Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1894-06-06
"SUFFERIN' NATE. ="

an long-sufferin' man on airth." 1t
was Mates way to be patient and
long-suffering, just as it is some mems
way to sly off the hooks and lose
their tempers on the slightest provo
cation Perhaps the latter way IS
more convenient as saving one a vast
amount Of lacerated feelings and loss
of pride, but Mates way had the ad-
vantage Of costing its owner fewer
post-mortem regrets and fewer
trends. True it is that Mates friends
we're won't to impose on him much as
other people aid, but he didn't mind
that-at least they thought he
didn't And 1t was this supposition
that led some of them into subse-
quent difficulty.
Nate was one OF the principal
characters and most important feat
ures OF Manganese, where he lived.
To be a principal character necesSi-
tates the possession of much spare
time, and Nate had this essential
qualification nearly every day in the
week. When he didn't have it, he
was at work, but this did not happen
often. Nate was like Rip Van
Winkle-always ready to take drink.
or to lend a hand for the benefit OF
some one else but prone to shirk Ia
hor which might benefit himself and
his family So Mr. Preslo sewed
uresses and things, which was quite
convenient for Nate, as it gave him
more time to indulge his fancy for
loafng.
Mates loadng- places were the Ex-
change and Red Front saloons These
places were most convenient, being
provided with plenty Of chairs, and
being the places most affected by
citizens likely to set 'em up. Here
Nate did most of his suffering, of
whatever kind. 1t came mostly in
the form of jokes, practical and of
mouth, leveled at him by his fellow
citizens, and in these he took a sort
of mournful pleasure, as being an in
dication of his popularity. 1t Is a
well-established fact that an unpopu-
lar man is seldom troubled by jokers.
Like most Of his kind, Nate had a
dog mot a yellow one, however, but a
Spaniel) to assist him in lOat1ng, and
1t was Curly whose misfOrtUnes led to
Mates final reformation.
One afternoon, as Nate was lazily
holding forth to some of his cronies
from his seat in the Exchange, there
was slight c1mmotion on the street
outside, and they went to the door to
ascertain the cause. 1t was Curly.
He had stopped in at the Red Front
to look for Nate, aud some Of the
I'D Il tn
have fun with him by tying tin-can
TO his tail. He was now coming up
the street somewhat more rapidly
than usual, and heading for the Ex-
change, as a possible place Of refuge.
Nate picked him up and carried him
inside, where he removed the can.
Then he sat quite still for few mo.
ments, pettiUG Curly and quite un-
conscious of the laughing mob in the
saloon, cracking fOOl-jokes at his and
CurlY's expense.
Suddenly he arose, and, without a
glance at any one, strobe out of the
door. The crowd followed, wonder.
ing what he intended doing. Nate
stopped a minute in front of the bar.
ber-shop to speak to Jim Calkins.
"Got gun, Jim?"
'Yes."
"Gimme it, fr few minutes"
What ye goin' T. do, Nate?"
"Jim," answered Nate, Slowly, but
working his nails in and out of his
palms very fast, "Im goin' down t
lick tn brute th't put that can on tn
pup-an' l want T. be fixed T. shoot
back eff he makes a gun-play."
Jim handed him the desired six
shooter, and he went on down the
street to the Red Front
The jokers had gone inside, and
were laughing as they waited as the
bar for drinks
.'Hullo, Mattel" called NoscY Price,
who was buying" "Bring tn dog,
an come an have a drink. Dooz he
drink, too? l see I'm rushin' tn can
jcs now"
OF course all the men laughed up
roarlously, but they stopped short at
sight of Mates upl!fted hand and
blazing eyes.
'IIol on, Noscy," said Nate quietly;
II want { know, first place, who tied
that there can on tn pups tail?"
The knot of drinkers at the bar
looked at each other ha!f-amusedly
for a second or two, and then one
asked, laughingly:
"Why, Natc?"
BECAUSE" answered Nate, II jcs'
come down yere . r'mark th't I'm
patient an long-sutTerin' myself,
but"
Another Iuugh interrupted him,
and then he went on:
But l don't pcrpoSe no brute is
goin' T. tease that dog o. mine, none
Whatever. Th' man th't done it is a
dirty, sneaking coward, an en- lick
imp
They saw he was in earnest and
did not laugh. Bill Kiley, big raw.
boned. Manifested "bad" man from
High PIPES, who stood at the further
cad Of the bar, stepped forward.
''Wh-what did We say" he asked,
surprisedly. IVY you half-growcd
sniTelcr-h
They were not quite sure how it
happened; none of them had ever
seen Nate lift his hand against a fel-
low man, and they were totally un-
prepared for whau happened. In
lcarcc fifteen seconds, Nate, Llceding
ut triumphant, sat astride lis an-
lagonlst, Enthusiastically thumping
him on the head with the butt of the
rost ate Kiiey's own evolver-which
he latter had dropped ornehow early
ia the aTgumept-wLen the crowd IL.
tcrfercd and dragged them apart.
After taking couple of drinks and
washing his face, Nate walked home,
preceded by Curly, who seemed 10
lei that Le had be.n thoroughly y
Rycoged, aod acted like a oallow pup
in his satisfaction Nate did not 90