? ? ? ? "Why, who's got it?"
? ? ? ? "I wish I knowed, but I don't. I had it, because I stole it from them: and I stole it to give to you; and I know where I hid it, but I'm afraid it ain't there no more. I'm awful sorry, Miss Mary Jane, I'm just as sorry as I can be; but I done the best I could; I did, honest. I come nigh getting caught, and I had to shove it into the first place I come to, and run- and it warn't a good place."
? ? ? ? "Oh, stop blaming yourself- it's too bad to do it, and I won't allow it- you couldn't help it; it wasn't your fault. Where did you hide it?"
? ? ? ? I didn't want to set her to thinking about her troubles again; and I couldn't seem to get my mouth to tell her what would make her see that corpse laying in the coffin with that bag of money on his stomach. So for a minute I didn't say nothing- then I says:
? ? ? ? "I'd ruther not tell you where I put it, Miss Mary Jane, if you don't mind letting me off; but I'll write it for you on a piece of paper, and you can read it along the road to Mr. Lathrop's, if you want to.
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