The Mena weekly star. (Mena, Ark.) 1904-1977, 1910-11-17
BY F. A. Mitchell


.nown to the Corners fer to buy
came goods fer the store
"Reen away some time, haven't yef"
"A matter o. four days."
~Who did y leave in charge O. yer
uoreT
wilkins boy"
~, find 1t kind o. lonesome cavortin'
around here without any O. yer fam
bly,. don't y'Y'
avon bet. been tryin' to make
enough TO bring my wife n boy out.
but bad debts beat me-"
lizard lines"
"rm goin' TO start out on new
principle. I'm not goin' to trust any
one"
The other cast a melancholy look at
lin Murphy. but didn't say anything.
non Hicks was a short, thickset man
or rather, boy. No one was quite sure
whether he was man or boy. He wore
vest and pair of trousers much too
large for him and no coat. No one
had ever seen him smile.
eyer too late. JIM" he said at last.
"Wbat dye meanY asked Jim eager
ly.
eyer stores been entered"
"EnteredY'
"Yes, the day after you left there
was two of 'em come down on wilkins
hoy. turned him out n TUX possession"
Jim was heartbroken. He cursed
the day he had come west to a coun-
try where there was neither law nor
order; he lamented having separated
from his wife and child. for fate
seemed to decree that be should re-
main separated from them. Now, since
robbers had come down ON his stock
of goods he could not get back to
them nor bring them to him.
Have they carted the stuff awayr'
be asked.
Dunno; reckon not"
Suppose they jist Quilted 1t. carryin'
of what they wanted and ruined the
rest. That's the way these jayhawk-
ers do"
Ben Hicks made no reply to this.
He looked as If he was going to cry.
Indeed, he seemed so melancholy that
Jim didn't like to show any more de
spondency at the loss of his stock. 1t
seemed to have so lugubrious an effect
on his sympathetic friend.
"Oh, WE'LL" said Jim. 'sich things
can't be helped What we have to do
in this world when we get knocked
down is 70 get up ag'in and go ahead
Is If nuthin' had happened. Cheer up.
Ben. I'll bring 1t all around right In
time"
what y goin' TO do with emp
with the robbers?"
"Yes."
"You don't mean they're there yit2"
"Yes, / do. They're maxim their
selves at home"
I'm my house. with my thingsT
"Yes"
"And not neighbor has raised fin
ger to turn 'em outr
mary finger"
DO you suppose you and together
could tackle emf"
Reckon / could FIX the smaller OF
the two"
And the otherT'
"Ynu kin manage t'other, reckon"
what was they dom when you
leftr
Reckon they war fghtin'."
Don't y known"
'Well. I'd got quite ways from 'em
when heered yell. | looked back
and the little man was q kickin' and
hollerin' n t'ofher one was n hiftin'
Of him."
What then7"
Il come away then"
Jim Speers carried on this dialogue
with his friend while he walked along
homeward, the other walking beside
him. When they came In sight of the
house Jlm's eye lighted little.
AT any rate" he remarked, they've
not burned IT, Whar y goin'T'
Reckon you kin tackle 'em alone"
"'FraidT
But Ben made no reply to this Inn
putation on his courage. Jim went on.
three-year-old boy playing on the
premises was all that appeared. A
woman came out of the house and was
about to take the boy in when she
espied Jim. Shading her eyes with
her hand. she gazed on him for mo
ment, then ran to meet him.
why, Moll. how did you git hereT
Made the money sewin'."
And the kid?''
There be is"
She pointed to the boy before the
house. Jim sprang away from her
and, running to the boy. took him up
In his arms and covered him with
Kisses. When the wife came up jim
turned to her. took both her and the
boy In one embrace and said:
by thunder" | never had such a
change from trouble TO happiness In
my life. 1t was all that Ben Hicks
doins. He toIe me the store had been
entered. the boy | left In charge fred
and let me believe robbers had done
IT.
Later when the Speers family were
celebrating their reunion with good
supper neighbor came along.
What's the matter with Ben Hicks
'imT he asked. IT seen him goin
Hong chucklin' about sumpin. No one
ever saw him do that before. Hes
solemn as an owl. asked him what