Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1905-03-10
Tie Suspicion
Of Ezra
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'By BYRON ROBERT WILLIAMS

TZRA NORTON was the model clerk
at Bington's grocery, and usher in
the Mount Hope Saviour church.
Hank Somers was the not always
genteel cow-puncher out at Big Mans
Elbow, and he chewed plug!
Ezra did not chew plug. but circum-
stances forced him to sell it-and that
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.
.Purty burned chisely, Ez," fum-.
bling beneath the bunglesome overall
for roll of bills in his hip pocket.
"How much p, -
Tobacco, $11O; sugar, 20 cents; cot
fee,s 40, and candy, $3.50 all told.
.How's things out on the Elbow?"
"Things is-bad Eff 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, Ez!' and Henry
slouched of 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.
rs 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-flled the heat,
er, and would make wholesome blaze
with the scattered whittlings left by
the dilatory- loafers of the village dur
ing the morning, as they, whitfield and
sailed the ship OF state. 8
Every little helps!" mused the clerk
In ancient axiom, reaching for the
broom.
"Goin' to freshen 'er up bit, be yer"
Quired ALI. Scuiggs. forging into the
store and rubbing his blue hands Wig
orously.
Hey, there! Wait q minute! Look
a-here!" and ALI. kobbing quickly to the
floor, picked from amidst the shavings
a 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 burn 'er like
corncobs?"
Ezra Norton gasped!
That's risky place for Hetty Brown
to be losing her money, All" excitedly,
after moments hesitation. She's just
| left, too! Here" hurriedly thrustine
the money into his pocket, 'you watch
| the store . minute and I'll Just run and
catch her! She leaves for Denver to-
night!'
Sure. Ez. sure! Skip! 1 won't suck
no eggs while yer gone! Git!"
| Norton slammed the door behind him
and ALI. 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 half dozen olives
took splinter OF goldfish and an apple
and grinned!
"Keepin'-store's-a'right," between
munches, "ef yer-hungry-an'I (swal.
low) most (swallow) allus ami" (gulp)
/ Norton's face was aglow when he re.
turned.
/ "Hetty was mighty glad to get he1
money back!" he painted. "Said shs
couldn't have gone west without it
Lucky. wasn't 1T"
"How-how (choking) how much
was-they 7" gasped ALT, striving to cIeal
his strangiing and outraged throat from
its last superhuman gulp, and lookini
bit sheepish.
"Oh, there wasn't much, but she wa.
mighty glad to get it, Just the same!"
Looked to me like 1t 'ud most choke
cow" grinned ALI, gazing longtngl,
at the cheese-box. "Ons-dollar bills.
s'poss, MOSTLY"
i Il suppose so,s acQuiesced Nzra
"Have q cigar, Ait"
NO, thank ye." reaching eagerl,
for II, II don't smoke se-gars any more
'ceptin' when kin git lem! Haw
Haw!" and Alfred laughed immoderate
! ~ at his waggishness as he scratche.
the match where it would do the mos
good. and slit up" IS
Silence and smoke. ~
Then: When:e tn bon comm home
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