The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1919-03-06

hAoW dOOuI luuL muTueT.
oval, I had some business over to
Plattsburg," my uncle began. "While
/ was there I thought I'd go and see
Amos. So I drove out to Beekman's
farm. T!-y told me that Amos had
left there after workin' four days.
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
rifle. 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 know?" snapped Mr..
Grlmshaw.
"This boy see it plain. It was
gun with a piece o. wood broke out
o. the stock"
as that sol" was tNe brusque de-
mand of the money lender as he
turned to me.
Eyes, sir" answered.
'The boy lies" he snapped, and
turning to my uncle added: Eyer mad
cause I'm tryln' to make We pay yer
honest debts-ain't We now?"
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 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 broken?"
eyes, sir-and I'm almost sure II
was Amos that ran away with it."
"Why?"
II picked up a stone and threw 1t
at him and 1t grazed the left side of
his face, and the other night I saw
the scar it 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 !-LiarT he muttered.
81 am not liar" 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, Bart! 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 / 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"
I answered: ayes, 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, 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 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. I know the danger I'm in.
We're gettin' old. It'll be hard to
start over agin an you can ruin us
IL We want to an I'm as scared o. We
as mouse In a cats paw, but this
boy has got to tell the truth right out
plain. couldn't muzzle him If I
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 viii
make it difficult for Amos to prove
his innocence"
Uncle Peabody shook his head with
look Of flrmness.