The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-10-16

WApul ne met race 10 race at the cor ner of Main and Sickle Streets one hne morning in May Now any one iD Tinkietown would tell you that it was the sheerest folly to address Uncle Dad in q huHhed voice. MT. spr&tt knew>this as well as he knew bis own name. so 1t should be easy 10 understand that the news" was of somewhat awe-inspiring nature. Ordinarily Newt was & loud-mouthed. joviai soul; you could hear him farther and usually longer than any ether male citizen in Tinkletown. But now, he hpoke in 8 hushed voice.
 Uncle Dad put his hand up to his left ear and said "Hey?" This seemed to bring Mir. spratt to his senses. He started violently, stared hard for 8 moment at the octogenar- ian, and then strode off down Main Street, shaking his head as much as to say, There must be something the matter with me. Nobody ever speaks to him unlesH he has to-
 And Uncle Dad. after gazing for a long time at the retreating figure. re- sumed his shuffiing progress up Main Street, pleasantly satisfied that Newt had gone to the trouble to tell him 1t was nice day. The sun was shin ing brightly, but Newt was not a happy man.
 He was not happy man for the simple reason that everybody else in town had heard the news" long be- fore 1t reached him.
 The more Newt thought of 1t, the more he realized that 1t was his duty to go back and look up Uncle Dad Simms, even though it meant yelling his head of when he found him; it was a moral certainty that the only person in Tinkletown who hadn't heard 1t was Uncle Dad-and he would take lot of telling.
 The Weekly Banner would not be out till the following day; for at least twenty hours Uncle Dad would remain in the densest ignorance of the sensation that had turned Tinkle- town completely upside down Some body ought to tell poor old Uncle Dad Simms, that was all there was about 1t.
 Moved by sharp thrill of benevo- lence, MT. Spratt retraced his steps. an eager look in his eyes. He found the old man standing in the \broad, open door of Bill Kepsars blacksmith shop.
 Newt took him by the arm and led him away. He was going to tell him the news" but he wasn't going to tell it to him there. The only place to tell Uncle Dad anything was over in the Town Hall, provided it was rnoccupied. and thither he conducted the eXpeetant old man.
 Are they goin to hold the Inquest as soon as all this?" shouted Uncle Dad, putting his lips as close as pos sible to Newt's ear.
 Newt stopped in his tracks.
 Have you heard it?" he bel lowed.
 Speak up! Speak up." com plained Uncle Dad. "You needn't be afraid of him hearin' you, Newt, He's been dead for six or eight hours"
 My God!" groaned Newt.
 As Newt turned gloomily into the alley leading np to his back gate, he espied the Marshal of Tinkletown, Anderson Crow, leisurely approach Ing from the opposite direction. MT. Crow, on catching sight of Newt, hastily removed something from his mouth and held 1t behind his back. Perceiving that 1t was nobody but Newt Spratt, he restored the object to his lips and began pulling away at it-but not until he had sent a fur tive glance over his shoulder
 Anything new. Anderson?"
 The marshal responded with slow, almost imperceptible shake of the head. He was gazing rehectively at couple of English sparrows perched on one of the telephone wires some distance down the line.
 Newt experienced a sudden over advised him to go slow. There re- malned the possibility that Anderson might be capable of stimulation.
 Where's the body?" he inquired, casually.
 Marshal Crows gaze deserted the sparrows and fixed itself on Newts ear
 "The what?"
 His companionj exhaied a tremen- dous breath of satisfaction. Life was suddenly worth living. The Marshal of Tinkletown had not heard the news" The marshal. himselfi
 well, by Gosh," exclaimed the re- viviied Mir. Spratt. Where have you been at?"
 That's my business snapped Anderson.
 All I got to say is that you ought to be attendin' to it, if it's your busi- ness" said Newt loftily. You're the marshal of this here town. ain't you? And everybody in town knows that Jake Miller is dead except you. You're fine marshall" There was witheripg scorn in Newt's voice. He even manifested an inclination to walk eff and leave the marshal with out further enlightenment.
 Anderson made valiant effort to conceal his astonishment. Assuming more or less indifferent air. he calmly remarked: e
 T knowed Jake was little under the weather, but 1 didn't think it was serious. When did he diee
 "He didn't die" said Newt He hung himself"
 Whats thats" gasped Anderson. his jaw sagging.
 Hung himself some time last night" : went on Newt joyously. ''Fron, rafter in Ed Higgins livery stable. With clothesline. Kicked . steplacder out from under himself.
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