Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1913-05-22
WEEKLY
Short Story
nEssRs. HOKE AND POKE
BY Donald Allen.

~ DohAaV .AAAt"s
A sa stranger. stopping for a day ]
At the inn az the village Of Rosedaie. .
one might have heard that Farmer
Brown had broken his leg. II would
have been Of very Little interest Ear
mer Brown had broken his les. IL
would have been OF very little inter-
est. Farmers ana others are 0roak-
ing sheir legs. and even their nocks,
every day in the year. The announce
ment did not greatly lntrcst the VII
layers. They said Poor devil and
then went TO talking OF other matters
There were just six persons active
IN interested in the accident. The
first was Farmer Brown, the second,
his daughter Mary. the third, young
man named Tom Cushman, the fourth
an old skinhirt named Ferguson, anu
the fifth and sixth two tramps.
Tom Cushman was a young man,
the son OF a widow he mad a grocery
and was postmaster a. Rosedale. he
was steady and honest and everybody
liked him
Mary Brown was under twenty, anc
had been her fathers housekeeper
since her mothers death, three years
before.
Frguson was an old man and a
money lender. He had about as much
mercy on such borrowers as couldn
pay 20 the day and hour as wound
ed tiger has on its hunter. He held
a mortgage on the Brown farm and
principal and interest were due IN ]
few days after the accident. BY the
hardest kind OF work and the strict
est economy ali but Si20 OF The money
haa been saved. This sum was 20 be
borrowed from some one lse, and thai
someone else was Tom Cushman. Els
and the farmers daughter had fallen
in love with eaClt other and wer,
waiting until things came right to I'd
married.
On a crtain forenoon -wo tramp'
entered the village OF Rosec2le II
company. AT the pc Office door stoo'
Tom Cushman. They halted 0efOr
him and gave him the military saiut
and one OF them said.
I'VE introduce ourselves as the firm
or Hoke a. Poke"
1--WE pad the roof"
1--WE tour from place 20 piac."
1--WE take in all sights. includin
cyclones. earthquakes. confiaSrationi
eclipsCs OF the sun and moon.
''Aly name is Hoke. and I kno'
something about law. The gent be
philosopher. Our aim and object
10 inquire II a liter addressed
Messrs. Hoke & Poke has reached hi
post-oihceT'
"Ie has not" replied Tom.
On the afternoon OF the same da
Mary Brown set out 20 walk thr'
miles TO the house OF the moneylen'
or 20 pay OF the mortgage. she hs
the cash with her. and felt BIZ tim
when she caught sight Of two tra-ni
pulling sturnips in a did.
Mr.. Ferguson had left his house
the same time Mary did hers lie w
going 10 walk down 20 "a Brow
farm and tell The farmer that h
broken leg would make no diheren
about the mortgage IL must be pa
OF before noon the next day or the
would be a foreclosure.
The man and the girl met on lit
bridge on the highway.
1T won't do nay good 20 come sni
cling 70 me-" he almost shouted.
Il have the money 10 pay the mo-
gage she quietly replied.
sob. you have? It's $3.50"
Yes"
She took the roll from the bosS
OF her dress and handed il 20 hi
and he stepped away a few feet a
set down on a stone and counted
There were a good many dollar bi
and about IN dollars In silver.
1T seems u be all right" he 50
Il IAN sure il IS" replied Ma
Did YOU bring the mortgag "
your
"of course not. Don't you KIN
better than thatP'
why, father told me 20 get Il vi