The Daughter of Anderson CrowMcCutcheon, George Barr
General
The Daughter of Anderson Crow
McCutcheon, George Barr
City and town life -- Fiction; Foundlings -- Fiction; New York (State) -- Fiction
"I shall bring Rosalie back with me, mother," said Elsie as she prepared
to drive away. Mrs. Banks, frail and wan, bowed her head listlessly and
turned to follow her hostess indoors. With Roscoe in the seat with the
driver, the carriage started briskly off down the shady street, headed
for the ferry road and Bonner Place.
To return to Anderson Crow and his precipitancy. Just as the lodge
keeper had said, the marshal, afoot and dusty, descended upon Mr. Barnes
without ceremony. The great lawyer was strolling about the grounds when
his old enemy arrived. He recognised the odd figure as it approached
among the trees.
"Hello, Mr. Crow!" he called cheerily. "Are you going to arrest me
again?" He advanced to shake hands.
"Yes, sir; you are my prisoner," said Anderson, panting, but stern. "I
know you, Mr. Barnes. It won't do you any good to deny it."
"Come in and sit down. You look tired," said Barnes genially, regarding
his words as a jest; but Anderson proudly stood his ground.
"You can't come any game with me. It won't do you no good to be perlite,
my man. This time you don't git away."
"You don't mean to say you are in earnest?" cried Barnes.
"I never joke when on duty. Come along with me. You c'n talk afterward.
Your hirelin' is in jail an' he c'n identify you; so don't resist."
"Wait a moment, sir. What is the charge?"
"I don't know yet. You know better'n I do what it is."
"Look here, Mr. Crow. You arrested me the first time I ever saw you, and
now you yank me up again, after all these years. Haven't you anything
else to do but arrest me by mistake? Is that your only occupation?"
Anderson sputtered indignantly. Driven to it, he informed John Barnes
that he was charged with kidnaping, attempted murder, polygamy, child
desertion, and nearly everything else under the sun. Barnes, at first
indignant, finally broke into a hearty laugh. He magnanimously agreed to
accompany his captor to Tinkletown. Not only that, but he provided the
means of transportation. To the intense dismay of the servants, he
merrily departed with Mr. Crow, a prisoner operating his own patrol
wagon. The two were smoking the captive's best cigars.
"It's mighty nice of you, Mr. Barnes, to let us use your autermobile,"
said Anderson, benignly puffing away as they bowled off through the
dust. "It would 'a' been a long walk. I'll speak a good word fer you fer
this."
"Don't mention it, old chap. I rather enjoy it. It's been uncommonly
dull up here. I did not get away as soon as I expected, you see. So I am
charged with being Rosalie's father, eh? And deserting her? And
kidnaping her? By jove, I ought to be hung for all this!"
"'Tain't nothin' to laugh at, my friend. You ought to be ashamed of
yourself. I was onto you the day you stopped me in the road an' ast
about her. What a fool you was. Reg'lar dead give-away."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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