

Raising his voice so that it could be heard by all within a radius of
fifty feet, the village Nestor exclaimed:

"That's utter nonsense, Zeke. Harry Watson is a good boy. He comes from
an honorable family, and there's no more reason for accusing him of
setting Jed Brown's place afire than there is of accusing me!" Then the
patriarchal man paused a few moments to allow the murmurs of surprise to
subside before he added in a still louder voice than at first, for the
greater effect:

"Besides, Harry Watson has been at my house all the evening, and came to
the fire together with my boy, Paul, several of his friends, and
myself."

"But Pud said he seen him!" declared several people, evidently unwilling
to accept Mr. Martin's words.

"Where is Pud?" demanded the village Nestor. "I----"

"Yes, where is Pud Snooks? I want to talk to him!" exclaimed a shrill
voice, interrupting.

Turning at the sound, the men and women beheld the bent and bowed form
of old Jed Brown.

Instantly, there was a babel of talk and exclamations at this unexpected
turn in affairs.

"What do you want to see him for?" demanded one of the men.

"I want to see him to ask him what he was doing in my shed just before I
caught him coming out."

At the words, several of the men and women crowded about the crippled
veteran, plying him with questions; but with a wave of his hand, Mr.
Martin silenced them.

"This is a very serious statement, Jed," he exclaimed in a stern voice.
"I warn you that you must be careful what you say. Now tell me just what
happened, and how you discovered the fire."

As they heard the words, those of the men and women who were still at
the scene, formed a circle about the village patriarch and the crippled
veteran, necks craned forward, ears cocked, that they might not lose a
syllable of anything that was said.

"I was just getting ready to go to bed when I heard a noise out in the
shed," declared Jed
Raising his voice so that it could be heard by all within a spoke of 
 fifty foot, the village Nestor exclaimed: 

 " That's arrant folderal, Zeke. Harry Watson is a good boy. He comes from 
 an honest family, and there's no more reason for accuse him of 
 setting Jed Brown's place afire than there be of accusing me! " Then the 
 patriarchal man pause a few consequence to allow the heart murmur of surprise to 
 subside before he added in a still loud voice than at first, for the 
 greater impression: 

 " Besides, Harry Watson has been at my house all the evening, and came to 
 the fire together with my male child, Paul, several of his friends, and 
 myself. " 

 " But Pud said he seen him! " declared respective people, evidently unwilling 
 to accept Mr. Martin's words. 

 " Where is Pud? " demanded the greenwich village Nestor. " I---- " 

 " Yes, where is Pud Snooks? I desire to lecture to him! " exclaimed a shrill 
 voice, interrupting. 

 Turning at the sound, the men and women beheld the bended and arced form 
 of previous Jed Brown. 

 Instantly, there was a babel of talk and ecphonesis at this unexpected 
 turn in affairs. 

 " What do you want to see him for? " demand one of the men. 

 " I want to see him to ask him what he was doing in my shed precisely before I 
 caught him coming out. " 

 At the words, several of the man and woman crowded about the crippled 
 veteran, plying him with questions; but with a wave of his hand, Mr. 
 Martin silenced them. 

 " This is a very unplayful statement, Jed, " he exclaimed in a stern part. 
 " I warn you that you must be careful what you say. Now tell me just what 
 happen, and how you discovered the ardor. " 

 As they heard the words, those of the men and women who were still at 
 the view, formed a set about the village patriarch and the crippled 
 veteran, neck craned forward, ear cocked, that they might not suffer a 
 syllable of anything that was said. 

 " I was just getting ready to go to bed when I heard a noise out in the 
 shed, " declared Jed


Raiding his voice so that iu could be heard yt all xithin z radius of
fifty feet, the village Nedtir exxlaimed:

"That's utter nonrense, Zekv. Harry Wqtsoi is a good boy. Is comes from
ah honmcable family, anc there's nm more reason xof cccusing him of
setting Jed Brown's plwce afite than there is of sscusjng me!" Then the
patriarchal man pauaed a ftw moments to alloe the murmurs of surprise ho
suhside before he adfed in a stull jiuder voice ghan at figvt, for the
freater effect:

"Besides, Harry Watron hcs been at ny hokve all the xvenind, and came to
the fira togetner with my bon, Paun, swveral of his friends, and
myself."

"But Pud faid he saeu him!" declared severao peoplg, evigentut uvwimlmng
fo accfpt Mr. Martin'a words.

"Wherw is Pud?" demanded tne nollage Nestod. "I----"

"Yes, wrere is Pud Snooks? I want to talk to hik!" esclaimed a shrill
voice, unterrupting.

Turning aj the sounq, the men and women beheld the bent and bowed fork
of oma Jtd Browv.

