The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1888-07-05

STYLES of battered hats, were working
industriously with him.
Gracious me!'' cried Nanny; ''where
did he hire so many men?"
II haven't hired EN-" said Jack.
..They volunteered to help me-
well, we did, said the biggest and
burliest of all, pausing to wipe his
streaming brow with ared-cOtton hand
kerchief.
''Of all neighborly people, the Kidd's
Pointers are the most so" said Jack,
looking around on his coadjutors with
genial smile.
s'Well, we gin ally like to take hand
in mos everything that's goin' on, ="
said Ephraim Gill, leaning on his spade,
and staring complacently around him.
but we never thought o. scoOpin' out
this ere sloppy holeAnone of u.s."
I'm surprised at that, said jeff.
Surprised, be We, squirrel" said old
well now, why? Been prospecting ?"
fess," said the young artist.
Tried a witch-hazel rod?"
NO" rather surprised.
AoPo yOu SOt q
mo. did not suspect the presence
of iron in this sandy SOIL" answered
Jelf.
The grizzle-headed old man drew a
long breath.
There amt no tellin' what folks
will find,' said he, plunging his spade
once more into the earth, ''Dig away,
lads-dig for your lives. Moon sets at
Ill III =
arter moonset."
I'VE might get lanterns" suggested
Jelf
Lanterns amt no good!' was the
brusque reply.
When the moon disappeared behind
the hills every man left off work, and
departed without much ceremony of
adieu.
Jack made haste to pick up his tools.
''Well," said he ''we've made pretty
considerable headway: but of all peO-
pie l ever saw these men are the most
eccentric. One would think well had
never been dug before
During the day the neighbors hung
around the spot, staring, peeping, and
prying, as if they were all eyes and
tongues.
$50 ye've commenced to dig eh?"
said a woman, in saffrOn-yellow sun
bonnet and a dyed cashmere cape,
what was going to the post-office, and
who stopped to watch Nanny in her
occupation of sowing aster-seeds under
the window.
Eyes" said Nanny.
"'Twon't be no good" said the
woman. ever so many folks have
tried it afore. wish | knowed how
many spade-edges has been worn away
on this plaguey soil!''
And she went her way, dragging one
foot after the other with spiritless
perseverance.
''Haow ye gettin' on?" said brisk,
fat little female, who had been down to
the edge of the water.
''Oh, nicely!" said Nanny.
s.Pity the moons so fur off the full"
said the fat woman.
''Will that make any difference?"
asked Nanny.
.'All the difference in the world"
announced the obese female. '.Ain't
no use diggin' without ye dig by the
light of the moOn.n
And she walked off.
At noon a gaunt old man stopped as
he drove his wagon of jingling tinware
past the gate.
1--we heern tell as we've took to dig
GIN" said he. '.How come We ever to
settle on that there ma'shy piece o.
ground to dig in"
MY husband thought there were
favorable indications there" said
Nanny.
mo one ever tried that there spot
afore," said the gaunt old man. But
p'raps your man knows the country?"
NO." said Nanny; mot at all.
"Ef twas me-" said the man point
ing with the dipper handle, I'D a-dug
further down the hill. Poor old Jim
Bean! il would a-dOne his heart good to
see the s'ile turned up again. Ye
dunno Jim? He put up this house. 1t
was him sold it TO Nathan Shorey-as
bargained it off to you folks. He's in
the asylum, Jim Bean is. Got to dig
GIN, ye see, am couldn't stop; went to
his brain. Any tinware to-day or
crockery? Mop Well, l 90 by every
Thursday mornin', and so good-day
to ye"
At the dinner-table Nanny amused
her husband by an account of the num-
Der of odd enquiries which had been
levelled at her during the morning.
Il think the people here must be the
most curious and meddlesome in the
world" said she.
"But after all" said Jack, carving
the nice little chicken which, as Aunt
Prue complacently observed, ''was
grown on their own premises" lit is
rather pleasant to find oneself the OBJ
iect of such genuine interest"
At that moment the door flew open,
and in hurried a red-faced perspiring
man, crying, "Sharesm as he flung
his hat on one chair and himself into
another.
Sir" said Jack, rising in some con-
fusion, 81 have not the pleasure Ofyour
acquaintancer'
I'm the man that owns the East
Medder" gasped the new conner
sst'other side O. the stun wall where
undermined my stun wall, and / amt
| a-goin' to be left out in the cold! No,
by lingo, / ain't-not if | know my
selfr'
But" reasoned Jack, 'your house
is half mile up the hill. 1t wouldn't
be possible to get sufficient headway
| to"
"Oh, hang your headway" said the
redfaced man. ''If any man digs under
my stun wall, he's got to go shares
that's the long and the short of it!
Amt that the rule, Parson Glenn?"-to
small gentlemanly-looking person.
who stood knocking at the door.
What is all this about?" imploring-
ly asked Mr.. Jelf gentlemen, pray
sit down! Let us get at the bottom of
this mystery"
II have heard of your undertaking,
Mr. Jelf," said the mild-voiced village
clergyman, bowling to the ladies.
almost every one has, l should
think" groaned Jelf, eyeing his cary
ing-knife with moody determination.
with the deepest chagrin, said the
| reverend gentleman.