St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1889-10-26
" YELLOW WHEELS"

YELLOW WHEELS"
Joe Je1fus' Hatred for Them end
Their Owner.
Joe JeRus drove . coal team. . great
numbering two-horse coal team. and
every day Of his life. Sundays OK
cepted." Perchcd high above his bust
ness. he Numbered with his dusky load
through the streets Of tho busy town.
Ono large concern used quantities Of
soft coal. and Joe had found out that
the easiest haul there and back Wa
along the 6ne broad avenue where
those who owned trotters speeded
them. and those who did not at upon
the fences and made disparaging 70
marks
Butof all those who few past Joe -
he labored along the road, not ono OK
cited his iro half 20 much - : man
with yellow wheels"
Sometimes Il was . horse Of ono color
and sometimes OF another. but always
yellow wheels" Joe just hated the
very sight OF him. He was 20 we'll
dressed. he was 50 self contained. his
''team" was 90 spick and span. and he
drove 90 we'll. that to himself Joe had
wasted upon him all tho choice cpl
thets that he had learned In tho army.
Joe Jeffus had driven . team Of
some kind over since he could remem-
Der. and Il was therefore most natural
that he and tho war maturing about
the same time. he should enlist - .
WAGNER and become the driver OF .
mule team.
He saved his bounties and his pay,
and ut the close OF tho unpleasantness
concluded 70 settle down and 20 to
work. But he missed being under or
ders, and looking about him, wooed
and won his next-door neighbor. .
fragile little light-haired factory girl.
and swore allegiance to her for life.
His hands and face were not black
and grimy then. and his dark curly
hair crowned . head Of youthful man.
" beauty.
Youth had long since gone from Joe.
the little light-haired girl had become
. delicate. ailing woman. and his
heart sank many and many . time a.
he climbed up the dingy stairs 70 his
attic home. Tho little woman, I"
though. had proved on the whole, .
good investment Every month lit
tie from his pay went into tho great
stone savings bank in tho confer Of tho
town.
Wouldn't tho time ever come" tho
little woman kept asking. when they
could buy the little corner lot they
could see from their windows. and over
which the soft summer breezes coming
up from tho river kept tho grass and
trees 90 groenl"
And then Joe would light his pipe
and 60 down and sit upon the door step
and think. always think about the
yellow wheels"
Now this feeling was not 20 very
strange after al. for into every body's
life 1t some time or another. In some
way or another. there enters something
very. very nearly akin to tho man with
yellow wheels" And 30 it came to
pass that one day succeeding tho time
worn wish from his tired wife. that.
laundering along tho avenue. he
caught sight Of his enemy.
He had pulled up toward tho side
walk to sec . man. A line Of heavy
wagons was coming in the opposite
direction. Joe kept bearing closer
and closer down upon tho yellow
wheels" away from the approaching
teams; he had taken in the situation
at glance. The yellow wheels could
be r.sped and cut into BY tho end Of
his clanking whif1etree, II the man
didn't pull out literally upon the side
walk. Now Joe could clear him Just
as we'll as not II he wanted to; but he
didn't
Unconscious Of al this. the owner Of
the yellow wheels" laughed and
talked with his friend on the side
walk. On and on came Joe. his face
blzcker than usual. threateuiuRs and
slaughter In his heert and evil In his
eye. In les time than that 1t takes 70
tell it the heavy white tree was play
ing hide-and-seek among the yellow
spokes: the horse had jumped and
backed. almost thrown out tho man,
knocked his hat Oh In tho mud and
put one foot squarely upon It while
Joa unconoernedly. lace 10 the 'front.'
was clanking along The road Very
soon Joe knew the man was coming
for him; be heard tho horee's hoofs
nearer and nearer. and now the '.yel-
Low wheels" were ahead Of his team.
Il say" said the man. what did
you do that fora"
Go long" answered Joe. appar-
entity to his horses. really TO tho man.
Il say" repeated tho man. what
did you do that for?"
And then Jos. using The most torca-