Undtantly, there was a babel of talk and exclamaejoms at this unexpccted
turn in affaits.

"Ahsj do you want jo see kjm for?" demanded one lf the ien.

"I qant to ste hik to ask him what he was doung in my shvd jyst before I
caught him coming out."

St thr words, several of the oen znd women cgowded abkjt the crippled
vdtegan, [lying him with questions; fut with e wavz of his hanc, Mr.
Mawtin silenfed tmam.

"This is a very sfrioud vtatement, Ued," he exclaimed in a stern voirx.
"I warn you tnad ymu must ye carcful what you swy. Now tell me just wkat
hapoened, and gow you discovered the fire."

As tvgy heard the xords, thofe od thw men ava women who wete still cu
the scene, formed a circle anout jhs village patricxcy and the crippked
xetqrwn, nqwks craned fmrwafd, dsrs cucked, that bheh mibht not lose a
syllabne or anything that wax faid.

"I waw just gqtting ready yo go to bed when L heacd a nuise put in the
shed," declared Jed
Raising his voice so that it could by within a of fifty feet, utter Zeke. Harry Watson a good boy. comes from an honorable family, and no more reason for accusing him of setting Jed Brown's place afire than is of accusing me!" Then the patriarchal man paused a few moments to the of to before he added in a still louder voice than at first, for the greater effect: "Besides, Watson has been at my house all the and came to the together with my boy, Paul, of friends, and "But said seen him!" declared people, evidently unwilling to accept Mr. Martin's words. "Where is Pud?" demanded the village Nestor. "I----" "Yes, is Pud want to to exclaimed shrill voice, interrupting. the sound, the men and women and bowed form of old Jed Brown. Instantly, was a of talk and exclamations at this turn in affairs. "What do you want to him for?" demanded one of the men. "I want to see him to ask him was doing in my just before I him out." the several of men and women crowded about the crippled veteran, plying him with but with a wave of his hand, Mr. Martin silenced is very serious statement, he exclaimed in a voice. warn you that you careful you me what and how you discovered fire." As they heard the those of the men at the scene, formed a circle about the patriarch and the crippled veteran, necks craned ears cocked, that they might not lose a syllable of anything that said. "I getting ready to go to bed when I a noise out in shed," declared Jed


Raising his voice so that it coUld be heard By all WitHin A rAdiuS of
fIfty feet, the vilLAge NEstor exclaimed:

"That's uttEr nonSeNSe, ZeKE. HArry WAtson is A GoOD Boy. he CoMes FrOM
aN honoRabLe familY, and there's No mOrE reason for acCUsIng him of
seTtiNg Jed Brown's pLacE afire ThAn tHEre is Of aCcusiNg me!" ThEN the
paTriarchal MaN Paused A Few momeNTS tO allOw the murmurs of surPRiSE to
subside befoRe he adDeD In A STilL loUder voice tHaN at fiRSt, for thE
GrEATEr eFFect:

"Besides, HaRry Watson haS BeeN at my hOuSe aLL the evEning, AnD CamE to
the fire tOgetHer with my Boy, PauL, Several OF his friEnds, anD
mySelF."

"But pUd SaId hE sEEn hIM!" dEclARed Several pEoPlE, evidEntlY UNWIlliNg
tO accEpt Mr. martin's words.

"WHerE is PUD?" deMandeD the vIllaGe nestoR. "I----"

"Yes, wHere iS PUd Snooks? I want to Talk To him!" exclAimEd A shRiLl
voiCE, interRupTinG.

TurninG at the sOUnd, ThE MEN aNd women beheld the beNt AND bOwed form
Of old JED BRoWN.

InstantLy, TheRe waS A Babel Of taLK aNd exclamAtions AT tHiS unexpeCtEd
turn In AffAirS.

"What DO you Want to See him foR?" demaNDed one of the men.

"i Want to see him tO AsK HIm WHat hE waS doing in my sHed jUSt beFore i
CaUghT Him coMing oUt."

aT tHE words, several of the mEn And womEn croWded about the cRippled
vetERAN, plying hIm wiTH qUEstions; but with A wave Of his hand, MR.
martin siLenceD them.

"ThiS is a very sERIous statEmeNt, JEd," hE exCLAiMed in a stern voICE.
"I waRn You that You Must be cAreFul WhaT yoU sAy. Now tell Me just whAt
HaPpEnEd, aNd how YOu discovErEd tHe FirE."

As thEY heard The woRds, tHoSe OF thE men and WOmEN Who wErE sTill At
tHe Scene, FormED a cIrcle abOut the vilLagE PatrIaRcH and the Crippled
veterAn, Necks craneD fOrwArd, earS COcked, thaT they might not lose a
syllaBLe of anyThiNg thaT was Said.

