Evening star., 1918-04-14
THE EXPLOITS OF SIIAGBARK JONES y BY Ellis Parker Bals

He had put the body over the ~ -
the boat. but he hadn't YET Hfte9 pto
the river the stone that was 20 e1nx le
out Of sight forever. SO. wnsn tnsy
pretended he was getting the oody 0ut.
But he never thought OF the dry stone
Maybe he won't think OF un1 !
"but he is thinking OF something. Hs
is thinking now Of how Shagpafx ~
the man of mystery. ana he ts wonoer~
ing who took the stone and the end ck
rope out of his boat last night. As -
thinking: -Shagbark will know . sui
eide wouldn't tie his feet and then his
neck and then his waist. Shagberk
win wonder why the suicide , used the
''wasrit that roper asked Alies.
Look at it." said. Shagbark. ~You
can see where the rope Is worn ana
bent where It went around the rans'
Allie, the empty ring on the bow OF
Henry Houses boat.
'sThey were in the large cabin OF the
boat. Orlando and Pete were on tne
rear deck arranging bottles OF shay
bark oil and boxes Of shagbark nni-
ment in cases against the next saiea
''It's goin' to be the bulliest mystery
''Blg crowd, Allie. and nobody ex-
g The stars cannot lie fn shout: Man
can lie. but the cold stars OF the
heavens tell lne lTulH. &ASAcSs
you murdered Ben Bratma,n!"
NO" said voice at the door OK tne
cabin.
Chicken Coop. standing there his
shoulders bent and his face drawn
with worry.
him. / never killed anybody in my
life. why. look at me. Mr.. Jones
look in my face-can't you sec I
wouldn't kill no man? I'm mean and
murderer. II amt got nerve to DO
murder. God Almighty! Can't you sec
I amt got nerve to do such thingr
IF You didn't murder him. who didr.
Nobody" said Henry House. He
drowned himself. don't know when
or how. I found him in the river"
sarcasticaIly You found him in thsi
river! And then you pulled out that
stone first and dried It nice and dry
NO." said Henry House. That Wa
pulled him into the boat and vent
through his pockets and found eight
hundred dollars in one OF them: so =
took my painter rope and tied him up
like you saw him, and I tied the stone
TO the rope. I was putin him over the,
side of the boat into the river when
Mack and Wenty came along.
you. just thought maybe hsd be
stone tied to him." sneered Shasbark.
You pulled him out of the river, and
found eight hundred dollars on hin.
and left t. there and put him back IN
"Yesr said Henry House. ''Yes. I didI
that"
"And that's the best story you can
make up. Henry" sneered shasbsrk
"It's the truth" said Henry House.
He turned. for the door had darksned.
His daughter Josie stood there.
tOh, are you here. dad?" she cried
ST come down because-because I was
scared folks might think wrong Of you;
I Thought maybe the mystery man could
help me-help me. I'm glad you came
.Keep still. Josie" her father ordered,
The girl ciasped here hands Almost
involuntarily Alice put her hand on me,
girls arm. comforting her.
"And why, Henry House." asked shng-
bark, ''did you pull a dead man out OF the
river and load stone onto him and put
him back again2'
The river-man looked shasbark mir IN,
the eye It was the truth he spoke Tor
his eyes were unafraid.
There was money on him." he sid.
There was $500 on him. Well. he was
Ben Bratman. who everybody knowed.
didn't know he was thief: hadn't
heard. And I need money! always need
money-but I'm not thief. Josie knows
that-don't you. Josie? So put tho
money back in his pocket and fixed to put
him in the river. SO he would stay where
put him until -"
''Until?"
Until they offered a reward for bis
body" said Henry House. sometimes call
ed Chicken Coop. Because when they
suspect folks is drowned they always Offer
a reward I was Eoin' to find him when
the reward was offered"
shagbark turned his head toward thsl
rear deck.
Pete" he howled.
"Yas, boss"
For the lands sake. you an Orlando
stop wastin' the whole dod-whillixed ait
erToon and get to work iearnin' that new
songi We got to have something to hold
the crowd tonight. dod-whix it! We got
to have new songs or something in town
like this when we amt got no mystery"
For what Henry Chicken Coop House
had done was exactly what ShagbarlS
Jones-the old rascal-would have done
under similar circumstances, and he knew
there was no mystery about 1t.