The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-05-27
CContiuuedA

Alexander. I nodded agin. I hadn't meant to give out no untrue stories But a kid will always tell a lie, not meaning to tell one. if you sort of in- vite him with questions like that and get him scared the way you're acting. Besides. says to myself, ''so long as Hank has turned into corpse and that makes him dead, what's the diff ference whether he's in the black smith shop or not?'' Fur hadn't any plain idea. being such alittle kid, that q corpse meant to be dead and wasn't sure what being, dead was like, nei- ther, except they had funerals over you then I knowed being a corpse must be some sort of big disadvantage from the way Elmira always says keep away from that cistern door or I'll be one But if they was going to be a funeral in our house I'd feel kind O important too. They didn't have lem every day in our town. and we hadn't nexer had one of our own So Mis- Alexander. she led Elmira into the house. both a-crying. and Mis- Alexander trying to comfort her. and me a tagging along behind holding on to E1mira's skirts and snif1fng into them. And in a few minutes all them women Mis- Rogers has told come filing into that room. one at a time, looking sad Only old Mis- Primrose. she was awful late getting there be- cause she stopped to put on her bun net she always wore to funerals with the black Paris lace on it her cousin Arminty White had sent her from Chicago.
 When they found out Hank had come home with kicker in him and done it himself they was all excited, and they all crowds around and asts me how. except two as is holding on to Elmfra's s hands, which sets moaning in a chair. And they all asts me questions as to what I seen him do, which if they hadn't I wouldn't have told 'em the lies I did But they egged me on to it Says one woman, Danny. you seen him do it in the blacksmith shop ?''
 nodded.
 s'But how did he get in?'' sings out another woman. "The door was lock ed on the outside with a paddock jest now when come by. He couldn't of killed himself in there and locked the door on the outside.n
 I didn't see how he could Of done that myself, go I begun to bawi ag'ln and said nothing at all.
 "He must of crawled through that little side window says another one. s'1t was open when I come by, if the door was locked Did you see him crawl through the little side window. Danny?' I nodded. They wasn't nothing else fur me to do.
 'sBut you hain't tall enough to look through that there window says an other one to me. "HosV could you see into that shop, Danny?''
 didn't know, so didn't say nothing at all. jest snif1ed-
 'sThey is a store box right in under that window" says another one. Dan ny must have cIumb on to that store box and looked fn after he seen Hank come down the road and crawl through the window. Did you scramble on to the store box and look in, Danny?''
 jest nodded ag'in.
 tAnd what was it you seen him do {: How did he Kill himself7' they all asts to oncet.
 I didn't know. So jest boilers and boohoos some more. Things was get ting past anything could see the way put of.
 sfHe might of hung himself to one of the iron rings in the jists above the forge" says another woman "He rlumb on to the forge to tie the rope to one of them rings. and he tied the oth- CT end around his neck, and then he stepped ofPn the forge. Was that how he done it. Danny?"
 I nodded. And then bellered louder than ever. I knowed Hank was down In that there cistern, a corpse, and a mighty wet corpse. all this time, but they kind O got me thinking mebby he was hanging out in the shop by the forge too. And I guessed I'd better stick to the shop story, not wanting to say nothing about that cistern no sooner'n I could help it.
 Pretty soon one woman says, kind O Ehivery:
 ~I don't want to have the job of opening the door of that blacksmith shop the first oneI''
 CHAPTER H.
 Out Of the cistsrn.
 ND they all kind O. shivered
 then and looked at Elmira TAI They says to let some of the
 men open it And Mis- Alex ander, she says she'H run home and tell her husband right off.
 And all the time Elmira Is moaning