Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1911-01-27

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Thanks. Tom he said. kind of
carelessly; i was sort Of hoping you
wouldn't lock me up. Court meets
next Monday, so if you don't object,
I'll just loaf around the Office till then
I've got one favor to ask, if it isn't too
much. If you'd let the kids come out
in the yard once in a while and have
a romp, I'd like it,.
Why not?' answered him.
They're welcome, and so are you.
And come to my house. the same as
ever You see. MIR. Nettlewick, you
can't make a friend of a thief, but
neither can you make q thief of
friend. all at once"
The examiner made no answer. At
that moment was heard the shrill
whistle of a locomotive pulling into
the depot. That was the train on the
little. narrow-gauge road that struck
into San Rosario from the south. The
major cooked his ear and listened for
moment and looked at his watch.
The narrow-gauge was in on time
1926. The major continued:
so Bob hung around the office.
reading the papers and smoking. Iput
another deputy to work in his place.
and, after a while, the first excite
ment Of the case wore off.
"One day when we were alone In
the Office Bob came over to where ]
was sitting He was looking sort of
grim and blue-the same look he used
to get when he'd been up watching for
Indians all night or herdriding.
Tom says he, it's harder than
standing off redskins; It's harder than
lying in the lava desert forty miles
from water; but I'm going to stick it
out to the end. You know that's
been my style. But if you'd tip me
the smallest kind of sign-if you'd
just say: Bob, understand why
it would make it lots easier
Il was surprised. L don't know
what you mean, Bob | said. OF
course. you know that I'd do anything
under the sun to help you that !
could. But you've got me guessing.
All right, Tom was all he said.
and lit another cigar.
1T was the night before court met
when | found out what he meant. !
went to bed that night with that same
old, light-headed, nervous feeling
come back upon me. ! dropped off to
sleep about midnight. When | awoke
| was standing, half dressed in one
of the courthouse corridors. Bob was
holding one of my arms, our family
doctor the other, and Alice was sha-
king me and half crying. She had
sent for the doctor without my know
ing it, and when he came they had
found me out of bed and missing, and
had begun search.
'Sleep-walking, said the doctor.
'All of us went back to the house.
and the doctor told us some remark
able stories about the strange things
people had done while in that condi-
ton. | was feeling rather chilly after
my trip out, and, as my wife was out
of the room at the time, pulled open
the door of an old wardrobe that stood
in the room and dragged out a big
quilt | had seen in there. With it
tumbled out the bag of money for
stealing which Bob was to be tried
and convicted-in the morning.
How the jumping rattIesnakes did
that get there?' yelled, and all hands
must have seen how surprised | was
Bob knew in a fash.
You darned old snoozer,' he said
with the old-time look on his face, 1
saw you put it there. l watched you
open the safe and take it out. and !
followed you. | looked through the
window and saw you hide it in that
wardrobe
Then you blankety- blank, nop-
cared, sheep-headed coyote. what did
you say you took it, for?'
Because, said Bob, simply. I
didn't know you were asleep
Il saw him glance toward the door
of the room where Alice and Jack and
Zilla were, and | knew then what 1t
meant to be mans friend from
Bobs point Of view"
Major Tom paused. and again d.
rected his glance out OF the window.
He saw some one in the Stockmen's
National bank reach and draw yell
low shade down the whole length of
its plate-glass. big front window, al
though the position of the sun did not
seem TO warrant such a defensive
movement against its rays.
Nettlewick sat UP straight in his
chair. He mad listened patiently, but
without consuming interest, to the
majors story. 1t had impressed him
as irrelevant to the situation, and it
the consequences. Those western peo-
pie. he thought, had an exaggerated
sentimentality. They were not pusf-
ness-like. They needed to be protect
ed from their friends. Evidently the
major had concluded. And what he
said amounted to nothing.
May | ask" said the examiner, III
you have anything further to say that
bears directly upon the question of
those distracted securities?"
distracted securities, sir" Major
Tom turned suddenly in his chair, his
blue eyes flashing upon the examiner.
What do you mean, sir?"
He drew from his coat pocket a
batch of folded papers held together
by a rubber band, and tossed them
into Nettlewick's hands, and rose TO
his feet