Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1885-04-23
"A GAME OF CHECKERS.
How Young Grove Cleveland
Defeated the Village Boaster.


joyed . quiet laugh. Young Mr.. .Cleye.
land-'Grove' was his title in the days
write ef--happened to be spending a
few days at the home Of relative in a
reposeful hamlet, one of those places
whose placid excitements alternated a.
mong the railroad station, the meeting
house. and the village store, where the
mail was pigeon-holed and everything
from rum and calico tc fiat head nails
and ginger cakes was doled out. The
young mans visit was during the win
ter, when the place was desolate and
dreary enough. When he got his bear
ings. tired OF tramping around in the
snow and ice, he sometimes dropped in
to Uncle Silas's. the village store. One
gray-skied afternoon he came upon the
regulation circle of gossips. The ia.
miliar old Franklin was blazing out is
heat over in the corner and the solons
were busy ruminating and varying the
monotony of their thoughts with fire.
Quent 'chaws.' One OF the characters
Of the place was sandy-haired, small.
eyed ,pucker-faced Ike Sanders,a "a prod
igious boaster and aself-cunstituted au-
thority from the text of the parsons
last sermon to the shingling of the dill
apidated school house. This local Sir
Oracle was q confirmed checker player.
Lazy and shiftless, the long winter
hours were passed by him up at Uncle
Silas', where from fayorite corner he
watched Tor victims. On the afternoon
that Grover entered, the excitement in
the corner seemed to be running oyer.
Even Uncle Silas had quilted his seat
behind the counter, and with his spec
tacles perched up among his thin locks,
his hands clasped on his backbone, he
stood eagerly watching the checker
board. A milder-faced, middle-aged
little man was neryously bent over
Ike's slow and impressive moves of the
checkers. The game was close, and
Sanders opponent, no other than the
village schoolmaster, had held slight
advantage suddenly Ike surrendered
one of his men to the foe. who prompt
" seized the opportunity. Another
man was yielded, and then the trap be-
came apparent, and the devoted domin-
10 rushed to his ruin.
sHa ha ! no no | Why,you can't play
checkers any more than you can scrape
the sky was Isaac's taunt as he grasp
cd his victury.
.lf ye'd set down and study the board
for q couple o. year yes moight win a
game once in while, but sho' yer all
poor fool folks at checkers roun' here
anyhow
The poor schoolmaster, his thin
checks pinking with modification,
shrank back with faint excuse for his
defeat. Ike carelessly rearranged the
draughts, boastfully placed the board
over on the 6rkin, and looked up with a
challenge in his eye. Say, Uncle ST.
las he called out, 'haye ye got anybody
else thinkin' they can play checkers
herep No? ? Well i guess yer haint !;
SOS nobody wants to play about with
me, yes moight as well pnt the board
away Uncle Silas rubbed his wrink-
led hand across his forehead, admitted
that Isaac was master at the game,
and was maxim preparations to place
the well fingered checkers behind him
on the desk, when the young stranger.
pltying the defeated schoolmaster, hav-
Ing watched the game with sorLe inter-
est, and inclined to attribute it's loss
more to nervousness than lack of skill,
found voice.
i say, Mr.. Sanders, would you mind
trying a game with me p
with you Sho'. young fellow, you
don't want to play against Ike Sand
ers r
well, I would be willing to try
oh, come; you can't play nothin' a.
gainst me; I'm tired of beatin' this VII
lage, anyhow. Now. take the advice of
q friend and don't waste your time,
young man,
4 might give you some trouble,
though,
'Humph you're sassy enough about
1t, and to take down your conceit peg
or two I'll let you have a game
Once more the firkin was moved into
place. and the knot of spectators peered
oyer The shoulders of the contestants,
and old Silas again resumed his wonted
attitude. AS the game advanced there
was no sound in the room save the clat-
tor OF the wooden blocks as they chang.
"a from square to square. The young
players black men wedged themselves
boldly in among the whites Isaac
began to pncker up his thin lips. Soon
his fingers opened and shut nervously
- his fist lay against his hip and his
left foot tapped impatiently. on the pine
boards. His moves became hasty and
his manner irritable. Lookers-on took
IN the situation glances of relief were
interchanged, some bolder ones nujg-
-. Iosr r.txIo~c o,l en1r ho1 ,,r