The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1911-02-25


: had been overworksd that wee
and vas about SICK. anyway. ssy,
nerves were out OF order and my sleep
Mt night didn't seem to rest me. The
doctor had some scientific name for
y. and was taking medicine. And 30.
added TO the rest, went to bed At
night with that money on my mind.
Not that there was much need Of be-
Ing worried for the safe was a good
one. and Nobody but Bob and i knew
the combination. On Friday night
there was about $500 In cash In the
bag. OF, Saturday morning 4 won't
70 the Office ~ usual. The safe was
locked and Bob was writing at his
desk. opened the safe and the
money was gone, I called Bob, and
reused everybody In the courthouse
to announce the robbery. II struck
me that Bob took Il pretty quiet. con.
sidering how much 1t reflected upon
both him and me.
two days went BY, and we never
got q clew. It couldn't have been
burglars, forithe safe had been opened
by the combination in the proper way.
People must have begun to talk, for
one. afternoon in comes Alice-that's
my wife-and the boy and gill. and
Alice stamps her foot. and her eyes
fash, and she cries out: The lying
wretches-Tom. Toni 4 catch her In
a faint, and bring her round little BY
little. and she lays her head down
and cries and Giles for the first time
since she took! Tom Kingman's name
and fortunes. And Jack and ziIla-
the youngsters-they we're always
wild as! tiger cubs 10 rush at Bob and
climb all over him whenever they
were allowed to come to the court.
house-they stood and kicked their
little shoes, and herded together like
scared partridges. They were having
their first trip down into the shadows
OF life. Bob was working at his desk,
and he got up and went out without
a word. The grand Jury was IN ses.
sion then, and the next morning Bob
went before them and Confessed that
he stole the money. He said he lost
1t In a poker game. In fifteen minutes
they had found true bill and sent
me to arrest the man with whom ia
been closer than q thousand brothers
for many a year.
II did II, and then I said to Bob.
pointing: There's my house , and
here's my oalce, and W; there's Maine,
and out that way Ia California, and
over. there Is F1orida-and that's your
range til court meets. You're In my
charge, and l take the responsibility.
You be here when you're wanted,
Thanks. Tom.' he said, kind or
carelessly; I was sort Of hoping you
wouldn't lock me up. Court meets
.dext Monday, SO II you don't object,
Ill tust loaf around the ONCE till then.
I've got one favor to ask. II II Isn't,too
much. II you'd let the kids come out
in the yard once In a while and have
a romp. I'd like It. /
why mott? + answered him.
They're welcome, and 50 are you.
And come to my house, the same as
ever You see. Mr.. Nettlewick, YOU.
can't make o friend OF a thief, but
neither can you make q thief Of "a
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
a moment and looked at his watch.
The narrow-gauge was In on time
1885. The major continued:
$50 Bob hung around the ONCE,
reading the papers and smoking, I put
another deputy to work In his; place,
and, aftcr a while. the FIRST excite
ment Of the case wore of!
One day when we were alone In
the Office Bob came over to where i
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 berd.rlding,
Tom says he, Its harder, than
standing OF redskins: It's harder than
lying in the lava desert forty miles.
from water; but I'm going 10 stick 1t
out to the end. You know that's
been my. style; But II. you'd tip me
the smallest kind Of q sisn-7if you'd
lust say: Bob. j understand why
It would make II lots easier
was surprised. don't know:
what you mean. Bob / ssaid. 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 be said,
and he went back 10 his newspaper
and III another cigar
1T was the night before court met
when I found out what he meant. il
went to bed that night with that same
old. light-headed, nervous feeling
come back upon. me. I dropped on to
sleep about midnight. WhentI awoke
! was standing. half dressed In one
Of the courthouse corridors. Bob was
holding one Of my arms, our family
doctor fhe nfher pud A ffco rron hs,