Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-04-26
CUAPTER VIII.

CHAPTER VIII
In the few embarrassed moments
of his stay in the kitchen he had no
tlced the big man who had kicked
the dog, and recognized him rs one
he had seen at times through his
bOyhood swinging along the streets
from the station to tho country road
and back "A sunhurned man, dressed
In the biEcollared shirt and wide bot
toned trousers of the navy, who was
reuu1ed 10 be Mr. Bronson s brother.
It was mis- voice, a deep. rolling bari
tone. which he heard as he Weakened.
cant tell anything about circum-
stantial evidence" he was saying.
Things get twisted around mighty
curious sometimes. and everything
points to the wrong man. On that
chance alone I shOuld say that the
kid didn't take the money. That's a
smart hoy too smart 20 put back
anything he'd lifted
"But he was seen taking it, said
Mt Rronsons voice. Another hoy
saw him and told; that's why he put
Il back"
Yes. and tells likely yarn too,
you say; and thi. one tells an un-
likely yarn. Consequently, I'm with
him; I'm on the other side OF circuln-
stantial evidence or positive evil
dencc where there's an object in
making g. If t'other kid stole it he
couldn't ha got ont of IT nicer. Down
in the navy yard, on the Trenton,
Sam Davis. one of he prentice boys,
finished his time and got his dis
charge and money He was a likely
youngster and had got up 10 be caps
tain o the mizZentOp. so he mad a
! good Doodle due him bout two
hundred. Well. he i shaken hands
/ all round after breakfast and was
| just going out The gangWay port
when something caused him to reach
/ in and feel of MS munk bag little
/ leather bag we carry our money in
when We have any. You know and
there was nothing in it. SO some
one had il. sure. He fired his bag
and hammock in on deck and swo.n
he wouldn't Quit rhe ship till he got
It, 1t was there when he turned in
night before, he said. because,
though he admitted being inree
sheets in the wind When he came
aboard, he vas s,raight enough 20
make sure OF his money fore he
went to sleep. Wen, the oihccTs tooH
up the case ana called all us miZzeu
and malntop men 10 quarters, Whlie
the chiet maNier-at-arms went
throug$ cur dnnudge. They found
the roll in my hammock tween the
mattress and canvas. Then they
made me turn odt my pockets and
found pocket piece-a Japanese
ten sen when sam thought good
deal OF and never let go out OF his
hands. SO the thief which was
me, 'cording to the evidence had
gone through his pockets as
we'll as his NUNS bag while he was
sleeping off his drunk
You ought 10 be ashamed to sit
there and tell II. Ned Bronson said
Mrs. Bronsons voice.
Il didn I tax" IL. I'd borrowed his
knife day before and returned II.
The coin must ha' stuck tween the
blade and handle and dropped ont in
my pocket without either Of us
knowing II. II was penknife. not
the big lanyard knife Well ! had a
good record, aud swore black and
blue that ! was innocent, and even
Sam didn't like TO believe it-so they
didn't put me In the brig. but let me
sling my hammock in the old place
and that night sam himself cleared
me. He had skipped out with his
dunnage' got full again, forgot tha'
he was out o the old ship, and tha'
night sneaked aboard. and the CUR
deck corpora slowed him under
gun carriage Tor the night Bout al
hour later ne caught MIN ioohnt
round my hammock trying 10 $40"
MS "ad OF hllls under my mattress
he was souh"eF asleep imam l was
ana III pretty sound sleeper Cor
pOTdi reported IL In the morning, anS