True to Himself; Or, Roger Strong's Struggle for Place

fore me was not a particularly bright one. I was b

atters at Widow Canby's house. It would be a hardship to pass the night where I was, to say nothing of how I

e home long before this. As near as I could judge it was now an hour or so after noon, and she wou

my charge. To be sure, the latter was locked up in her private secretary; but I felt it to

possible from the bonds which the members of the Model Club had plac

n and the others had done their work well, and the only result of my efforts was to mak

found it an impossibility, and only succeeded

oon gave it up. I was fully three-quarters of a mile from any house and half

rept up. By this time I was quite hungry and tremendously thirsty. But with nothing at hand

arrels, behind which was a quantity of shavings that I fo

was no use worrying about matters, as it would do no good, so I was

ht doze when a noise outside attracted my attentio

he door of the tool house opened and in the dim light I recognized the form of

house was frequently used by men of his stamp. He had as much right there as I

If he did not see me, so much the better. If he did, w

hardly daring to breathe. The man stumbled

he had been drinking heavily, and

"the same old shebang where Aaron Woodward and I parted company four years ago. He's took car

ard's father? It hardly seemed reasonable. I made a rapid calculation and concluded that the meeting must have had something to do w

ille would recognize-hold up, Stumpy, you mustn't repeat that name too often or you'll be mentioning it in

ought forth a short clay pipe which he proceed

t I saw beneath the surface of dirt and dissipation a look of shrewdness and intelligence.

inutes. I wondered what he intended to do, and was

, down at the bottom, Nick Weaver dead, Woodward a rich ma

n? What did the tramp know of the events of the past? As I lay behind the barrels, I earn

that day, seen the man. What, then,

ownfall, because I firmly believed him innocent. Why I should do so I cannot to this day expl

with a heavy and vile smoke which gave me all I could do to keep from coughing. T

ain't anything like a good puff to steady a man's nerves. Was a time when I didn't need it, but them

shment. Was this man speaking of Mrs. Can

er absence he contemplated robbing her house. Perhaps he had overheard her make mention of the mo

wasn't for the noise I'd shoot the dog; but it won't do to arouse the neighbor

t of my present helplessness. Had I been free, I am sure I cou

use, and the nearest neighbor lived a full five hundred feet away

would not liberate me, and he would know that he had nothing to fear from me at th

ing when he would star

no good at all. If you'd only let liquor alone you might be as rich as Aaron Woodward, remember that." He gave something like a sigh. "Oh, well; let it pass. I'll get the tools and be on the way. The money in m

around in his pockets for a match; for a moment later there were several sl

them tools? Ah, yes; I remem

d over to where