
reused | could see him, shut up
there by himself, with not a soul to
talk to, with not a human eye to look
into, with not thing on earth to do
Tom, who's action itself He never
was much of thinker. and ! never
saw him read even a newspaper
What would he do to kill the time?
Can't you see him there, at bay, back
on his launches, cursing and cursed.
alone in the everlasting black silence?
Il saw nothing else. Wherever
turned my eyes, that terrible picture
was. before me. And always it was
just on the verge of becoming some
thing else-something worse. He
could throttle the world with his bare
hands, if it had but one neckl in the
mood he must be in now.
1t was when ! couldn't bear it a mo
ment longer that ] set my mind to tind
GONE hiuu Alca n fhipIy 90
! found it, Mag. Do you know what
it was? 1t was just three words-of
Obermullers: Earn it now"
After all, Miss Monahan. this graft
OF honesty they all preach so much
about hasn't anything mysterious in it.
All it is, is putting your wits to work
according to the rules of the game
and not against them. was driven to
1.-THE thought of big Tom crouching
for spring in the dark cell up Won
der sent me whirling out into the.
thinking place, like the picture OF the
soul in the big book at Latimers |
read out of. And first thing you know.
pom honor, Mag, it was as much fun
planning how to earn it now as any
lifting ever schemed. It's getting the
best of people that always charmed me
and her, was way to fool EN- &C
cording to law.
80 busy | was making it all up. that
the train pulled into the station befo~,
| knew it. gave a last thought to
that poor old hyepa of a Tom ana
then put him out of my mind hau
other fish to fry. Straight down to
Mother Douty | went with my basket
!. "A fool girl, mother, on her way up
to Sing Sing, lost her basket. and
Nance Olden found it; it. ought TO be
worth a good deal"
She grinned. You couldn't make old
Douty believe that the Lord Himself
wouldn't steal if He got chance. And
She knows the chances that come
butting up against Nancy Olden.
Why did | lie to her? Not Tor prac-
tice, | assure you. Shed have beaten
me down to the last cent if she thought
it was mine, but she always thinks
there II be find for her in something
that's stolen So / let her think I'd
stolen it in the railway station, and
we came to terms
With what she gave me ! bought a
wig. Mag, want you some day, when
you can get of, to come and see that
wig. shouldn't wonder but you'd
recognize it It's red, of very coarse
hair, but wonderful color. and so
long it-yes, it might be your own,
Mag Monahan, it's so much like it.
| went to the theater and got my
Charity rig, took it home, and sat for
hours there just looking at EN- both.
When evening came / was ready to
earn it now" ,a-up
You see, Obermuller had given me
the whole day to be away, and neither
Gray nor the other three Charities ex-
pected me back. | had to do it on the
sly, you sassy Mag! Yes. it was part
" because | love to cheat. but more
because was bound to have my
chance once whether anybody else en-
joyed II or not. ;"
4 Il came to the theater in my Charity
rig and the wig. It looked as If I'd
slept in it, and 1t came down to the
draggled hem Of the skirt. All the