The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1919-02-26


cause I'm tryin' to make ye puy yer
honest debts-nin't ye nowT"
Uncle Peabody. keeping his temper,
shook his head and calmly said: mo,
l amt anything agin' you or Amos,
but it's got to be so that a man can
travel the roads o. this town without
gettin' his head hlowed of.
Mr.. Dunkelberg turned 20 me and
asked: M
"Are you sure that the stock of the
gun you saw was broken7"
"Yes, sir-and I'm almost sure II
was Amos that ran away with IT,"
"Why?'
81 picked up stone and threw II
at him and II grazed the left side of
his face, and the other night i saw
the scar II made"
Ny 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 i-Aarp he muttersd.
81 am not q liar" declared with In
dignation, whereupon my aunt angrily
stirred the IRE In the stove and Uncle
Peabody put his hand on my arm and
said:
Hush. Bart Keep your temper.
son."
"f 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"
/ answered: "Yes, sir-I saw the
stone hit and saw him put his hand
on the place while he was running.
/ guess II 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
4 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. / know the danger I'm in.
We're gettin' old. It'll be hard to
start over ag'in an you can ruin us
II 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. / couldn't muzzle him IL ]
tried-he's too much of a man. II
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 a 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 Ii 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
I'll cancel the hull mortgage"
Again Uncle Peabody rose from his
chair with a look In his face which !
have never forgotten. How his voice
rang out
"No, sir ~ he shouted so loudly thai
we all jumped to our feet and Aunt
Deel covered her face with her apron
and began to cry. 1t was like the exc
plosion OF a blast. Then the frag
ments began falling with loud crash,
"NO, SIR! We CAN'T BUY TIKI
NAIL ON MY LITTLE FINGER OF
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