"
"Thet's right," interjected Jeb. "Thet's what they do
say, an' this here Oskaloosie Kid said they heered things
las' night an' seed a dead man on the floor, didn't he
M'randy?" M'randy nodded her head.
"But I don't take no stock in what Willie's ben tellin'
ye," she continued, "'n' ef his paw don't lick him I
will. I told him tell I'm good an' tired o' talkin' thet one
liar 'round a place wuz all I could stand," and she cast a
meaning glance at her husband.
"Honest, Maw, I ain't a-lyin'," insisted Willie. "Wot
do you suppose he give me this fer, if it wasn't to keep
me from talkin'," and the boy drew a crumpled one dol-
lar bill from his pocket. It was worth the dollar to escape
a thrashing.
"He give you thet?" asked his mother. Willie nodded
assent.
"'N' thet ain't all he had neither," he said. "Beside
all them bills he showed me a whole pocket full o'
jewlry, 'n' he had a string o' things thet I don't know
jest what you call 'em; but they looked like they was
made outen the inside o' clam shells only they was all
round like marbles."
Detective Burton raised his eyebrows. "Miss Prim's
pearl necklace," he commented to the man at his side.
The other nodded.
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