The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-01-21
CHAPTER XIII.
Mother and Daughter.

| Ia III little, Abe, she went on
IL was that when Mr.. DAME
just now said he though
Howard did the shootin' you disputes
It with i'm r-sa1d he didn't do it,
al didn't say it didn't say no secl
| thingy' Abe put his hands on eithe,
side of his plate and stared at he
fercely. Thar you go with yore foo
notions. You couldn't hear what said
IL jest said-said thought the DO.
| Il didn't say he didn't do it. Folks al
about say he done it. Lawyers an
judges an witnesses say he's the one
an they know better n nae. You'll &c
tattf1n' with yore busy tongue till-ti1
well, you let the thing alone, that's
what you do! Let the law take its
course. He was ready to kill i'm. He
armed htsse'f fer that purpose. He haC
ne use for i'm. Howard knowed i'm
like lot o. other folks knowed I'm, fe1
the devil that he was with helpless, in
nocent young gals
s'That reminds me, Abe" Mrs. Full
ton said, curiously. I'm not dead sure
but thought heard you mention poor
Susy's name to Mr.. Daniel. was sort
o. surprised to hear you do it, too, feI
she was akin to you, an most folks
1on't like to talk about sech delicate
matters in Their own blood! I've know
ID AL along how sorry you was fer
susy; but never brought it up. Pore,
}ore ga1!'' s<
Yes, told Mr.. Daniel about that, -
Abe faltered after an awkward pause.
He hadn't heard o. that particular
( .ase, though he knowed all about sew
eral Others"
You are powerful tetchy, Abe, dar-
~ ~
talk plain to you, but you think q wo-
man don't know enough to give advice
to a man. A woman amt sech a plumb
fool. Sometimes she feels thing to be
risky an ,unwise that a man passes
over as of no consequence
What are you drivin' at?" Abe de-
manded, seriously.
s'Oh, well, don't believe in talkin'
too free to a man as good even As Abb
ner Daniel is supposed to be- was the
half shrinking answer. risks is risks"
Risks? What sort o. risks? Are you
plumb crazy, woman?'
II knowed you'd fly off the handle
she said appeastngly. <'But believe a
woman has as much right to use her
brain as a man has, an I've been
thinkin' about Mr.. Daniels long draw
ed out pa1aver.%
Long pa1aver2"
YES" she went on, more freely, for
his look and tone were more inviting
because more fraught with fear than
anger. Hes the keenest man in this
state by long odds, Abe. Folks say
that he makes the best hess an cattle
trades Of anybody about here. Now,
my point Is this, Abe darlin': you
wouldn't want pore Susy's name fetch
ed up In public now that the pore thing
is ly1n' in q peaceful grave fur from
home. You wouldn't like to hear it on
everybody's tongue linked with that
human scab that has got his just de
serts, would youY'
mo, but what makes you think
''Why, I've got common sense, an
kin see a. inch before my nose, that's
all,'' she interrupted, 'tAbner Daniel
is dependin' on Howard to help i'm out
with the paper he bought. It is losfn'
money as it stands. You heard i'm say
so. Wen, don't you know that he amt
goin' to leave a stone unturned to set
free7 An donst you see whar
you come in? He kin have you sum
moned- to court an put on the stand to
tell all you know agin Craig's charac-
ter. Dou't you see how that would stir
up sympathy an justify Howard in
ktlifn' man-o' sech' stripe?''
Abe stared speechless1y. He stroked
his lips and chin with his big rough
hand and avoided her gaze
A'tAh, see you understand his wife
cried, exultantly. .sYou men think us
women hafn't a grain o. sense, but we
amt all fools. Ef Abner Daniel had
been taIkin' to me about Howard
never would have let on about Susy-
stake folks viii do anything that's
dirty an low to save it, an you better
watch Abner Daniel. Why, as little
as you may think of it, Howard an
him would shoulder the thing onto yos
eff they had half chance. It is hard
er to convict a prominent man than a
pore friendless, Teller like you, Abe"
''You don't believe they would try a
"a thing like that, do you're he cried
TWhat wouldn't they try eff it offered
a chance of escape from the
scanold? They'd even pay money to
git folks to testify ag'in somebody else
mat they could throw the blame on.
Let i'm alone in the future, Abe. Dan
lei belongs to one set O. folks an you
an me to another. We mustn't give
i'm a chance to fetch that pore gals
name into it eff we kin help it. What
was 1t he was akin you so close about
Il mean when he axed SO particular
about the last time you seed Craig
alive2'
81 don't know. I don't remember"
Fulton started suddenly
ITO BE Continued.3