Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1916-09-13
NO. II didn't want nothin." b

No, IL didn't want nothin',' he
said haltingly. "Nothin' at all. I was
jest wonderful eff you'd passed along.
II The voice died away.
Abe looked toward the full moon and
beard on his chin.
"Oh. I'll bet you did want to see
me-" Abner said. You are jest little
BACKYARD an slow to come to thing.
Abe. l used to be that way myself till
politics, tradin bosses. an one thing
or other learnt me that it wouldn't do"
The man offered no denial, and of
this Abner made mental note.
II did want to see you," he blurted
out. Il hain't been right in my mind
here lately. Sometimes don't know
what I'm sayin' or dom. My wife has
noticed it an called my attention to it
several times
"Ah, he is goin' to own up an claim
mental unsoundness," Abner reflected.
while a sudden glow of hope suffused
him. Hes sharp enough to know that
it will strengthen his claim Then
aloud to Fulton, he said: "a man amt
accountable fer what he does when
he's that way, Abe, especially eff he's
all keyed up in pity over somebody be-
in harmed or wronged-some helpless
person that he hated to see suffer"
Fulton seemed SO much absorbed
over what he was now bent on saying
that Abner's words fell on closed ears.
II was havin' one O my worst spells
t'other evenin' when you was out look
in fer yo boss. I'd been feelin' so bad
that drunk a lot O. whisky just fore
you come. l thought that would clear
up my mind. but l tuck too much. l
drunk mighty nigh pint, all told. l
was jest gittin' under the influence of
it when l was talkin' to you. an after
you left l was plumb soaked. My wife
overheard the ramblin' way was talk
in to you, an when l come in-or it
was the next mornin'. when my mind
was clear-she told me-she told me
she had never heard anybody say sech
ridiculous things in 'er life"
"Ridiculous?" Abner's heart sank in
sheer dismay over the unexpected stand
the man was taking. Ridiculous: Did
you say ridiculous. Abe?"
Yes: an I've been tryin' to remem
Der what it was did say that night.
l think. among other things. we talked
about-ab bout
Yes. we talked about Craig an How
ard Tinsley." Abner went on fiercely,
for the course Fulton was taking had
upset one of his best hopes. You said
you was sorry fer the boy-you said
he'd done you favors. an you seemed
to think. though l didn't fully agree
with YOU at the time. that Howard
was telin' the truth"
II may have said it," Abe went on
insistently. keeping his desperate gaze
on Il wheel cut rut in the road which
he was nervously kicking with the toe
Of his coarse shoe. Il don't git full
often, but when do slobber over an
sometimes cry about the least thing.
My wife said cried about Howard
when | GOT to bed after you left that
night an said he was bein' treated
Wuss'n Il dog. That was odd, too, for ]
don't know a thing about the case
reckon Howard is as nice as the gen
eral run O. boys, but everybody knows
he has hot temper an armed hisse'f
an went lookin' fer his man.
Yes, he has hot temper" Abner
was speaking at random in an effort to
get his bearings. Never before had he
felt his ingenuity put to such bewil
dering test. and his hope of rescu1ne
Howard was becoming less and less as
he realized the safe ground Fulton now
stood upon. Was it possible that thu
wits Of a man Of this low type could
defeat his own?
I'm goin' to quit drinkin', even fel
my health,' Abe went on, the glare OF
half insane man in his eyes. 'You
must a thought l was plumb idiot
that night, an l must "a been actually
full O. liquor"
Il didn't smell it on you. Abe. l wa:
bothered about my boss an the hare
work me an Mary have on our hand:
in the Office. You can have no idea how
awful it is to be in sech tight place al
men her are in
Il remember a little bit O. what
satd-jest sort O. like a dream, 70,