Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1919-03-18

his face, and the other night 1 saw
the scar it made"
My aunt and uncle and Mr.. Dunkel-
berg moved with establishment as I
spoke of the scar. Mr.. Grimshaw,
with keen eyes fixed upon me, gave
little grunt of incredulity.
Huh LIAR" he muttered.
81 am not liar" 1 declared with in
dignation, whereupon my aunt angrily
stirred the fire In the stove and Uncle
Peabody put his hand on my arm and
said:
"Hush, BartI Keep your temper.
son."
IF you tell these things you may
be the means of sending an innocent
boy to his DEATH" Mr.. Dunkelberg said
TO me. II wouldn't be too sure about
'em if I were you. It's so easy to be
mistaken. You couldn't be sure in the
dusk that the stone really hit him.
could your
l answered: "Yes, sir-I saw the
stone hit and saw him put his hand
on the place while he was running.
l guess it hurt him some"
'Look a. here, Baynes," Mr.. Grim
shaw began In that familiar scolding
tone of his, ST know what you want
an we might jest as well git right
down to business first as last. You
keep this boy still an I'll give ye five
years interest"
Aunt Deel gave gasp and quickly
covered her mouth with her hand.
Uncle Peabody changed color as lie
rose from his chair with a strange look
on his face. He 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 walked
to the water pail and drank out of
the dipper.
"Say, Mr.. Grimshaw, I'm awful sorry
for ye," said my uncle as he returned
to his chair, but I've always learnt
this boy to tell the truth an the hull
truth. 1 know the danger I'm in.
We're gettin' old. It'll be hard to
start over ag'in an you can ruin US
if We want to an I'm as scared O. We
as a mouse in a cats paw, but this
boy has got to tell the truth right out
plain. 1 couldn't muzzle him if l
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.. Dunkelberg. "Of
course Amos never thought o. killing
anybody. He's harmless kind of a
boy. 1 know him well and so do you.
Under the circumstances Mr.. Grim
shaw is afraid that Bart's story will
make 1t difficult for Amos to prove
his innocence"
Uncle Peabody shook his head With
a look of firmness.
Again Grimshaw laughed between
his teeth as he looked at my uncle
In his view every man had his price.
81 see that I'm the mouse an you're
the cat" he resumed, as that curious
laugh ratified in his throat. Look a
here, Baynes. I'll tell ye what I'll do.
I'll cancel the hull mortgage"
Again Uncle Peabody rose from his
chair with a look in his face which I
have never forgotten. How his voice
rang out
'No, sirr he shouted so loudly that
we all jumped to our feet and Aunt
Deel covered her face with her apron
and began to cry. 1t was like the ex-
plosion of a blast. Then the frag-
ments began falling with loud crash:
mo, SIR! YE CAN'T BUY THE
NAIL ON MY LITTLE FINGER OR
HIS WITH ALL YER MONEY
D@N YOU!"
It was like the shout of Israel from
the top of the mountains. Shep
bounced into the house with hair on
end and the chickens cackled and the
old rooster clapped his wings and
crowed with all the power of his lungs.
Every member of that little group
stood stock still and breathless.
| trembled with a fear l could not
have defined. Mr.. Grimshaw shuf1ed
Out VI TIE uOOIY HIS CduC tapping TIC
floor as if his arm had been stricken
with palsy in a moment.
Mr.. Dunkelberg turned to my aunt,
his face scarlet, and muttered an apol-
ogy for the disturbance and followed
the money lender.
"Come on, Bart" Uncle Peabody
called cheerfully, as he walked toward
the barnyard. Lets go an git in
them but'nuts."
He paid no attention to our visi-
tors-neither did my aunt, who fol-
lowed US. The two men talked to-
gether a moment. unhitched their
horses, got into their buggies and
drove away.
"Wal, I'm surprised at Mr.. Horace
Dunkelberg tryin' to come it over US
like that-ayes BE-" said Aunt Deel.
oval, I amt" said Uncle Peabody.
"Ol' Grimshaw has got him under his
thumb-that's what's the matter.