The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1909-05-27
Miss Janey Dunn Intimate Friends
A M.m0riaI Day s.ory.

A long black scarf hung upon Uncle
Jimmy McComb's front door knob, and
people came up the steps and entered
without Knocking. On the door of the
shop just beside the house, only stand
ing farther back from the street, was
written In red chalk, closed" and the
screwdriver and chisels and drawing
knives that usually hung in 1t had been
taken down and a newspaper curtain
put up. over the way, under the shade
OF the big sycamore that shaded the
yard of the monumental works, a
group of children had gathered to
watch for the coming OF Mr.. Rumbley.
the undertaken, who they hoped would
arrive before school time.
Nobody was never kinder to men
Uncle Jimmy" began Washy Padgett,
swinging his bare legs hard to relieve
his feelings. He was mon'sous 'bligin'
ter cover my ball. al when l fell down
stairs with Sis Emmy's ark o. animiles
al broke em turrible he glued EN-
so'st they was good as new. And
Washy suddenly stopped. feeling the
lump In his throat too big to manage
II showed me how to make a splen-
did kite las summer" piped UP Joey
Penrod. the son OF the owner OF monu-
mental works. HE seemed to like to
have little fellers around. I'm mighty
sorry for old Marin McComb. Who all
II take care o. her an little Sally now,
I wonder!"
II reckon thur country II take care
o. Marin McComb," said the lanky girl,
sitting apart and holding q chubby
baby OF three on her knees. She had
been weeping. n her eyes were swoll-
en-: He ulster tur say tn country helt
him In honor. bein' as he was a brave
soldier an fit In thur war;
Thur country" echoed Joey shrilly.
You don't know much, Janey Dunn.
His pension was stopped las January,
an / heard Dock Shickles tell Mr.. Sam
mis- last night as that was what killed
him. Ye see he needed thur money
pow'ful on account o. havin' a mog-
gidge on his house. because o. the ex-
p~ensiveness o. little Sally's paws las
sickness"
What's a moggidge 2" demanded
Janey, putting back the cloud OF red
curls that hung about her face.
Il know" said Sammy Padgett, the
oldest boy present. It's somethin'
you've got to pay whether you can or
no."
Yes" assented Joey, IAN IL thur
moggidge man don't get his money he
takes thur house"
He never shall!" cried Janey, with
such vehemence her little sister slipped
out of her lap and began to whimper.
Il say nobody shall have Uncle Tim
mys house but Marin McComb. He
wouldn't noways lie still In his grave.
He's oncet tole me he noways couldn't
eff harm We're a-conin' tur her or little
Sally"
"Whatll you do?" asked washy
Padgett, his round freckled face lit up
with mingled admiration and doubt.
"Somethin'," said Janey, who had
risen. Her big brown eyes famed in
spite OF the tears that would brim over
and roll down her cheeks. IT reckon I
kin do somethin' for my intimate
friend"
A sudden chill and gloom had come
upon the group. for Mr.. Rumbley's
black wagon had come into view, and
Uncle Timmy's tin sign creaking over
the way was no longer cheerful, but
seemed to say Owe and over, Gone,
gone" Washy and Sam Padgett were
U OF sight In a minute. Joey Penrod
slid down from his perch on a tomb
stone, and Becky Sammis rose. I'VE
alls on this streetll miss him." she said
as she turned to go, but I reckon
Janey was his mos intimate friend TO
er fac.
Now, 1t happened that a year before
the day Just begun Peter Kits when
driving down Locust street had heard
0dAlNJ III vi EAAllllS a " OF. Il
wasn't a handsome man, Peter Kits,
for his nose was big at the end and
red, and his fat cheeks were full of
fine purple veins, and he was very big
IN the waist and fat under his chin, but
when he heard her he pulled at his
gray horse and circled close up to the
door of Uncle Timmy's shop on the
step Of which Janey sat, her eyes on a
battered old arithmetic and her fing-
ers busy with a blue yarn sock which
she was knitting in the German fash
lon, her left ~forefinger holding the
thread. She was SO intent upon her
work that she did not see him until the
big gray stamped. Then Mr.. kits
threw a silver dollar in her lap and
and before she could thank him was
gone.
All the morning while in the hum of
the school oom n then at noon In
her mothers bare little kitchen Janey
tried to think OF what she could do to
free Uncle Timmy's roof from the bur-
den Of the mortgage. which must be
paid. But she could only remember
Peter Kits and the silver dollar he
had given her. He had neen in the
Memorial day procession last year she
r~ecollected. To be sure, he sat in a
carriage far behind Uncle Jimmy, but
It showed he knew about the old sol
ulerS. one hIlCW VI IilIu NdS uely do ILic
richest man in the little city and the
owner of a whole railroad.
At half past 4 o'clock she was speed
ing down into the business streets, for
she had no mind to seek out Mr.. Kits
his big mansion, whose steps were
guarded by green iron lions, which she
had once seon when on a Sunday walk
with Uncle Jimmy.
Remerus Doll, who had charge of the
outer office, did not want to admit her.
Laws, sissy, Mr.. kits can't put up
wild no trihin' dis day. He can't SO. Is
you wantin' to sell tickets?" he asked.
Fortunately Mr.. Kits opened an in
ner door Just at this point, and Janey
darted at him and past him. He
frowned as he turned about, for there
was a pile OF papers upon his desk
needing attention, and he ran his fin
gers through his iron gray hair SO 1t
stuck up I'm a really ~frightful manner.
"Well?" said he interrogatively.
"It's Uncle Jimmy McComh's mog-
gidge," she said In a scared whisper.
"You know Uncle Timmy's"-she
paused, unwilling to say dead" and
added in the phrase she had heard him