Preble County Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1857-1859, 1858-03-25
A Case of Imagination.

crous incident which occurred in thi.
city, few days since, for relating
which, we crave the indulgence of the
gentleman directly concerned-deem
ing it too good ajoke to be lost.
While sitting at our desk and labor.
: ing assiduously with pen, paste and scis-
sors, to make out readable paper fol-
our patrons, we were suddenly frighten,
cd from our -propriety, by the hasty en-
trance of a gentleman cxclaiming:
"For Gods sake, ] elp me to see what
is the matter I've got some dreadful
thing-scorpion or tarantula-in the
leg of my pantaloons Quick-guick
help mer' --.'-
/ We Instantly rose from our chair,
half frightened ourselves. Our friend
had broken in so suddenly and unex-
pectedly upon US, and was so wonder
fully agitated, that we knew not wheth-
er to speak with or co mine him as a
madman. The latter we came very near
attempting. There he stood quivering
and pale, with one hand tightly grasped
upon part of the pantaloons, just in the
hollow of the knee.
"What's the matter ?" asked we at
last. h.
"The matter" he exclaimed, ''Oh,
help me! I've got something here, which
just ran up my leg! Some internal liz
ard or scorpion, I expectl Oh! can t
let it go; must hold it. Oh, there"
he shrieked, II felt it move just then
Oh, these pants without straps! I'll
never wear another pair open. at the bot
tom as long as live. Ah, I feel it
again
"Feel what?" we inquired, standing
at the same time at a respectable dis
tance from the gentleman; for we had
just been reading our Corpus Christi
correspondents letter about lizards,
snakes, and tarantulas, and began to
imagine some deadly object or reptile in
the leg of our friends unmentionabies,
as they are sometimes called.
Il don't know what it is" answered
the gentleman; ''help me to see what it
is. was just passing the pile of rub
bish there in front of your Office, and
felt it dart up my legs as quick as light
ming" he clenched his fist more tightly
IF it had been the neck of an anaconda,
We believe he would have squeezed it to
a jelly.
By this time two or three of the news
boys had come in; the clerks and pack
ing boys hearing the outcry stopped
working, and editor and all hands stood
around the sufferer with mingled sym
pathy and alarm.
Bring chair, Fritz" said we 'and
let the gentleman be seated"
40, l can't sit, said the gentleman;
II cannot bend my knee! If L do, it
will bite or sting me; no, can't sit"
"Ccrtainly you can sit" said we;
"keep your leg straight out, and well
see what it is you have got"
swell, let me give it one m ore hard
squeeze; will crush it to DEATH" said
he and again he put the force of an iron
vice upon the thing. If it had any life
left this last effort must have killed it.
He then cautiously seated himself,
holding out his leg as stiff and as straight
as poker. A sharp knife was procur-
ed; the pants were cut open carefully,
making hole large enough to admit
hand; the gentleman put on a thick
glove, and slowly inserted his hand, but
he discovered nothing. We were look
ing on in almost breathless silence, to
see the monstrous thing, whatever it
might be; each ready to scamper out of
harms way, should it be alive, when
suddenly the gentleman became, if pos
sible, more agitatcd than ever.
"By heavcn!' he exclaimed, cts in
side my drawers. "It's alive, tool
feel!--quick-give me the knife again
Another incision was madc--in went
the gentleman's gloved hand once more
and 10, out came his aoite's stocking!
How the stocking ever got there, we
are unable to say, but there it certainly
: was, and such laugh that followed, we
haven't heard for many day. Our
, friend, we know, has told the joke him
} self, and must pardon us for doing so.
; Although this is about a stocking, we
assure our readers it is no yarn!-Netc
' Albany D~tchnaam.
pgA city hunter being in the coun-