Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-09-06
Too Much
Simplicity
BY ALAN HINSDALE

iAAcc Oi US ueIu up u IFdlu ana got
eway with lot of money there was in
the express car. The citizens livin' by
the road made up posse and got after
as. We separated, each man lookin'
out for himself. l knew of a house
where lived girl that I'd had some
experience with a good while before.
l thought I'd rather risk myself in that
house than any other.
The experience l speak of was this:
| was on the road lookin' out for some
place to make haul when 1 passed a
house that looked kind O. tempting.
knocked at the door, and a very likely
lookin' gal opened it. l told her that
was down on my luck. 1 hadn't had
anything to eat for two days and
wouldn't she give me somep'n to eat.
That's all l wanted-somep'n to eat.
The gal didn't give me a hunk of
bread and slice O. meat and tell me
to move on. She went to work and
cooked me a meal While she was in
the kitchen | was in the livin' room.
had learned that some people are in
c.iled to put valuables in such places
as no one would be expected to hide
EN- in, and that's where I did my In
vestigatin'. l dived into a pair Of old
shoes in closet, a vase on q mantel
and other such places as nobody but
fool or an expert would think of look
in. but didn't find anything. But when
| opened clock that stood in q corner
and swept the bottom with my hand
ran against a stockin'ful o. somep'n.
yanked it out anc opened it and found
it full o bills and gold and silver.
put it in my pocket and said moth
in to the gal about it till after I'd eat
en- the dinner she'd cooked for me.
Then | said to her:
You're a mighty good gal to treat
me so well, and I'm goin' to repay you
for your kindness by givin' you a point
l. you have valuables to hide don't put
'cn in such places as no thief would
be expected to look for 'em. The best
r:Ace for valuables is in a safe. If
ru!'re goin' to keep 'em in your house,
is:.y EN- where any one'll have to dig
up a lot O dirt to find 'em. Thieves
are too lazy to work."
When l had said this I showed her
The stockin' full O. money. You should
seen the expression on her face-an
expression of surprise that I should
have thought to look in the clock for
valuables.
We'll. l Geclarer' she said. "What
made you think Of looking for our valu-
bias at all. and how did you come to
think of looking in the clock? I'm
much obliged for the lesson you've
taught me-"
She put out her hand to take the
swag. Do you know there was such
dead innocence in her that for the life
of me l couldn't make u move to stop
her. I was just paralyzed by her sim
plcity and confidence. She took the
atockin' with all there was in it right
out of my hand. Before she did so !
hal no more idea of returning the find
than | had OF givin' her a ten dollar
Sc.l piece Lad in my pocket. But
ger her display of misplaced conf
Gcnce took half dollar out of my
pocket and offered to pay her for the
G-2rer. But she wouldn't take it.
"The lesson you've taught me is
worth a hundred dinners" she said.
"and shall always remember it."
l just went away without sayin' a
word. 1t didn't strike me how a gal
had come it over me till I'd got away
from her, but didn't go back on what
I'd done. l says to myself, says l,
Let her alone. I may have occasion
some day to vouch for what a pure.
noble good man l am"
And so it was that when they were
after me for holdin' up the train-we
did the job not far from the gals home
Il made for the house and found the
gal mighty glad to see me.
"Theres been holdup of a train on
the railroad" 1 said. "A posse are
lookin' for the robbers. They're takin
up everybody they find. If they come
here just you tell 'em you know me to
be an honest man."
hadn't time to go any further for
there were sounds of horses hoofs
comm full tilt. Several men rode up
to the house and bOlted right In. They
found me readin' good book I'd taken
from the library shelves. But they
poumced on me right off. The gal pro-
tested, and they asked her who was
She told 'em that l was one o the best
men she had ever known in her life.
put on look so good that butter
wouldn't melt in my mouth. Some of
'em said I couldn't be train robber;
didn't look it at all, but one of 'em said
they'd better take me along anyway.
Finally those who wanted to leave me
prevailed and they rode away. But
they hadn't gone far before they came
back, and one on 'em said to the gal:
"What do you know about this man
anyway"
"Why. he come here one day and
asked for something to eat. While
was cooking it for him he taught me a
lessonI'
what leSson?"