Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1870-09-08
The Sharper's Peril.

IL IL 10 etFange tnlng Tor nle Z
have a Bible, the way | came b,
it is strange. / have had it fo
three years; / shall keep it a
long as / live.
Three years ago l was living b.
my wits in the city of St. Paul
Perhaps | gambled some perhap,
you would call it swindling.
At all events, there was char
out there, a rich young scapegrace
who loved to be fieeced, and NJ
one loved 10 fleece him better thar
Dick, and one day he came to I'M
looking very miserable.
''Dick," said he, "Tve lost M
watch, poor old turnip, but th'
old woman gave it to me just be
fore she died, and l would not los,
it for a farm" ~
| made some inquiries, and soor
found that the watch had gone
into a Virginia backwood settle
ment.
How | found it out is nothing t.
you. | told Tom about it.
"Well," be said, as tickled as ;
child, "all we have got to do is tc
put an officer ON the track"
"You must be a sweet baby,
1 interrupted. "Why up there
they shoot an officer on sight"
81 would give five hundred dol
.lars, said Tom,passiOnately, "rath
er than | would lose that watch.
"Done,"I said, and the mex
morning | started for Lake How
ard, forty-seven miles in the drea
ry woods, dressed like a back
woodsman, with a couple of Der
ringers in my pockets, and noun
ted on an animal that was once {
horse, which we bought for $28
A dreary woods it was to say moth
ing of the awful roads, the back
bone of my noble speed was ,
misery for | had no saddle; tha
would have excited suspicion a
once. So / was glad at the enc
of the second day, when five
miles from the lake, to stop al ;
log hovel by tie roadside.
The family were preparing thei
evening Matchmaking it int
mush-when l entered. | was a
bout to take my place at the ia
bic, when the old man looked a
me sadly.
"Young man." said he, 81 set
by your looks that you don't know
the Lord
"You are right, old man,"
said. "He's a stranger to me-"
At that the old fellow groanet
and Immediately produced The
identical Bible you see before you
"Hear the words of wrath" ht
said beginning to read, and queer
work he made of it, kicking hi'
mental Shins against all the biz
words.
l paid little attention to him
but / got somehow a vague i'm
preston that bis mind was not OF
his reading. Still l did not SCI
him down as a hypocrite as
should instantly had he been any
where else but there, where hypO
crisy seemed as superfuous.
Wicked as / was, was rather
pleased than otherwise to fine
symptoms of piety in that God
forsaken place. The reading anc
the supper over, the old man sale
inquiringly:
"Mebbe yer going into the Vir
ginis settlement"
"There's just where | am so
ing," replied.
"1then if you take that rims
with Won violence will be done
you. Them people don't know
the Lord
Sure enough, like confoundeC
fool, as the wisest of us may b
at times, | had worn my emeralc
ring all the way.
"Young man" said the old fel
low again, "what are you at?-
Never be a hypocrite; you are
deceivipg people, you are no labor
ing man. The Lord be mercliu
to you"
fright again. old stick-in-the
mud" ! said, 81 am no laborinl
man! Inever did work for liv
ing and | never VIII; | don't minC
telling you on account of your re
markable piety, that I'm up her
on a little business for a friend
Perhaps you don't know such {
fellow as Merriman-Austin Mer
riman?"
Perhaps" he replied.
'Perhaps," / said, ''he's a sport
a gay and festive son of a wood
chNnner. Maybe trades a littli