The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-03-04
BICOERS
EARL DERR R
Copyright. 1915. by the Bobbs-MerFilf
 Company
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company
 (Continued)
 ssBut this guy just looks back into Sam's eye, with his own cold as steel, and he says, says he: You're pretty clever, mister, but you don't fool me. No, you don't come any games on Mark Dennen.'
 "sBut, Mark says Sam, T swear to you by all that's holy that I'm that kid-Pm Sam Burns. What proof do. you -want7 Do you remember old Ed Haywood that used to keep the drug store right across from the postoffice, the guy that never washed his win dows? l do. And Miss Hunter, that taught the sixth grade school when we went there, a little woman with washed sut gray eyes and a broken front tocsh, and that pretty little girl, Sarah sonebody-wait a minute I'll get it : or bust-Sarah-Sar Sarah Scott, you used to be so sweet on? Did you marry her, Mark And old Lafe Perkins, who used to be on hand whenever there was any repairs being made anywhere and a cane and high, squeaky voice that he used to exercise giving orders about things that wasn't any of his business. Why, Mark, remember lem all. Good Lord, man. says Sam, do you want any more proof7
 ssBut this country b3ockhead just looked Sam up and down and remarks. dudicious: It's certainly wonderful how you know all these things-won- derfuls But you can't fool me- he says, you can't fool Mark Dennen-' 7
 MT. Max paused in his narrative for a moment. The souad Of voices came up from the office of Baldpate inn. a.31, and angrily. In an evident desire to drown it MT. Max went on with spirit:
 Well, gentlemen, it got to be point of honor, as you might say, for Sam to convince that guy He told me he never wanted anything so muchsfn his. life as for Mark Dennens to give in. It was hot afternoon, and he'd come aboard that boat for a rest, but he peeled o1f his collar and started in. He gave Mark Dennen the number of bricks in the Methodist church, as re- ported in the Reads boro Citizen at the time it was built He told him the name of the piece Marks sister recit- ed at the school entertainment in the spring of 1890 He bound ed on all four sides the lot where the >circuses played when they came to Readsboro.. He named every citizen of the town, living or dead, that ever got to be 1Y. brought children into the world and married them and read fhe funeral service over them, and still that bone head from the woods sat there, his mouth open, and says: It's beyond me how you know all that You New Workers are slicker then give ye cred it for. Butym can't fool me You ain't Sam Burns Why, I went to school with him.
 
 now," went on Mir Max, '@and Sam's face was purple and he was dripping with perspfrataon, and ratt7fng off Readsboro happenings at the rate of ten a second, but that Mark Dennen he sat there and wouldn't budge from his high horse. So they came up to the pier, Sam almost weeping real tears and pleading nke his heart would i. break: Mark, don't you remember that -time@Spe kzarew little BfHzBar1aDy into the swimming hole and he couldn't swim a stroke and nearly drowned on us9' and still getting the stony face from his old pal.
 ssAnd on the pier this Dennen held out his hand to Sam, who was a phys 1caF wreck and broken man by this time, and says You sure are cute, mister I'll have great times telling this in ReadsbOro. Once you met one ADO SA@10AL AOA JC5 SA 4AOCA OOA1SoQ for your company. nyhowr And he went away and left Sam leaning against the railing, with no faith in human natureeno more. T hope some body got to him. says Sam to me, and got to him good. He's the kind that if you work right you can sell stock in a company for starting roof gardens on the tops of the pyramids in Egypt I'd trimmed him myself, : saws SaDn-fo me sbut bssdn,t f11A heartss