estimony? What fur?

BOLLINGER. Sam Fowler. You know that Express Co. is holdin' him
prisoner yet?

JOE. Thought you was goin' to get a habus corpus?

BOLLINGER. Well, I was; only I went to St. Louis yesterday to see Sam.
He's all right. They've got 'im in a comfortable room at the Southern
Hotel, an' they are tryin' to make him confess that he stood in with
the express robber. He's livin' on the fat of the land, so I told him
to stick it out as long as the company did, 'cause the longer they
hold him, the more damages we'll get for false imprisonment. So Jim
Radburn an' me been fillin' in the time, gettin' witnesses to his good
character.

MRS. VERNON. What's Radburn got to do with it?

BOLLINGER. Well, you know--on account o' Emily.

MRS. VERNON. Oh, yes! I reckon that'll put off their weddin', won't
it?

BOLLINGER. I'm tryin' to fix it that way, so's to pile up the damages.

KATE. [Quickly.] Ma!

MRS. VERNON. What is it, Kate?

KATE. Why--

MRS. VERNON. Company?

KATE. Yes.

MRS. VERNON. Here, Lizbeth, take hold this basket _They carry out
basket._

KATE. Good-evening, Mr. Travers.

TRAVERS _appears at door._

TRAVERS. Good-evening, Miss Vernon--good-evening, Colonel.

BOLLINGER. Evening.

TRAVERS. The rain seems to be over at last. [_He fans himself with his
hat._

BOLLINGER. I reckon we'll have some more of it with that ring around
the moon.

TRAVERS. [_Coming into doorway._] Anything new about the express
robber?--Good-evening, Mr. Vernon.

JOE. [_Up to stove; tries bottle._] How are you?

BOLLINGER. I ain't heard anything 'cept what's in the morning papers.

TRAVERS. What was that? I didn't see them.

BOLLINGER. Why, the blamed cuss has mailed one of the empty
money-wrappers to the _Globe-Democrat_ to show he's the real robber,
and sent a letter sayin' Sam Fowler was innocent.

TRAVERS. Yes? Well, did that do any good?

BOLLINGER. On the contrary, sir, the express company says he wouldn't
be so anxious about Sam--if Sam weren't a friend of his'n.

_Re-enter_ MRS. VERNON _and_ LIZBETH. LIZBETH _to rocker._

MRS. VERNON. [_Pleasantly._] Good-evening, Mr. Travers.

TRAVERS. Good-evening, Mrs. Vernon--Miss Elizabeth.

LIZBETH. Good-evening.

MRS. VERNON. Hasn't Kate had the politeness to ask you in?

TRAVERS. Well, it's a little cooler out here.

KATE. Won't you come in?

MRS. VERNON. Do come--the skeeters'll kill you out there.

TRAVERS _enters._

JOE. Don't sit the