Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-07-01
CHAPTER x.
(Continued.J

Aunt Deel gave gasp and quick
" covered her mouth with her
hand. Uncle Peabody changed col
or as he rose from his chair with
strange look on his face. lie
swung his big right hand in the air
as he said;
by the eternal jumpin'-"
He stopped, pulled down the left
sleeve of his flannel shirt and walk
ed TO the water pail and drank out
of the dipper.
THE times are hard" Grimshaw
resumed in a milder tone. These
DAYS the rich men dunno what's
a-comin' to EN-. If you don't have
no interest to pay you ought to git
along easy an give this boy Lne
eddication of a Sile Wright.
There was that in his tone and
face which indicated that IN his
opinion Sile had more dedication
than any man needed.
Say. MIR. Grimshaw, I'm awful
| sorry for ye," said my uncle as he
returned to his chair, but I've al
ways learnt this boy to tell the
truth an the hull truth. l know
| the danger I'm in. We're gettin
old. It'll be hard to start over
ag'i in an you can ruin US if ye want
| to an I'm as scared o ye as a
mouse in a cats paw, but this boy
has got to tell the truth right out
plain. I couldn't muzzle him II |
a, tried-he's too much of a man. If
you're scared O. the truth you mus
know that Amos is guilty"
Mr.. Grimshaw shook his head
with anger and beat the floor with
the end of his cane.
Nobody knows anything o the
kind, Baynes," said Mr.. Dunkel-
berg. "Of course Amos never
thought o killing anybody. He's a
harmless kind of a boy. l know
him well and so do you. The only
thing that anybody ever heard
against him is that he's a little
| lazy. Under the circumstances Mr..
Grimshaw is afraid that Bart's
story will make it difficult for
Amos to prove his innocence. just
think of it. That boy was lost and
wandering around in the woods a.
the time O. the murder. AS to that
scar, Amos says that he ran into 4
stub when he was going through Z
thicket in the night"
Again Grjmshaw laughed be-
tween his teeth as he looked at my
uncle In his view every man had
his price.
4 see that I'm the house an
you're the cat" he resumed, as that
curious laugh ratified in his throat.
Look a here, Baynes, I'll tell We
what I'll do III cancel the hull
mortgage"
! Again Uncle Peabody rose from
his chair with look in his face
which I have never forgotten. How
his voice rang out.
mo sir" heshouted so loudly
that we all jumped TO our feet and
Aunt DeeI covered her face with
her apron and began to cry. 1t was
like the explosion of a blast. Then
the fragments began falling with u
loud crash:
NO, SIR YE CANT BUY TIKI.
NAIL on MY LITTLE FINGER OR
HIS WITH ALL YER MONEY
DAMN YOU"
1t was like the shout of Israel
from the top of the mountains.
/ SEep bounced into the house with
hair on end and the chickens Cack-
led and the old rooster clapped his
wings and crOwed with all the pow
er OF his lungs. Every member OF
that little group stood stock-still
and breathless.
, | trembled with a fear I could net
have defined Quick relief came
when. straightway, my uncle went
out of the room and stood on the
stoop, back toward us, and blew his
! nose vigorously with his big red
handkerchief. He stood still look
ing down and wiping his eyes. Mr.
Grimshaw shuffled out of the door
his cane rapping the floor as if his
arm had been stricken with palsy il
moment.
Mr.. Dunkelberg turned to my
aunt. his face scarlet. and muttered
an apology for the disturbance and
followed the mOney-lender.
| remember that my own eyes
were wet as l went TO my aunt and
kissed her She kissed me-a rare
thing for her to do-and whispered
brckenly but with a smile. Wen