Norwich bulletin., 1913-05-01

A bent, little old man sat on the 1 wide porch staring at the dusty, sun 1 beaten road. The air was hot and I stitiing but the old man was muffled 1 to the ears in a faded wooden shawl, l as well bundled up as he would have been on January day He was cold | too, for now and then he shivered as with the ague. From somewhere in the rear of the house came the sound of cheery whistling. mingled with cries or Whoa, therei" and 'Stiddy boy!" Presently a wagon came rattling into sight driven by shocN-headed youth In a pair of faded blue oVeralls. He refined up before the porch and jump ed out. still Whistliro, but when ne saw the figure on the piazza, he stop- ped in amaZement.
 Whats the matter, Mir Turner?" he asked. You aint cold. be you?''
 Cold!" snapped the little old man. "Coldt Well 1 guess l bee! It's a raw day out, raw's you'll git in Janu- uary. Fore you go to town, I want you to start the furnace. I'm froze,
 Fires humping right along LOW, said Jerry, reappearing. I've left the drafts wide open. Do you think you c'n git down to shut it off in half hour or so. MT. Turner?"
 long. Here's few letters to mail and a note for Bill Messenger
 Bill ain't home, He's over to Har- wich burying someone" Jerry re- minded him.
 T know" Turner waved his hand wearily. Tuck it under his shop door. An Jerry"
 Yes, sir"
 T got something I want to give you" Turner reached in his pocket and drew out roll of bills. Slowly, as though it pained him horribly, as no doubt it did, he extracted 10 $1 bills therefrom and laid them on his knee
 Here, Jerry" he began again, T guess you might as well have these. It's a good deal of money and I don't doubt that youll waste it. still-I give it to you. All 1 want is that you think of me when you spend it. Think if I knowed what you was buying, if I'd approve of it. Understan ?"
 In mechanical way. Jerry took the greenbaclls, jumped on his team and rattled down the lane. Hes sick" he said to himself. If he warn't he wouldn't never give me money In all the years Pve lived with him I don't ever remember of him giving me a cent before. But then he ain't called on to do so. I guess he's done enough for me by taking me out of that dad burned poorhOuSe when l wasn't knee high to a grasslopper l know folks thinks he is awful mean"
 
 the townspeople's estimate of his pat ron. Some of these worthy people were always trying to shake his faith in the man he considered his friend,
 Jerry had grown up, poorly clothed, poorly fed had poorly and poorly ed ucated, yet happier far than many boys with every hearts desire grant ed. So heavy had been his lot in life that he realized no added burden to his load when he began to 'chore" for SilaS- Indeed had he worked twice as hard, he would have stin regarded Turner with loving awe.
 Bill Messengers undertaking rooms were the first place at which he made a stop. and tucked the note under the door as directed. He then continued to the village store It was while he was here that his eyes fell on a book in the window. It was life of Abra- ham Lincoln, and Jerry admired it, first because of it's gay binding and bold type. second. because he had heard that Abraham Lincoln had been a poor boy who had by his own efforts had made his way in the worlds
 When he recalled the conditions up- on which the money had been given him. he nearly fell over old Pete's head in fright. He knew quite well what Silas would say 10 this extrav- agence.
 But there was nobody in sight when he at length ventured a glance. He drove to the barn and unharnessed and nobody called to him to hurry up about it, which was a strange omis- sion
 Rushing upstairs he knocked at the door. There was no answer. He pushed open the door and looked in Si1as lav on the bed and the room fairly sfzzled. Jerry tiptoed in. AS he stepped to the foot of the bed his toe struck tiny vial. A big red la bel attracted his attention Necfan- ically he spelled the word poison"
 Tn moment the truth flashed over him. Silas had tried to dose himself