Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1884-04-18

gong about the streets of Stamford as
usual, but nobody seemed 10 notice or
even recognize him. Then the Whis-
pers became audible, he heard aman's
voice say ell, there's old Hough!
II ever there was q glum old hypbcrite
goin its he. He's tighter'n d barrel
hoop; never gives q cent for any public
object; and they do say, half staryes
Mis- Hough to boot. I tell you T don't
take no stock in him. Talk s easy pro-
fession is smooth enough, but i 90 for
practice above preackin." Il.
He is mighty small, that's fact; but
/ don't mind that SO much, z put in
another voice. "asI do his underhanded
ways. Let Kim get a grudge against
anybody, I don't care who tits, and he'll
undermine and plot and sneak around
Just like mole to do en- harm and trip
'em up, and if he's found out he'll make
some darned excuse about it's bein' fol-
the good ofreigion, and people should
be showed up" IN ~.
Artemus Hough swelled with anger,
but, alas! the dunbness of dreams held
him. He could not speak. a
"Well, = said q third speaker, ct do
no as care SO much about them things
as lido about the way he acts to Mis-
Hough;;I do despise man thatll brow
beat q woman who can't get away from
him hi j, and she's afraid as death Of him;
ye can see it every time they go any
where. He's real tyrant by natur', and
take it that amt jest what the Bible
means, to be did by them that takes it
for the rewl Of life, or says they do"
Artemus felt drops Of cold sweat com
ing our on HIS face He was not afraid
but he was furious, and he, could not
wither these accusers with his cruel eye
and bitter tongue as he could. - bis
trembling wife or his luckless, debtors.
Still another took up the scathing
word. my thing ag'inst him is tibet
he amt square on the deal. You buy
bushel OF potatoes Of him and they
jest even fill the measure, not, one atop
ont an apples the same, besides being
poor at that, come to look at the bot
TOM. He don't keep nigh so strict
to weights and measures as he does to
Calvin's five pints or decrees'n pre-
destination; seems as though if he did
folks would like him better, an he'd dc
more credit to his profession"
My friends" put III a familiar voice
-La~yer Packers rich, lazy tones;
Artemus knows them we'll" aren't you
rather hard On the old fellow? I don't
deny he's mean and hard, and perhaps
cruel; it's so easy to be cruel to wom-
an who can't strike back, and I don't
deny that he processes more than he
practices, but, after all, isn't that the
way he's made up? You can't make
cheese out of chalk if you want to, but
/ suppose chalk is of some use."
Good to set up for landmarks so't
folks won't drive where 'tis," and laugh
echoed the last speaker.
Artemus groaned and woke. His
wife stood by his side.
Had nightmare, haven't you?" she
said, for his groans had scared her from
her rest on the step. ~
"Go to bed, can't your" he said, after
the domestic tiger fashion. Artemus
bad seen himself as others saw him; but
as yet without result. 90. w.
Oddly e4Sfzgh, Joe Packer had like
experience e1(at night, but not in sleep.
He sat late by the window of his office,
instead of going home to bed, for the
night was hot and close, and his little
room at the tavern musty and torrid
with the glare of long days sun. His
lamp was out, to avoid insect visitors,
and his last smoke over, but he was too
lazy to move, and through the closed
blind came a delicious watt Of scented
night air; presentlya couple Of loungers
stopped and leaned against the fence.
eliot as mustard, amt it," said one
to the other. .-,. ~
-" Awful You don't catch me going
home to Mother Kings hunks tonight.
Can t we stretch On the grass SOM 'ers ?"
Inside here guess is as good as
anywhere. Grass is clean and short. !"
J "Who lives he-e?" i
"No body. It's Joe Packers office, n
he; off homo or to some girls house
long ago."
So the two leaped the low rail and
lay down on the cool earth.
}"Joe Packers a great fellow!!" the
last speaker went on; "hes the greatest
to talk / ever see, but he never carries
nothin' through. You'd oughter hear
my boy tell about how he fused an
buzzed about that Bible class of his'n;
they'd got to be jest so punctual, and
jest SO prepared, and for a while twas
whewtybang, but he got tired ont af~
ter spell, and now he's skerce ever on
time, an most always says: We'll, I
hope you've all stabbed up, I haven't
had any time this week, Tn sorry to
say Gracious grievous! they know
we'll enough he's ben off on an ,excrlr-
sion with Lyddy Smith, Or a sleigh ride
with Mariana Adams, or fishin' to the
mill pond, or on boss trot to Manville.
They laaf in their sleeves, / tell We.
Boys amt FOOLS ','',' G&|@
j s'Shouldn't think he was just the fell
Ter to lecter 'em on habits and such like :;
he smokes all day, I've heered, and
studies by fits; bound to have a good
time if things cracks" " p ID
= "He's accomm ot1atin I don't say but
what he's real clever, but he's lazy al
molasses: might be sthin eff he had any
grit" NJ s...... ..., ..-. -
Sweet on the parsons gal, amt he ?"
Bless You, he's sweet on 'em all! I'd
bet my head there amt ten girls in
Stamford but what he's made love to,
rs they call It, and ha'n't an idee of mar
sym any one on. 'em. !. .% /
It'd like to see him trvin' it on with
one Of mine, Ell I had 'em growed up
Hes too cute for that, Jake. He
picks 'em out where there ant no faith
.ers nor no big brothers to STAN up to
him, and the girls is fools, anyway.
They don't know a fraud like that fell
low when they see him." +. )
Joe Packer set his teeth; he would
have liked to pick that man from the
grass and knock him down again. This
ryo,, Ltus ret ~, fe H. ~ ~