St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1892-11-12


He'll surprise ye when he comes. and
ye can't escape him-and that's the last
we shall zee Of yc."
With . queer. chuckling laugh she
hobbled of. Her words must have
made a deep impression on Tim. for Il
is said that he never dared to look hel
In the face again, but il he saw he,
coming hurried iuto his den, calling
his dog after him; and SO Aunt Hannah,
Of lall Rowsick and Hockamock. alone
had the freedom OF his bridge and re.
ccived no attentions from Scrap
But the years rolled by and brought
no evil visitation upon the tollman. He
grew richer and richer all the time,
and with his wealth his sullen avoid.
ance Of his fellowmen increased. He
seemed to regard them all with . hoe.
tile suspicion and to have no friends
but his dog, who daily grew dingiel
and uglier and more distrustful.
OF what was going ON in the world
Tim knew nothing and cared NO more.
A book was not to be seen in hia
house, and he never read . newspaper.
OF railroads and steamboats,, which al
the world had begun to talk about. he
did not even dream. Civilization
marched on from one height of prog.
ress to another. great inventions and
discoveries were followed BY those vel
more wonderful, but NO sound of j,
came to him.
II he had any pleasure besides count.
ing his heaps Of money, he found it in
annoying the navigators Of the reach
by obliging them to blow and blow fos
half IN hour 1t time before attend
ing to their signalA Often would he
keep skipper waiting until the wind
had changed or the tide had turned,
and . good days work was lost. and %
oppressive did his ill-natured tricks b.
come that some of his indignant mari
ners openly threatened to tear down
his bridge.
hut Tim and his bridge held unmo-
Tested sway over the reach until . Ger
tain summer evening in 18-. when just
Is the shadows were falling the toll
man was startled by . terrific screech-
ing that seemed to come from around
the bend.
It was as loud and piercing as il all
the horns and conch shells in the Clam
river fleet had blown 1t once, and il
surprised him into IN unwonted alac.
rity. Leaping out ON the bridge he
seized his bar and swung open the draw
without moments delay.
The strange noise was heard again,
this time nearer and still louder. Never
could horns and shells have blown such
= blast rs that. Perplexed and half
frightened, Tim leaned over the side of
the draw, and, through the fast gather
ing shadows, looked eagerly down the
reach.
Suddenly he jumped back, his eyes
from their sockets.
With rush and q roar, . frightful
had suddenly turned tho
bend and was heading for the bridge.
It loomed up in the dim light huge,
and uncanny, . monster
neither of the sea nor Of the air, but
alive and on fire, breathing out great
puffs Of vapor. vomiting blotches OF
smoke and showers Of sparks, ehurning
the waters with its feet and piercing
the skies with it's voice. Al Tim still
looked, another cloud OF steam Kissed
from its nostrils and it shrieked again.
That was enough! Tim stared no
longer. With loud cry Of despair he
to the upper end of the draw,
jumped into the water and disappeared.
The meuster passed through the
opened draw bridge with . asputtering, .
and = groaning. II lashed
the murky waters Of the reach high
against the piers. frightened the birds
from the spruces and sent the cattle
and scampcring to the ends Of
the pastures. Then in . moment or
two It had vanished. and the face Of
nature was serene again.
Tho draw still stood open, pointing
up and down the river rs il to mark the
of the strange visitor. Travel.
ers came up on both sides, halted and
turned back. supposinR the interrup.
ton to be the latest device of Tins
malice. For two days traffic between
the two towns was at = standstill.
Il bbCbb cOtA1C VA Ns1C AAOS SA0u1OCA W VI t4l1SSh
after vainly trying to arouse the toll
man, went out in n boat, climbed up
The pier and swung the draw back.
Travel thereupon resumed its wonted
and from that day to this Tins
bridge has been free to man and beast.
After waiting due time for Tim to
the selectmcn of the town
made . thorough search Of his house,
but no trace of Tim, or .his dog. or.
strange TO say, of his bags of money,
could be found. Not even button,
nor . penny piece. nor bone!
Aunt Hannah Kicks always claimed
with many chuc:slc that her pzedic-
Jon had been literally fulfilled; but
after she had gone the way Of all
The prophets, there came to the ears Of
The townspeople a runor that ia one of
he interior villages of Maine an old
man. apparently very poOt, had been
found dead of starvation and neglect in
! wretched hovel, his body guarded by
/ half-blind. snarling old dog and
upon . heap Of straw in
which were hidden several bags of
money, amounting to . wondrous sum.
Whether these were the relics Of Tim
stubbs or not nobody ever took pains
o make sure, though many ce the goo6
,eople Of Roswick and Hoczamock
irmly believed the bones Of the dog
md the gold were his Some Of the
,eiahbors were fully persuaded that
rim WAS never seen on earth after he
Jumped into the reach. and at the pres
mt day one opinion has about as many
champions ~ the other in these two
I'D town&~Lewistou me. Journal.
Goeting at The FSets.
"And yet, Miss Laura" said tie pro
,essor, notwithstanding all that b