The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1894-11-15
MAYOR MeLFREsA.s CLOTHES.
HardentOwn's Chief Er-Executivo become
Dude and Catches Fire.

By gum, y ought ter seen tn may
or" said Bill Harding, in the village |
blacksmith shop at Hardentown, near
Lawrenceburg Ind. "He came back
from tn city yesterday lookin' like a
dod-gasted dude, b gosh"
Eye don't tell" exclaimed the black
smith, leaning on his bellows and LETT
ting the shoe for Bills mule fade from
rose color to black "Ye don't mean ter
say that Mayor McElfresh has been an
got another new suit O. clothes?"
THAT'S what, an she's corl1erl" re-
marked Bill, splitting tobacco juice at
knothole close to the anvil.
my jeeminyp quavered old Jed
Brown, who was sitting on a soap box
near the forge. EFF that ant three
new suits inside n a year I'm switched.
The mayors livin' putty fast boys;
reckon we'd better hev committee fer
to look over his accounts"
''What kind of suit is it, Bill2"
asked Sam Unlifer "You said twas
corker"
Kinder gray an yaller, with tails to
It," replied Bill '1m dod-binged eff it
ant tn - Why, here he comes
nowp
The twenty-four-inch wrought-iron
latch on THE door was thrown noisily
up, and in stepped little man with
snappy black eyes and thin yellow
whiskers, He was clad in light-col-
ored plaid suit of wondrous figure and
workmanship There were creases in
the pants, and also in the coat-creases
that came there naturally and not by
intention The tails of the frock coat
stuck out in manner at once stiff and
suggestive of newness.
"Mornin, boys" said the little man,
moving toward the forge with an ex-
haustive Indifference to the glances
centered upon his attire. mighty
frosty weather fur this time O. year.
Pze out lookin' at my northern spys.
Every dog-goned one of 'em fruz solid.
Blamed If ant kind O. chilly myself,
The mayor warmed his fingers over
the forge, and his studied unconscious
ness of the examination he was UNDER
going grew deeper
Don't look like ye'd been abut in an
orchord, mayor" said Jed Brown, re-
moving his pipe from his mouth and
tapping it on his boot. Looks more
like ye'd ben abut a-mashin' tn gals"
This sally brought out very gen.
erous response from the admirers of
the village humorist When the laugh
ter died away the mayor said, rather
stiffly; "Huh! Some people amt got
much to think about. Reckon Igot
enough to tend to lool1in' after my
family"
This rather spoiled the effect of Jed's
sally, for it is a notorious fact that
Jed's family gets little looking after
from its paternal head.
The blacksmith relieved the awk-
wardness of the situation. Having
pumped away briskly to warm the
mayors fingers. he discovered that he
had heated the shoe for Bills mule.
He pulled it, splitting and glowing,
from the fire, and hammered away
brislSly, The major shrugged his
Shoulders, backed up closer to the
forge, and said: "Never noticed nothin'
like TIL way politics is stirred up in tn
city. Seen few people there, an
what they told me jest knocked me
silly. Why, they say they're gona take
; in all tn towns around Cincinnatty."
> "Ye don't say!' responded Bill Hard
= ing. well, that's an idea"
; Yep" responded the mayor, IAN
l -"
. What he intended to say further can.
!, not be stated. Just as he got ready tc
{ pronounce another great truth Sam
a Uncifer shouted Mayor, yer afreP
Z The blacksmith seized the mayor by
n the arm and turned him round. The
q whole rear of his checkered person wal
: In flames.
! Gosh almighty, he'll burn up!" shril
: ly shouted Jed Brown. The mayo
: seemed utterly paralyzed by the mis-
I hap A dozen hands dragged him in |
! dozen different ways Bill Harding
. mule even joined in the excitement
s "Throw him down and smother /
u u out" yelled some one. The unfortunat,
9 mayor was promptly dumped into al
: ash pile and rolled vigorously over ant
) over. While dust filled the low-ceil
7 inged shop, but a tongue of flame coul'
t occasionally be distinguished about TIL
e mayors person. An occasional inartic
|. ulate sound also arose from the mayor
y but no one paid any attention to it
y Get the tubl" yelled some one. Fou
d muscular arms promptly seized tn
J blacksmith's dip tub, and a deluge 0
i black, freezing water was poured upol
. the mayor. A yell followed.
ii 'Dod CAST it all, you dod-gasted son
. o guns" shouted the mayor, what d
= you want to do, assassinate me?" TIL
(. mayor got to his feet and looked a
= dignifed as a man could look in
II ready-made suit with the tail burne
y off and the front elevation soaked wit
Ii inky water.
q Say" said he, as he strobe from tn
10 shop, 'rh' next time you boys see m
Q afire you let me burn to death"
d Jed Brown broke the silence whicI
At followed the mayors departure.
~ II seen tibet there coat tail ketc
fire." said he, but didn't feel Gale
on to say nothin' when the mayor wa
so blame peart about tibet little joke {
mine. cincinnati Enquirer.
80 Lyman Gage after firing NEE
v ing, had just gone off to bed, and wa
in his'frst sleep when he heard lou
knocking at his door, and a voic
called out 81 am gathering the opir