The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1885-01-15
The Lady of the Aroostook.

A correspondent of the Phillips Phono-
graph gives the following account of an
adventure which he met recently during
a trip in AroOstook county:
After travelling one day by a road
through the woods until well into the af-
ternOon, | came to a clearing which
proved to be fine farm with a good set
Of buildings. Wishing to know how far
it was to the next house | called up to
the door and knocked. An old man
opened it whose gray hair and general
appearance would at once tell the story
that he had seen not less than seventy
lve winters. liz answer to my inquiries,
he told me that it was four miles to the
next house and fifteen miles to the one
the way | had come and they We're full
snug enough at that
BY this time what ] took to be a little
girl made her appearance. She looked
me over and then began to question me.
Was | hunter? Where did | con e
from? And what had been doing there
Where was going to hunt and how long
was going to stay
Then telling me that there Was the best
hunting about there that there was any
where i'll the country, and that they some
times took boarders, and boarded the
cheapest OF any one on the road and set
the best table of any one, they asked me
in.
! stood my rifle up in the corner and
before had time to pull chair up to
the stove the old man informed me that
they "dd not keep any money in the
house, sent it right away, did not dare to
keen it by them a minute, and ALWAYS
kept armed right up to the handle, there
Was so many of these critters coming
around"
YES SIR chimed in the young lady,
cone of them came along the other day
pretending to be hunter. He wanted
drink of water and while he was drink
ing, he looked the room all over and then
said you don't stay here all alone DO
you z Yes sir said |, me and my re-
vover'"
'Wbat :are you talking about ?" said |.
"a little girl like you could not shoot
revolver"
"A little girl like me-" she squeaIed,
''What do You take me for? am twen-
ty-siX years old and his wife into the bar
gam
don't remember what ! said but |
should not have been more surprised if
she had said she was his grandmother.
looked first at her and then at him then
back at her again.
"Well You are a bOuncer for married
woman. You are as much as three feet
and II half tall aren't Won ~
'les, sir, am four feet
"Weigh about eighty pounds when you
are tat, suppose"
mo sir, weigh just seventy-two, and
wear child's size number thirteen
shoe" "Ies, sir" she went on, ~ am
twenty six and Eben is seventy-sN. He
is the best looking old man on the road
and he is smart as a cricket"
''No doubt of that, but you are the
smallest thing | ever saw for married
woman
''Well am smart just the same
$50 that makes you smart pair
''Ies sir, it does"
BY that time Eben had got the old gun
down for my inspection and, as he passed
it to me, he said ''There she is Just as YOU
see her; she haint handsome but when
point her at anything, instant death al
ways follows"
stood her up by the side of me. The
muzzle just touched the top OF my left
ear.
''Oh, she has got the length to her"
said he, and as stuck my whole thumb
into the muzzle he explained, 'calries
ten to the pound, round butts, slugs
four" found the date on the lock, 1861;
that was what you might call an Old set
tier.
BY this time an idea struck Ella Chat
was what Eben called her) "Think
haven't got revolver do you," and away
she went into the bedroom. In a moment
she was back with one of Smith and
Wesson's, the latest improved self cock
ers, :}S calibre. | reached out to take it,
when she drew it from me quickly, cling
ing to it with both her little hands, which
would have been small for girl of ten.
As she held it a safe distance from me
and turned it SO should be sure to see
that it was loaded, she squealed, "There,
sir | can fire that Just as fast as You can
wink your eye" After she was satisfied
that had had good look at that, she
darted into the bedroom again and came
out with one Of the largest size Colts.
also had the satisfaction of seeing at a
safe distance that the six barrels Of this
were all loaded while she explained, 81
sleep every night with these right by my
head. Then, if hear any racket going
on in the night know right where to put
my hand"
made up my mind at once that if
there was any racketing going on in that
house after hours it would not be by me
unless | had an attack of sOmnambuhsm.
passed a very pleasant evening with
them. Ella sat in her baby rocki@g chair
and yanked piece of gum that Eben
''started" for her while he told me many
a bear and deer story. But geology was
his hobby and he would 90 from d bears S
back to it at one jump. In this he carried
me along pretty well until he got me to
where "horse- back bolted onto the
main ridge with gully between and a
''whirl-wind picked up rock that weigh
ed ten tom and there he lost me.
Ella made me up fine bed in the best
chamber and | slept well. The next
morning paid my bill and went on my
way. Where put up the following night
the people on my telling them where
passed the one before, seemed surprised
said that generally they would not put uI
people there, and usually people did not
like to stop there, especially if they die
not like their looks; for if stories anC
| showing their shooting irons did not star
| them, he would bring along a human
skull or two As he did not show any 0
these to me felt quite tiattered Poor
Eben not a day passes but that think
of him and wonder if he is still alive. Ii
my mind it is only question of time an(
a short one at that, before he will wake
up some night and find that b is nervous
little witch of a smaller half has made al
air hole through his body or blown hi
head half off. hope not, for | shoulc
like to go that way again sometime ant
find him hale and hearty as when | las
saw him. can recommend the place t.
any traveller that happens to strike ii
and has good nerves, as one of the mos
interesting stopping places "on the road.
| For Cou gh of childhood or old age Jadwin's Tia
| Sycup is The best. Remember it. Sold by &
! druggists.