North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1864-02-03


tha's visits than any one else's and spent
most of their savings with him. He was a
foolish kind o. man +; if he had a little money
about him, he was sure to let you know
just how much, and what he was going to do
with it. and so on, as if he wasn't quite
wise. You'd better quit that habit you've
got, of talking of your money, Jephthah
says my mother to him one day, or you'll
chance on some one who'll save you the
trouble of carrying it but Jephthah only
laughed, and went on just the same.
"He came the last time in January, thirty
two years ago, mind it well, for there'd
been an awful snCw storm, that had kept me
for two days and nights over at old Uncle
Jake Pitchers. When came home on the
third evening mother told me Jephthah had
been there. Well was real sorry to have
| missed him, for I'd been reckoning on pair
of gold ear rings he'd got, ever since his last
visit, when | hadn't money enough to buy
them but mother comforted me. "You can
get 'em in the morning, says she, for Jeph.
thah calculated he wouldn't get further than
Kitty Clark's tonight, count % the drifts
bein' so bad Well, she kept talking of Jep-
thah He'll be robbed some day as sure as
life,' says she. never heard man talk so
foolish as he does, to be in his right mind
He told me to. day he had two hundred dol
lars on him, besides his stock, and he was
going to buy some land and leave peddling'
but he'll be robbed first, if there's ha'porth
of roguery left in the world
Well the next morning bright and early
went over to Kitty Cla1k's 1t was real cold
and | ran most of the way, as fast as could
for the deep snow. When l knocked at the
door, | heard scuttery kind of noise inside,
and had to knock again before Kitty said
come in When opened the door, she was
throwing something into cupboard; she
had an everlasting gre on the hearth, and
big pot over it, and there was an awful
Smotherin' smell like burned feathers or
scorched wooden rags"
Here Mrs. Jones paused to stir the Cruel
Something in the last words had made Mrs.
Blake clasp her baby closer, and glance fear
fully around.
"
"Well, | looked round - continued Mrs
Jones, "but didn't see no sign of Japhthah." !"
"Where's Jephthah Murney, Mrs Clark 2"
says /. "That's more'n | can tell you" says
she !; she quit here this morning at daylight" !"
| was disappointed, but that wouldn't bring
him any nearer so [ said I'd have to wait
till he came round next time. "When
Jephthah Murney comes round again, you'll
get ear rings for nothing" says Kitty
She's going TO quit peddling and buy farm"
eyes," says che told mother he had two
hundred dollars yesterday" "Well," says
she ''he didn't say here how much he had,
only just what te! you" l didn't stay
long, for she seemed to think me in the way :;
she kept fussin' round but somehow she
managed to be all the time between me and
the cupboard door. Early as 1t was, the
floor was fresh filled off, and the place red
up as if it was afternoon.
81 guess it was four or five days after
there was an alarm raised, where was Jeph-
thah Mnrney His orse and cutter was
found loose on the road between this and
Hawleyburg but he was never seen or heard
of again. Of course, there was a great inqui-
ry made, and Sam and Kitty Clark, being the
last people that had seen him, were examined
very close; but they stuck to their story;
and though the shanty was searched all over,
and up and down, nothing was found that
could show they made away with him; but
yet the notion got abroad, and for long
time they were suspected A store in Will
iamsburg was robbed of about two hundred
dollars few days before Jephthah's last
trip, and some thought he done it, and abscon-
ded to the states. Maybe he did but it's
allays been my opinion. and a good many
others too, that if he did hook the money.
he never carried it further than Kitty Clark's.
don't know why, but it always rested on
my mind the look of the shanty on that morn
ing; the scuttery noise, fresh-washed floor,
and the awful suffocatin' smell.
'1t turned out that Jephthah had left one
child, girl about twelve years old. All he
had was on him and the child was destitute
She boarded with woman who used her
very bad, and one day that old Andre W Foy lie
went to Williamsburg, he took pity on her
and brought her back as bound girl She
was pretty child, if it hadn't been for
scared look in her eyes, but she, grew out of
that; and when she was about nineteen
Andrews son, Martin, took fancy to her -
She was smart girl; SO Andrew made no
objection to the match, and she made good
wife for the little time she lived. She was
very like her son Martin there, carrying on
that way with Am'rillY Dollman."
"That'll be match some day, shouldn't
,o;J NJ,