Bible.

Eleven hundred dollars in bills were hidden there, because

the woman and her husband didn't believe in banks--the

savings of a lifetime. In agony, as she regained consciousness,

she saw the last of their little hoard transferred to the pockets

of the tramps, and when they had finished they demanded to

know where she kept the rest, loosening her gag that she

might reply.

She told them that that was all the money she had in the

world, and begged them not to take it.

"Youse've got more coin dan dis," growled one of the men,

"an' youse had better pass it over, or we'll find a way to

make youse."

But still she insisted that that was all. The tramp stepped

into the kitchen. A wood fire was burning in the stove. A pair

of pliers lay upon the window sill. With these he lifted one of

the hot stove-hole covers and returned to the parlor, grinning.

"I guess she'll remember she's got more wen dis begins to

woik," he said. "Take off her shoes, Dink."

The other growled an objection.

"Yeh poor boob," he said. "De dicks'll be here in a little

while. We'd better be makin' our get-away wid w'at we got."

"Gee!" exclaimed his companion. "I clean forgot all about

de dicks," and then after a moment's silence during which his

evil face underwent various changes of expression from fear to

final relief, he turned an ugly, crooked grimace upon his

companion.

"We got to croak her," he said. "Dey ain't no udder way.

If dey finds her alive she'll blab sure, an' dey won't be no

trouble 'bout gettin' us or identifyin' us neither."

The other shrugged.

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