The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1880-12-09
AN ECCENTRIC NEEDLE.
How Jarkin SOby Suddenly Found Himself
Stitched TO his Sweetheart.

How Jarkin SOby Suddenly Found Himself
Stitched TO his Sweetheart.
From tho Knoxville Tenn.) Tribune.
A Mrs. Mayors, of Morgan county, re-
.lates the following story: One day at an
old fashioned country quilting, the noun
tain boys and girls were playing some game
like SNAP" Miss Maria Peelers was being
chased around the room by Jarkin Soby,
her ardent admirer. She gave scream
suddenly, and began TO examine the sole of
her foot, which-as il tho custom in that re-
gion-was shod with natures own morocco.
1t was found that she had stepped on a
needle that had fallen by accident upon the
floor. AS there was seven or eight inches
of black patent thread hanging from the eye
OF the needle Jarkin insisted upon pulling
il out but Maria screamed with fright nj the
bare mention Of the thing. She would not
suffer any one to touch the string. So JAR
kin took her up behind him on his horse and
took her home to the old folks, intending by
the assistance of the oldlman toprevail upon
her to let the needle be pulled out. 10!
when they had made the trip, there was no
thread visible, and il was thought that as
Maria's feet had tangled along that it had
caught on bush and pulled out. All part
les were in dspair. Maria was considerably
frightened but only complained of dread
ful stitch in her leg. Jarkin went home,
after vainly training his own eyes to find
that of the needle, leaving Maria, rs she
said, to let the thing heal and work ont.
The next day Jarkin called on Maria to see
if the place had began to tester, but strange
the hole--where the needle had entered
was scarcely visible, and Marin was COM
planning of only little stitch in her knee
and was in such good spirits as to place
Jarkin in ecstacies. From day to day the
visits continued and Maria and Jarkin had
forgotten all about the needle. Maria now
and then complained TO her mother ola pc
culiar stitch in different localities, but went
cheerfully about her work. When Jarkin call
ed in the long evenings it was evident
that he sat very close to Maria, and
while that silent ecstacy spoken of in
novels would steal over them they would
forget all about everything but their own lit
tie heaven, until secular snore from one
of the old people in the back part of the
room would cause them to stir. This thing
continued until one night, after they had
been together longer and closer than usual
Jarkin removed his arm and sighed that he
must go. As he went to rise he gasped
from sharp stitch in his side next to Maria.
Maria edged systematically toward Jerkin,
catching short breath and holding To him
convulsively. Jerkin felt an indiscrbable
pain in the effort to part. Maria chung TO
him with calculations no more tender than
indicative of great physical pain. Finally
they chung to each other III wild alarm.
Each exclaimed: Whats the matter! o!
Maria! D! Jar-Jar-Jar-kinw The old
folks awoke and struck light in great
trepidatoin. Seeingthe couple clinging to
each other, the old gentleman insisted upon
immediate separation, but Maria screamed,
''he can't; oh, he cant!' Jarkin was in too
much mysticism to solve the question and all
the old folks did in their vain efforts To sep
arate them was to elicit great cries of agony.
After many Intellectual attempts the thing was
given up. As both parties seemed To be in
the EXTREMIST mental and physical anguish,
u doctor was sent for, and, after many weary
hours, arrived. Upon investigation he
found short black patent thread running
from Maria's side to Jarlsin's side. A new
light broke over Maria's face ut the revela-
ton, while all the others We're thrown into
the deepest conjecture. Upon signifying
that she could at last solve the riddle, the
parties waited breathlessly to hear. ''Its
that needle" What needle, Maria?" why,
hits been workin' all this time, that needle /
tramped on ut thessquiltin.
The MYSTERY was solved: the thread had
not pulled out on the way home, but as the
needle had worked in out Of sight the thread
had followed. 1t had continued its course
about Maria's members, and now all those
inexplicable pains, which had forsi months
disturbed her, were accounted for; and JAR
kin had been so persistent and so close in
his attentions that the needle had, imper-
ceptibly, in protracted sitting of the two,
worked out Of Maria into him and, as it
were, stitched them together.