Mark Manning's Mission

old Whitey committing suicide. The deaco

hat you think the critter shot herse

iller, I have

in' that you shot her," sa

dn't shoot her, but I have

t," remarked the deacon,

y a two-legged

n' that brings it home to you. You was out with

t. I was crossing the pasture, and was attracted by the poor anima

d the deacon, impatiently, "but if

can be answered, Deac

se, John came into the

"will you tell the de

" objected John; "it w

" queried the d

ver fired a gu

id it,

I tell

now; even if it was not done on purpose, the

k sense, Mark," said t

was Jim

ire's son!" repeated t

es

ce more. The deacon, it is needless

way, did they?" he

s,

ave run away, too, if

ed John, ingenuously. "I

e loss to me, and I mean he shall." Then, with a momentary suspicion, "This

your cow, I wouldn't have run away, but I'd have gone right to you a

beginning to regard Mark with more favor. "Well, I must go a

o go home,"

t prove it

saw it done, and am ready to s

if I send for you,

s,

mportant business, and he left the cottage, taking the shortest di

d, ran away as fast as their legs could carry the

w, had seen them, and they

d to supper. After supper the boys we

hough he believed that he was

con has found old Wh

om. "He usually goes aft

he'll think

'll lay i

much disturbed at

be a good jo

for M

himself. He was out wit

or the cow," said Tom, who was rathe

s. And, Tom, there's somet

ah

o to saying it's a mistake. Reme

fortable, having

woman like Mrs. Manning havin

re known that I shot the cow, father would make me pay at least half the

I

Mark, the deacon can't prove it ag

will lose his cow

. He's a stingy o

true e

f he does lose the cow.

tly the way to regard the matter, but he did not like to offend James, and

with his friend. He was not al

go back on me, and breathe a word of what happened in the

? did I say I was?" dema

thing understood between us, I didn't real

between the two boys, and it looked as if Mark

just looming in sight on the highway. It was not a formidable figure-that of Deac

n't that Deacon Mille

enough!" answered Tom,

coming here?" queri

e it?" mut

he can have--h

t with guns?" suggested Tom. "He

ok as if there was anything the matter.

rig

be coming he

, and opening it entered the front yard. He looked s

ype="