The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-12-23

rival.
"No,' was the reply. that amt
enough to amount to anything. Tell
+ you what I'll do, Caleb. Throw in that
Sunday hat and I'll take the lot and
/ pay you cash for it and run my risk of
! gittin' the money"
So the bargain was concluded on that
basis. Bradley retired TO the back
room and emerged clothed in his new
garm ents and tremendously conscious
of the fact. The captain said he look
ed so fresh that you could smell the
/ paint on him.
say Caleb" said "Squealer" wixan
! after Captain Titcomb and his protege
had left the premises, did Ez tell you
who that boy WASP
NO. he didn't. i limited two or three
times. hut &c wouldn't say
"We,i, III tell you. Twas the old
maids boy Ben Nickerson's son. Bar
ney said he brought him over in the
coach last night
You don't mean it, exclaimed the
chopfallen Mr.. Weeks. We'll, if that
amt enough to- EZ made me throw
in a hat that was with a dollar n
ha'f cause he said he'd pay cash for
everything and take his chance of git
tin his money back And Prissy and
Tempy always pay cash for everything.
Regular Titcomb trick
The Ioafers about the store roared
with delight
''Oh, tell you" remarked "Squealer,"
you've got to keep your weather eye
peeled when you're dealin' with Cap'n
EZ. He'll have you, head and scales,
if you amt careful"
That's all right" grumbled "Bluey"
Bachelor, ..but he'll git fetched up all
standin some of these days. You can
call him smart if you want to. but it's
pretty risky smartness. most folks
think. You notice his schooner's al
ways maxim record trips, and he's al
ways havin' presents give him and all
that. How many presents did you
have give to you, Cap'n Jabez, when
you was runnin' coaster?'
"Not a one Indignantly replied the
person addressed, Captain Jabez Bal
ley Not one. What / got l had to
work for"
1t may be that Captain Jabez over
worked during his sea experiences. Ger
tainly no one in Orham had known him
to do a stroke of work since he retired
to live on his wife's earnings as
dressmaker.
We'll" commented Captain Fri
Hedge, who was not a member of the
circle, but had dropped in to buy some
tobacco, Il like Cap'n Ez. He does
love to git the best of bargain. and
he's a driver on vessel. and perhaps
he likes to shave the law pretty close
sometimes. Ez is a regular born gam
bier for takin' chances, but l never
knew him to do a mean trick"
what do you call that game he put
up on the old maids:" asked ''Squeal- |
err" you knew bout that didn't you.
Jabez? Seems Prissy and Tempy !
wanted to sell that little piece of cram
b'ry swamp of theirs cause it didn't
pay them to take care of it and keep it
in shape Prissy told Seth Wingate
about it, and Seth said he didn't want |
it, but that he'd give them so and So
a fair price, consd'rin' Well, they |
was goin' to sell 1T to Seth, but Ez I
comes home bout that time, hears of !
the deal and goes to Prissy and buys
it for $50 morn Seth offered. And in
side of three months along comes that .
Ostablee company and buys all that
land for their big swamp. They say
Titcomb made moren hundred dol
lars out of that deal. If you don't
think that's a mean trick. Cap'n Fri,
you ask Seth Wingate what he thinks
of it,
II know about that" said Captain
Fri calmly, land 1 think it was jest
another case of Els takin' chances,
that's all. Seth's growlin' is only sour
grapes. Ez knew the Ostable folks
was talkin' bout layin' out a big
swamp over here some time or other.
He jest bought the Allen piece and
run his risk. You notice Prissy and
Tempy amt findin' no fault. They
think he's the only man in town. Fact
is, he is the only man, outside Of the
minister. that they'll have any deal
ms with. Queer pairin' off that is
Ez and the Minister he chuckled.
"Oh, women's fools. anyhow" snort
ed Captain Jabez savagely. ''Ez Tit
comb always could wind 'em' round
his fingers. He's been next door to
keepin' comp'ny with more girls'n
few in this town sence he was old
chOuSu W tstNe SCHoOi. pot liS ooh
60 fur enough to git engaged or nothin'
like that. Minute. there's any talk that
he's likely to git married to one of 'em
away goes Ez,. and that's the end of
that courtin' And yet, spite of their
talk bout his bein' slick and hints that
he's tricky they're always heavin' up
to Teller. How smart Cap'n Titcomb
is and Why don't you make money
same as Cap'n Ezry" 'Nough to make
IN honest man sick
Captain Fri made his purchases and
went home, but the others continued
10 dissect Ezra Titcomb's character,
md the general opinion seemed to be
hat he would bear watchin."
Meanwhile the captain. unconscious
II all this, piloted Bradley to the cor
her of the road upon which the Allen
sisters lived, and there left him with
4 message to the effect that he (the
,aptain) would call next day. Then he
sought his room at the Travellers
Rest" there TO read the paper of the
Law before while the boy with his big