Smyrna times., 1892-04-13
UNCLE DAYE'S ADVENTURES.
BY A. CHEsSMORE.

D1 A. OhEnoMOkEs
"HullO, Uncle Dave! Good for you!
Bess and | were just aching for some
thing to turn up. Walk right in ="
And the old gentleman was seized aud
ushered into the hall with impetuous
hospitality.
Clarence, how rude !" protested a
second voice. But, Uncle, we are
glad TO see you; the folks have gone to
the sOciable, and our lessons are all
learned, thank goodness !" Aud a
bright young face was eagerly raised
for the k k'ss that, you may be sure was
not grudgiugly given.
Uncle Dave was great favOrite with
both nephew and niece, and he was
soon suugly settled between the two
upon the library sofa.
We'll, Bessie, what is to be the order
of exercises to-night?" he asked, as
with sly hand he released mass OF
curls that tumbled in a shining cataract
over her shoulders.
disorder, you mean," was the quick
retOrt, as she caught the daring hand
and slapped it vigorously. First OF
ing you quiet. Clareuce, what was
father saying about Uncle this morn
ing?"
DO you mean when l was reading
up in parlOr magic for our party next
week ?"
Yes"
He told me to ask him about his
adventure with Satan. On, Uncle, tell
it to us now won't you? Please do
Please!"
so l am to be kept quiet by being
made to do all the talking; good But
chicks, it is against my principles to
frighten children with ghost stories"
Chicks Children ~ Bessie remOn-
STATED. "Why, even Clarence is more
than half past u, and l am two years
and 10 weeks older. Besides, this isn't
to be ghost story, exactly. We shall
neither faint nor shrick, shall we
Clarence?"
Clarence laughed dtrisively as he
ran TO the table and turned down the
light then, regaining his end of the
sofa he announced:
"All ready"
well, if must must, sighed Uncle
Dave; and in a grave voice, that con
trasted strangely with his previous
banter, he began 1t was back in the
thirties. Our grand old state of Iowa
was not born, and your father and
had come to grow up with the coun.
try. ShOkOken had just sprOuted, and
ber one fOTlOrn tavern was so over
crowded that we were forced to find
quarters in the upper story of the
primitive warehouse"
81 know, knOww cried Clarence
i've heard papa tell all about it
Every man slept in bunk with bis
bed clothes nailed to the foot, so that
he had hut to kick them off in the
morning, and haul them back at nigh
what fun l wish had lived in thOs,
days, ION, don't I?"
clarence, be still - exclaimed Bes
sic. 1T is very impOlite to break il
in that way. "GO on, Uncle, dear"
1--WE were forced" repeated Uncle
Dave, with deepening sOlemnity, "tC
lodge in a ramshackle affair called By
courtesy a warehouse. A lank, tow
headed young giant named johann
Goethe BOltz roOmed with US, but we
didn't mind that the accommodation
were ample"
"Yes," Bessie assented, tits a stand
ing joke with father that his bOudOir a
that time was more spacious than ele
CANT. Later on, remember, it shell
tered a half.doZen families of Irish i'm
migrants ; and one day an up.rive
steamer landed at a levee close by
with couple of babies conspicuous
among the passengers thronging tn,
guards, which prompted three of th
warehouse mammas to exhibit at
window trio of 'darlints.' The peo
pie on the boat responded at once b,
producing a quartette, and the compe
titiOn went briskly on until the trium
phant steamer padded off amid th
widest enthusiasm"
"W-8e-w ~ whistled Clarence
"Very impOrlite, ct cetera ct ceters
Go on, Uncle, dear"
Uncle Dave seemed in no way pu
out by these Interruptions, but he nov
resumed in a tone so serious, so i'm
pressive, that his vivaeiOus audienc
was at last awed into silence.
"One night" he said. "abOuta mont
after the sign "B-ent BOthers CarpeT
ters,' had been hOisted in Shakoken,
was busy at the shop shaving down
lot of split shingles. Your father ha
gone with his gun, just after sunset,
locate a wild turkey rOOst located
the timber a mile back of town. NiH
o'clock had just struck whC the doc
was hurriedly opened, there came
rush of wind, and--puffp all becan
dark"
"'Who's there p cried, as the doc
shut with a bang.
mo reply. l felt for the candle an
relighted it. BOltz, trembling fro
head to foot, stood facing me, his loo
haggard, his hue that of ashes.
"'What's the matterP" | gaspet
. Has Hall shot himself2'
IA slight shake of his head was b
only answer,
"'Well, then, what ails you ?"
"His lips parted, but his tongU
, seemed paralyzed. He was the mo
terror-strickep man ! eyer saw. Qra'
ing near, ] grasped his arm and shoe
+ it roughly; this aroused him.
pulled himself together, gulped dow
the lump in his throat, and beg
: speaking rapidly, though huskily,
German, accompanying his words wi
extravagant gestures. / whistled, al
he, recollecting himself, stoppl
II abruptly, groaned in despair, and tn
tried English. II dawned upon ME
last that he thought he had j.
escaped from the devil, who he firm
believed, had made away with yo
father.
!, II had heard Boltz called the sup,
naturalist by some of the towns fol
now / knew why.
r He explained, as well as fright a