The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1919-02-06

Uncle Peabody, keeping his temper,
shook his head and calmly said: mo,
/ amt anything ag'in' you or Amos,
but it's got to be so that a man can
travel the roads o. this town without
gettin' his head blowed Off"
Mr.. Dunkelberg turned to me and
asked:
Are you sure that the stock Of the
gun you saw was brOkenT"
"Yes, strand I'm almost sur It
was Amos that ran away with IT,"
s'Why?"
II picked up a stone and threw II
at him and 1t graZed the left side Of
his face, and the other night l saw
the scar II made"
My aunt and uncle and Mr.. Dunkel-
berg moved with establishment as l
spoke of the scar. Mr.. Grlmshaw,
with keen eyes fixed upon me, gave a
little grunt of incredulity.
Huh Liar" he muttered.
~ am not a liar" / declared with in
~dignation. w~hereupon my aunt angrily
stirred the fire In the stove and Uncle
Peabody put his hand on my arm and
said.
flush. Bartl 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
EN- II / 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"
/ answered: "Yes, sir-I saw the
stone hit and l saw him put his hand
on the place while he was running.
! guess 1t hurt him some."
"Look a here, Baynes," Mr.. Grim
shaw began In that familiar scolding
tone of his, 81 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 we five
years interest"
Aunt Deel gave a gasp and quickly
covered her mouth with her hand.
Uncle Peabody changed color as he
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. l know the danger I'm In.
We're gettin' old. It1l be hard to
start over ag'in an you a 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. l couldn't muzzle him IL
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 MS cane.
Nobody knows anything o. the kind,
Baynes," said Mr.. Dunkelberg. "Of
course Amos never thought o. killing
anybody. He's a harmless kind of a
boy. l 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.
II 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 We what I'll do
tn cancel the hull mortgage"
Again Uncle Peabody rose from his