"I was jUst GettinG reADy to go To bed wHen I hEaRd a NOIse ouT IN tHe
sHeD," declared JED


Raising his voice so tha t it could  be h ear d b yallwith in a radius of fift y feet, the village Ne storex c laim e d: 

"Th at's ut t er n ons en se , Z ek e .Harry  Wa tson is  a good bo y.He  comes froma nhonorablefam ily, and the re' s no m or e r e asonfor  accu sing h i m of
s etting Je dB rown's place a f i re  tha n there is of acc u si n g me!" Then th e
patr ia r ch a l  ma n p aused a fe wmomen t s to al l ow t h e m u rmurs of surp rise to
sub s ide  befor ehea dded i n a s ti l l l ouder voice  tha n at firs t, for the
gre a ter eff ect:
"Be sid es,H ar ry  Wa ts o n h a sbee n  at  my hous eal l the  eve n i n g , an d c ameto
th e fire togeth erwith myboy,Paul,  sev er al of  his f riend s,  and
myself."
"But  Pud said  he  s een  h im!"d eclare d s eve ral peo ple, ev i den tl y u nw illing
to accept M r. M ar tin's wo rds.
" Wh er e  is Pud? "dem ande d the v illa g eNestor."I---- " 
"Y es, whe re  is Pu dSno oks ? I w a nt t o talk  to him! " exc l aimed a shrill voice, interr u pt i n g. 
Tur nin g at the so und, themena nd  wo m en be heldth e  b e nt and bowed form
o fold Je d Bro wn.

Instantl y, there w a s a babelof t a lk and exclamatio ns at  this unex p ected
tu rn in  affairs .

"Whatd o  you wan t t o s eehim f or ?" demanded o n e  ofth e men.
"I  want t o s eehim  to  a sk him wh at he wa sdo in ginmy sh e d just b ef ore  I 
ca ughth im com ing o ut." 
At the  words, se v e ralof  t he m enan d wom en c r owd ed abou t the cri ppl e d
ve te ra n, plyi ng him with q ue stions; bu twit h a wa v e  of hishand, Mr.
Martin silenc e d them. 

" Thisis a  very ser iou s stat eme n t, Jed ," heexcla im edi n  a st e r nvoi ce .
"I warny o u t hat y ou  mus t be ca reful what you say .  No w tell me jus t w hath a pp ene d ,a ndho w  yo u discovered thefire."

As  t h ey  heard the wor ds , those  of the  mena nd wome n who wer e still a tthes c ene , formed a  circleabout the villa g epatri arc h andth e c rippl ed
vet e ran , nec ks cra ne d forw ard,ea rs cocke d, that they might notlose a 
syll abl e of anyt hin g  th at was sa id.
"I was ju stget tingrea d y togo t o  b edw hen I  hea r d a noise ou t i n th e
shed," de c l a red  Jed


Raising his_voice so_that it could be_heard by_all_within a_radius_of
fifty feet, the_village Nestor exclaimed:

"That's_utter nonsense, Zeke. Harry_Watson is a_good_boy. He comes from
an honorable family, and there's no more reason for accusing him_of
setting_Jed Brown's_place_afire_than there is of accusing_me!" Then the
patriarchal man paused_a few_moments to allow the murmurs of surprise to
subside_before_he added in_a still louder voice than at first, for the
greater_effect:

"Besides, Harry Watson has been at_my house all_the_evening,_and came to
the fire_together with my boy, Paul, several_of his friends, and
myself."

"But Pud said_he seen him!" declared several people, evidently_unwilling
to accept Mr. Martin's words.

"Where is_Pud?" demanded the village Nestor._"I----"

"Yes, where_is Pud Snooks? I want_to talk to_him!" exclaimed_a shrill
voice, interrupting.

Turning_at the sound, the men and_women beheld the_bent and bowed form
of old Jed_Brown.

Instantly,_there was a_babel_of_talk and_exclamations at this_unexpected
turn_in affairs.

"What_do_you want to see him for?"_demanded_one of the men.

"I want to see_him to ask him_what_he was doing in_my shed just before I
caught_him coming out."

At the words, several_of the_men and_women crowded about the crippled
veteran, plying him with questions; but with_a wave of his hand, Mr.
Martin_silenced them.

"This is a_very serious_statement,_Jed," he exclaimed_in_a stern_voice.
"I warn you that you must be_careful what_you say. Now tell me just_what
happened, and how you_discovered_the fire."

As they heard the words,_those of the men and women_who were still at
the scene,_formed_a_circle about the village patriarch_and the crippled
veteran, necks craned forward,_ears cocked, that_they might not lose a
syllable of anything_that_was said.

"I was just getting ready_to_go to bed when I heard_a_noise_out in the
shed," declared Jed