The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1908-06-06
DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS
LOADED.
By Clara Marshall.


Mrs. Robbins was so busy wedding
the squash bed in her truck patch
that she had to be called three times
before she pushed back her sunbonnet
and said to q boy who had climber to
the top Of the rail fence close by:
well, Charlie, what is it now? Has
your ma got any more washing for
me?"
Lots" replied the boy. THAT is,
another lady at the hotel has, and
mamma has told her about you. You
are to go for the clothes right away,
as the lady is in a big hurry to have
'em done. She has four boys and the
oldest Of 'em is SO little that ! could
lick him with one hand, so you are in
for a good job for the rest of the sum-
mer. l heard her tell mamma she
would stay here till cold weather If the
place suited her"
II don't see how I can manage to go
up to the hotel before twelve O'Clock" :
returned Mrs. Robbins. "Abner has
gone to the blacksmith's to get pillow
fixed and the key of the front door is
lost. There amt much in the house
to take, but all the same l shouldn't
care to have 1t took. The cOlored folks
around here are all honest enough, but
Just as like as not that Abe Hurley will
be pokin' in before l git back"
lis he a kleptomaniac?" asked
Charlie. who having spelled that word
correctly in class just before vacation
had not yet forgotten it.
NO." replied Mrs. Robbins, If he
knew enough to be anything he'd be a
Baptist, as that's what his mother was
In her lifetime I'm always good to
Abe on his mothers account, but I
wouldn't trust him in my house when
I wasn't there to watch him. When
folks what thinks they have good sense
will make of sometimes with what
doesn't belong to them, what can you
expect Of a softly like Abe?"
you can 60 on up to the hotel, Mrs.
Robbins" exclaimed Charlie; Il watch
out for Abe, and If l see him poking
his nose inside of your door Ill send
him about his business quicker than a
flash. Ackey. who drives the hotel
stage. says that, big as Abe is, he'll
run II you say Boo to him"
Charlie Russell, the son of one Of the
summer boarders at the country hotel
close by. though only twelve years old.
looked 50 big when he said this that
Mrs. Robbins. who depended largely on
the washing to be had from summer
boarders to make both ends meet cher
husband being overload Of fishing) was
not long in deciding to take him at his
word. and so throwing down her hoe,
she went OF in the direction Of the
hotel while Charlie went into her cab
in, feeling as II he had taken COM
mand Of q garrison. The first thing
that caught his eye was an old shot
gun that had gone through the war
with Abner Robbins and was leaning
In q corner.
1T would do Abe good If l were to
snap q cap at him." said he. Il see a
box of 'em on the shelf yonder"
He had some dihiculty in cooking the
old-fashioned weapon, but finally he
got it into condition for swapping a
cap, and just as he did SO he had the
satisfaction Of seeing a great, awk-
ward creature with q vacant look on
his face come pushing into the front
door without the ceremony of knock
ing.
You'll have to call again." said
Charlie as he brought the gun into a
horizontal position; folks amt at
home"
The man grinned at this, but made
no reply.
Come, get move on you," said
Charlie. I'm in charge Of this shan
ty and I can't have you here"
The grin broadened, but Abe did not
stir q step.
Get out or I'll fire" said Charlie.
"One-two-if you are not gone when
I say 'five.' I'll pull the trigger"
Abe stood stock still, staring into
the muzsle Of the gun pointed at him.
A moment later there was a loud re-
port and man and boy were both on
their backs on the floor. the latter as
pale as death and not saying q word.
Abe. ON the contrary. was crying out
between his groans that he had been
killed. Although violently Jared BY
the recoil Of the gun, Charlie was on
his fest IN . moment and stood star
ing down anxiously Ct Abe.