Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1932-09-09


ing evidence. In spite Of their IA
miliarity with every detail of it, the
boys stood firmly for their friend.
| Their voices were the only ones that
had word to say in favor of the sus-
/ pected man. They were openly crlti-
cized for being the friends of a muir
derer.
| 1t was nearing nine O'Clock OF a
chilly November night. The usual
band of murder gossipers had left the
store of Ephraim Smithers. He and
his young clerk were getting ready to
close. Suddenly BOny Squares en-
tered. He had been running and was
breathing hard. Shad was in the
front end of the store stacking some
tools. Bony was excited. He whis-
pered to his young friend.
by Jeedix!" he exclaimed, quoting
the favorite oath of old Bumpy Brown,
"rve run q mile. 'Fraid I'd be too
late I've learnt a lot o. things. an
I've got to have a talk with you. Ask
OIL fur-face if you can come and stay
all night with me-"
Always Bony had been wont to
speak Of the bearded Smithers as "old
fur-face."
Shad knew that the request was
full of danger, but he felt that he
must hear what Bony had to say, even
II 1t involved his dismissal
He asked for permission to spend
the night with his friend. Mr.. Smith
ers turned upon him with a vexed
look. He never got angry.
do you want to lose your jobT
he queried, In tender tone.
"No, SIR" Shad answered. II am
not so happy here as l was. But +
I'd hate to lose the job and your
your friendship. sir. You and Mrs
Smithers have been good to me-"
Il guess we'd better settle up to-
morrow" said the man. There's a
lot Of talk about you an Bony. but ]
haven't anything against you. 1 wish
you WELL"
Shad went with Bony to his little
garnet room.
I'm glad you've quit rasslin' with
spittoOns an molasses jugs and kero-
sene cans" said Rony. I've got six
dollars saved up. How much have you
goti"
twenty-five dollars" Shad an
swered proudly.
wen just hang on to It an make
1t 60 as fur as we can. We've got a
job to do for oil Bumpy Brown. Some
one is tryin' to saddle this murder on
him, an he amt no more guilty than
you an be-not a Bit I've been
down to Ashfield an I've got some
news First read that"
He took from his pocket a poster
which he had torn from q telegraph
pole in Ashfield. It said:
REWARD!
II will pay $1,000 for the conyic-
ton Of the criminal who wounded my
wife and killed her father.
"CYRUS DOOL1TT1E."
Maybe We can make a lot O.
money" Bony went on. IF we do,
wen 60 snucks. I'll tell We why it
amt Bumpy Brown. You remember
that man you see down the road that
/ got over the fence an went behind
Doty's barn. That must "a been
about FIVE minutes after seven. You
thought, but couldn't be sure, that he
wore a broad-brimmed hat. Forty
minutes later Jack Labarge met a
man two miles down the road in the
dark. He had a broad-brimmed hat
on. He was walkin' like Sam Hill
towards Ashfeld. He limped like
Bumpy Brown. 1t was so dark Jack
couldn't see his face Away down just
above the road that goes into the
village Henry Lockwood comm home
in a hay wagon met a man wearin'
broad-brimmed hat. he was walk
in fast. He had his hat tilted side
ways so Henry couldn't see his face.
The moon was out then. This man
didn't limp. There's a funny thing
about 1t. He didn't limp. Henry Is
sure O. that. 1t was within half a
mile of Ashfield an most two mile
below Bumpy's on the other side o.
the river. Henry says It was a little
after eight O'Clock.
"They say that the Bensons' hired
girl passed the same man almost in
the edge O. the village a little later.
but / didn't have time to look her up
today. Do We see how it all jibes-
the time an the broad-brimmed hat
an the fast walkin'f Who was this
man with the broad-brimmed hat who
left here right after the murder an
lodged you because you had a lantern
an went of the roadi Why did he
hide his head behind his hat brim
when Henry Lockwood passed him?
I say that was the murderer"
Shad was thrilled by the news that
Bony gave.
In a moment they heard some one
coming up the stairs. Then a rap at
the door. Bony opened It. Doctor
Gorse-a tall, thin, smooth-shaved
gray-haired, kindly man, stood before
them.
These two boys had interested the
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