The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-08-21

| swell, now. that's suthin' like. Will it
SCOT sorter red-headed 'ooman."
| A perfectly sober man would have said
| the girls corsets must have undergone a
terrible strain, but the elder did not notice
| her dumb convulsion. She answered
heroically:
Perfectly, sir. 1t is an exquisite
match"
~ think you're whist!in' again. Nancy's
| heads red, red as a woodpeck's. Sorrel's
only halfway to the color of her top. knot,
an it do seem like red oughter to SCOT red.
Nancy's red, an the hats red: like goes
with like. an birds of a feather flock
together" The old man laughed until his
cheeks were wet.
The girl, beginning to feel little un.
easy. and seeing a customer entering,
| rapidly fixed up the bonnet, took fifteen
, dollars out of a twenty dollar bill. and
| calmly asked the elder if he wanted any
thing else. He thrust his change some-
where into his clothes, and beat q retreat.
1t had occurred to him that he was nearly
drunk.
Elder Browns step began to lose its
buoyancy. He found himself utterly I'M
able to walk straight. There was an
uncertain straddle in his gait that carried
him from one side of the walk to the other.
and caused people whom he met to cheer
fully yield him plenty of room.
BALKAN saw him coming. Poor Ba-
lam. He had made an early start
that day, and for hours he stood in the sun
awaiting relief. When he opened his
sleepy eyes and raised his expressive ears
to position of attention, the old familiar
coat and battered hat of the elder were be-
fore him. He lifted up his honest voice
and cried aloud for JOY.
The effect was electrical for one instant.
Elder Brown SURVEYED the beast with hor-
Tor, but again in his understanding there
rang out the trumpet words,
Drunk, drunk, drunk, drer-unc, -erunc,
-unc. -uuc."
Hes.ooped instinctively for a missile with
which to smite his accuser. but brought up
suddenly with jerk and q handful of
sand. Strengthening himself up with
majestic dignity. he extended his right
hand impressivelv.
You're godarn liar, Balaam. and,
blast your old buttons, you kin walk home
by yourself. for 1'm DANCED if you sh'il ride
NE er STEP"
Surely Coriolanus never turned his back
upon Rome with a grander dignity than
sat upon the old mans form as he faced
about and left the brute to survey with
anxious eyes the new departure of his
master.
He saw the elder zigzag along the street,
and beheld him about to turn a friendly
corner. Once more he lifted up his mighty
voice:
uruuks uFeI. uuC,
unc, -erunc, -unc, .unc."
Once more the elder turned with lifted
hand. and shouted back
you're liar, BALKAN. goldarn you.
You're er iffamous liar" Then he passed
from view.
Mrs. Brown stood upon the steps anx-
iously awaiting the return of her liege
lord. She knew he had with him large
sum of money, or should have, and she
knew also that he was a man without busi-
n-ss methods. She had long since repented
of the decision which sent him to town.
When the old battered hat and hour-cov-
cred coat doomed up in the cleaning and
confronted her, she stared with terror.
The next instant she had seized him.
''For the Lord sakes, Elder Brown. what
ails you: As live, if the man amt drunk!
Elder Brown. Elder Brown? for the life of
me can't l make you hear: You crazy old
hypocrite! you desavin' old sinner! you
black-hearted wretch. where have you
benz"
The elder made an effort to wave her off.
'Woman." he said, with grand dignity,
''you forgit yussef: shu know ware I've
ben 'swelrs l do. Ben to town, wife, an
see yer wat I've brought-the fines hat.
ole woman. l could git. Look t the color.
Like goes 18th like: it's red an you're red.
am it's a dead match. What yer mean.
ucN. uOie on. ole au.-EOu. nan.
nah you" She literally shook him into
silence.
'You miserable wretch. you low-down
drunken sot. what do yon mean BY coming
home and insulting your wife," Hannah
ceased shaking him from pure exhaustion.
.Where is it, say: where is it,"
BY this time she was turning his pockets
wrong side out. From one she got pills,
from another change, from another PACK
ages.
1.-The Lord be praised. and this is
better luck than hoped! -, elder! elder.
elder. what did YOU do it for: Why, man,
WHERE is Balaam:"
Thought of the beast choked of the
Threatened mysteries.
BALKAN: Balaam:" said the elder. grog-
gily. Hes in town. The Internal ole |
fool suited me, an lef' him to walk
home"
His wife surveyed him. Really at that |
moment she did think his mind was gone; |
but the leer upon the old mans face en-
ragged her beyond endurance.
''You did. did you: Well, now, reckon |
you'll laug Oh for some cause, you will. Back !
you go, sir-straight back; an don't you |
come home 'thout that donkey, or you'll /
rue it. sure as my name IS Hannah Brown. |
on Aleck-k-k!'
A black boy darted round the corner,
from behind which, with several others,
he had beheld the brief but stirring scene. |
PUT saddle on er mule. The elders |
gwine back to town. And don't you 30
long about it, neither"
"Yessum." Alexis worries cleaned In |
The darkueAS A he dizanr,earad