The Hickman courier., 1877-05-25
ESTABLISHED 1859.

uneasy impatience that wasn't habltua
with him, was as mum and glum al
/ prayer-meeting as the worst sinner il
Saturday Cove, and evidently had tC
struggle hard to be good. 1t seemed a:
if DR.. Gookin's knife, which cut the
physical twins apart, had been unable to
dissever the physical twins, and that
some part of Jake's soul fingered al
times in Jehiel. Whether JehieTs piety
ever influenced Jacob, am unable to say.
'The most singular thing of all was
in regard to JehieIs attentions to the
young. woman named Giles. She was .
sober, demure, chuIch-going person,
whom Jacob had never been able to en-
dure, but who, as everybody said, would
make an excellent helpmate for Jehiel
He seemed to care a good deal for her in
his steady, slow way, and made a point
twice a week of driving over to bring
her to prayer-meeting al the Cove. Bat
when one of his odd spells was on him
he forsook her altogether, and weeks
would 60 by, to her great distress, with
cut his appearing 1t the Giles gate. As
Jake went from bad to worse these pc
riods of indifference became more fre-
quent and prolonged, and occasioned the
young woman named Giles much mis-
cry and good many tears.
Gone fine afternoon in the summer of
1871, Jacob Dow, as we afterward learned,
was shot through the heart by Mexican
in a drunken row at San Diego. lie
sprang high into the air and fell upon
his face, and when they laid him away q
good catholic priest said mass for the re-
pose Of his soul.
''That same afternoon, as it happened,
old Doctor Gookin was to have beer
buried in the graveyard yonder. He
had died day or two before at an ex-
treme age, but in the full possession of
his faculties, and one of the last remarks
he made was to express regret that he
would be unable to follow the career of
the Dow twins any further.
alt became Jehiel's melancholy duty
to harness up his hearse on account of
old Dr. Gookins funeral; and rs he
busted the plumes and polished the
ebony panels of the vehicle, his thoughts
naturally REQUIRED to the great service
which that excellent physician had rem
dered him in early youth. Then he
thought of his twin brother Jacob, and
wondered where he was now and how
he prospered. Then his eyes wandered
over the hearse, and he felt a dull pride
in its creditable appearance. 1t looked
so bright and shiny in the sun that he
resolved, as it still wanted couple hours
of the time appointed for the funeral, to
drive it over to the Giles farm and fetch
his sweetheart to the village on the box
with him. The young woman named
Giles had frequently ridden with Jehiel
on the hearse, her demure features and
sober apparel detracting nothing from
the respectable solemnity of the equi-
page.
Jehiel drove up in state TO the door
of his betrothed, and she, not at all re
luctanL to enjoy the mild excitement of
funeral, mounted to the box and set
tied herself comfortably beside him.
Then they started for Saturday Cove,
and logged along on the hearse, discours-
ing affectionately as they went.
'Miss Giles affirms that it was at the
third apple tree next the stone wall Of
Hosea GetchelTs orchard, just opposite
the bars leading to Mr.. Lords private
road, that sudden and most extra0r-
dinary change came over Jehiel He
jumped, she says, high into the air, and
landed sprawling in the sandy road
alongside the hearse, yelling so hideously
that it was with difficulty that she held
the frightened horses. Picking himself
up and uttering a round oath (something
that had never before passed the virtuous
lips of JehieD he turned his attention
to the horses, kicking and beating them
until they stood quiet. lie now pro-
ceeded to cut and trim a willow switch
at the roadside, and pulling his decent
silk hat down over one eye, and darting
from the other surly glance at the as
tonished Miss Giles, beclmbed to his seat
on the hearse.
"sJehiel Dowl' said she, what does
this mean ?
".It meansl' he replied, giving the
off horse vicious cut with his switch,
that 1 have been goin' slow these thirty
year, and now I'm goin' to put little
ginger in my gait. Gelang!
The hearse horses jumped under the
unaccustomed lash and broke into gal
lop. Jehiel applied the switch again
and again, and the dismal vehicle was
soon humping over the road at a tremend-
Gus pace, Jehiel shouting all the time
like a circus rider, and Miss Giles cling
ing to his side in an agony of terror.
The people in the farm houses along the
way rushed TO doors and windows and
gazed il. .'amazement at theunprecedented
spectacle. Jehiel had word for
each-a shout of derision for one, blast
of blasphemy for another, and an invita-
tion to ride for third-but he reined
in for nobody, and in a twinkling the
five miles between Hosea GetchelPs farm
at Duck Trap and the village at Satur-
day Cove had been accomplished. I
think am safe in saying that never be-
fore did hearse rattle over five miles of
hard road 50 rapidly.
$50, Jehiel, Jehiel!' said Miss Giles,
as the hearse entered the village, are
you took crazy of a sudden?'
"' No, said JehieI, CURLY, but my
eyes are open now. Gelang, you beasts
You get out here; l am going to Bel
tast.
But, Jehiel, dear, she protested,
with many sobs, remember DIR. Gookin.
"' Dang Gookin = said Jehiel
q" And for my sake she continued.
Dear Jehiel, for my sake.
"' Dang you, tool said Jehiel.
"Drawing up bis team in magnificent
style before the village hotel. he COM