The Elbert County tribune., 1908-12-03

windows of the neighbor-
hood, started briskly up
the steps of No. 112 and pressed the
button.
Num-" he said to the elderly wom-
an who opened the door. 81 see by
these here notices that you hev rooms
to let, and as that's what I'm arter !
kinder cal'lated I'd gin ye call.
How much be they?"
He abstracted huge roll of bills
from his trousers pocket and thrust
them bunglingly into her hand.
DO what ye can for me on thet,"
he continued. Count it out and see
what's in 1t. Twas 800 when
skinned her over and / cal'lated
'twould do. Stow the ditty-box under
I'll drift back and kinder tidy things
up bit for night Good-day, NUM-"
He gave his hat an awkward pull
and waddled off hurriedly. leaving the
lodging-mistres red in the face and
short of breath with the surprise OF
her life.
Save us, there's wan man for
youse!" she gasped, following him
with amazed eyes as he stumped down
the street on his short legs. the huge
trousers Topping in the wind, the rusty
hat pulled down to his cars and the
coatsleeves dangling to within an inch
of the tips of his stubby fingers.
At noon the queer lodger returned.
received his key and was shown to his
quarters. Pausing on the threshold
The turned to Mrs. Tull, the flesh of his
face packed like hard putty, as i'm
mobile as board, his unwinking eyes
staring into her own.
Num-" he said in voice like fog
horn, my name is. Golfer, Cap'n
Joshua S. Golfer. This here is my
cabin. Dye see? 'Tis mine for one
.twelvemonth. Ontil thet time is up
cal'late I'm the size myself to load
IL clean to the skylight. and l don't
never low to hev no petticoats fussin'
up any vessel O. mine. I'll swab the
docks and trim sails myself, and now
you en- go below and stay there.
Show your figgerhead on my compan-
Iionway agin without orders and I'll
shove ye plumb overheard through the
!porthole."
At IL o'clock the next morning,
when she heard him bulkily descend
ing the stairs. she stood in the back
iparlor doorway to observe him, but
had the doughty captain chanced to
look that way he could have seen
nothing but the tip of an inquisitive
nose and the toe OF large boot. 1t
was the same on the second and third
mornings, but on the fourth the cap
tain did not appear at IL o'clock as
usual. She felt some uneasiness over
this fact, which grew greater when
the next day also he remained invis-
ible. For more than 48 hours not
sound had issued from his room. She
waited until the next noon, and then,
all remaining as quiet as the houses
of the dead, she ventured up to the
head of the stairs and stood mo-
ment gazing steadfastly at the closed
door of the mysterious cabin"
: Always at this stage of reflection,
with persons of Ann Tull's grade of
mind and experience, the police be-
gin to figure. And within ten minutes
afterward she was standing on the
stairs pointing out to an Inspector and
plain-clothes man the door behind
which lurked some dark secret, she
was sure.
Looks to me as If he had run said
the inspector. How much was he
into you, Mrs. Tull?"
Not wan cint. / know me business.
'Tis in advance always do be getting
1t from strange vans"
well, / don't see as there's any
thing for us here" remarked the in
spector taking a last look around. |
Lock up the room and keep the key |
till his time is out, or till he comes |
back. But il anything more turns up
let us know at the station" Then he |
went away with his man.
Al eight o'clock young lithograph-
er, who with his brother. house
painter, occupied the room directly |
over the captains. came jumping down
the stairs, and tearing the kitchen door
open rushed upon Mrs. Tull, and put
ting his hands on her shoulders began
to sob, crying brokenly:
"Oh, l am sorry, l am sorry! 1t
was Jim and me that done 1t. 4 told
him we'd be found out, and now it's
come. What shall we do? Can't you
hide us, Mrs. Tull, and say nothing?
Then it will be all right, for nobody