The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1919-07-05

I0IC tner0 dICeT WOrklu IOuE uayS.
They gave him fourteen shillins an
he was goin' to take the stage In the
mornin'. He left some time In the
night an took Beekman's rifle with
him, so they said. There was piece
O. wood broke out O. the stock O. the
rife. That was the kind o. gun that
was used in the murder"
1t surprised me that my uncle knew
all this. He had said nothing to me
Of his journey or its result.
"How do you known" snapped Mr..
Grimshaw.
"This boy see 1t plain. It was a
gun with piece O. wood broke out
O. the stock"
'Is that so?" was the brusque de-
mand Of the money lender az he
turned to me.
Eyes, sir" I answered.
"The boy les" he snapped, and
turning to my uncle added: eyer mad
cause I'm tryin' to make We pay yer
honest debts-ain't We now?"
Uncle Peabody, keeping his temper,
shook his head and calmly said: ''No,
1 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 bowed Off"
Mr.. Dunkelberg turned to me and
asked:
"Are you sure that the stock of the
gun you saw was broken3'
"Yes, sir--and I'm almost sure III
was Amos that ran away wftn i'll
"Why?"
II picked up a stone and threw 1t
at him and it grazed the left side Of
his face, and the other night I saw
the scar 1t made"
My aunt and uncle and Mr.. Dunkel-
berg moved with establishment as /
spoke of the scar. Mr.. Grimshaw,
with keen eyes fixed upon me, gave a
little grunt Of incredulity.
"Huh !-Liarp he muttered.
II am not a lar" 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:
flush, Bartl Keep your temper,
son."
eff you tell these things you may
be the means Of sending an innocent
boy to his DEATH" Mr.. Dunkelberg said
to me. IT 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 you?"
answered: Eyes, sir--I saw the
stone hit and I saw him put his hand
on the place while he was running.
guess it hurt him some"
Look a. here, Baynes," Mr.. Grim
shaw began in that familiar scolding
tone of his, II 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 i've
years interest"
Aunt Deel gave gasp and quickly
covered her mouth with her hand.
Uncle Peabody changed color as he
rose from his chair with 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 huh
truth. l 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 cats paw, but this
boy has got to tell the truth right out
plain. couldn't muzzle him If
tried !, too much of 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 q
boy. ] know him well and SO do you.
Under the circumstances Mr.. Grim
shaw ~ afraid that Bart's story will
make it difficult for Amos to prove
his innocence"
Uncle Peabody shock his head with
a look Of flrmnesa