The enterprise-recorder. (Madison, Fla.) 1908-1933, 1908-09-03
= THE MARK y
/: OF THE CRUTCH. {
'"i0 BY MARY o.
SSS KYLE DALLAS. S"0
i. mi

O@S DS
5oN Adam Hardburn was always
...onnted very eccentric, but when
odopted Malone's boy people
tsorrbt that his eccentricity amount
20 madness. The Malones we're
"a Iot and this boy was not. as far
- any one knew, better than any
~ Of the family. Moreover, he
CaJ,fsIlen from a tree which he was
t5bbipg of peaches in his youth, and
.s,nnled himself so that he must al
vsys walk with a crutch. What did
"a Adam want Of him? But Adam
s.,sd nothing for criticism; he knew
tbat no one ever pleased all the world
-, and when his friends prophesied
,bs; he would be sorry he laughed in
tber faces. Old Malone was dead,
tvo of the boys were in jail, one gone
svay upon voyage. He had found
nan deserted in the miserable hut
,bey had Inhabited, friendless, with
ma one to help him to such work as
no could do, and he bad taken him
home.
"There could not be a better boy"
oN Adam said, and after Dan had
bsen with him two years he was still
A much OF this opinion that he made
will in his favor. Dan Malone, the
ola rufian's lame boy, had come to
be the prospective heir Of the largest
estate in the place.
He was a gentle looking boy, who
grew refined in manner and learned
RAPIDLY, but even when he had come
10 be one-and-twenty people were
still prejudiced against him. Adams
venture might turn out well, but they
do ibted it.
It last something happened that
lseeiled to provo that they were all
,'righ.
OIL Adam was very fond OF fishing.
Some ines he spent long days beside
a oertln trout stream, and often his
boy, a. he called Dan was with him,
but on, summer day Dan was not
well AMI Adam went out alone. The
hired MN was chopping wood in an
other election, and the old woman
who was led and cooked kept to her
kitchen But about s o'clock that
evening Ian, very pale and with a
strange lolk in his eyes, came into a
\ neighbor's house.
81 came because l wanted help"
he said, "Nr Hardburn went away
to fish this morning. l was sick. 1
grow giddy when l try to stand. I
can't go after him, and he's not home
yet. | wanted Simon to go, but he
says his mas,er is old enough to take
care Of himself, and has probably
gone somewhere to supper. But
that's not like Mr.. HardburE; besides
Re had on his fishing hat and a linen
jacket. wish some one would do
what find l am unable to do. I'm
alarmed-yery much alarmed"
The neighbors were kind. The
men started out for the trout stream,
and the women comforted Dan, tell
Ing him that good news would soon
come; that 1t was too cool for sun
stroke, and that the stream was too
shallow to be dangerous. But the
young man sat paling and shivering,
partly with illness and partly with
sn1iety, until news came. 1t was the
worst news possible. Mr.. Hardburn
mad been found dead, shot through
me head, : pistol lay near him, and
MS pockets were turned inside out,
ana MS watch was gone.
When Dan heard the news he
tainted away, and for awhile every
one symDaJhized with him. But soon
the tide turned.
detectives came down from the city
ana made explorations and inquiries.
Inc watch was found IN a hollow tree
ana all along the soft wood path were
very peculiar footsteps. They traced
mem from the woods to the gate Of
'ue old mans home; the mark OF a
luoe, and where the other shoe print ,
should have been, a puncture. Some
One mas been here who walked with a
Uu'ch was the conclusion.
IN the whole village was but one
WI, VINO used a crutch-young Dan Ma
lOne' The clouds Of suspicion began
= garner. Dan declared that he had
oeen III in bed all day, but Simon, the
man knew nothing of Dams where
aDou's from the time he left home
eu'lI ne returned, and Betty only
susW mat he had not come home to
INNER y, The pistol with which Mr..
naraourn had been murdered was
s s, mat was always kept in his own
s'ning room. And finally Dan, and
~ other had an object TO attain by