The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1895-04-26

y ~ - 49, 49, $50 ~ t+Af ~
lnr come q faitit sounl like the
splashin OF VOTER dripu. dripin.
dripin. Pop raised himself on his
knees all a.tretnhlin. They WAS an
other spell of quiet an then the same
SCUM of football; then mother. an
mother, an every time made his
heart thumn ike 'twould break. an
Jared him all over. Out Of, the dark
inter the light Of the lamp came the
tigur' of an ole man. walkin slow,
step bestep, crosst the cellar toward
the sugar bawrel. Pop rubbed his
eyes in surprise. fer the feliy was Ed
Harmon, who fer eight years he'd
ben layin in the Meth'dis' buryin
groun, never missed. He wore thet
old shiny black suit of his'n, his
broken. patched boots an gray cap;
round his neck was wound a blue
wooden comforter. nm in his hand he
kerried, filed with Voter, a bucket,
around the handle of which he'd
wrapped a piece of paper ter keep his
hands from cuttin. His face was all
white like ct used ter be, cept his
nose. which was red from dTinkin
too much hard cider. He walked all
doubled up, fer the bucket seemed
ter blow him consid'able.
Pop jest laid quiet at first, he was
so scared, trenholm all over, with his
teeth chntterin ter bent all. Sudden
Ed stopped right under the lantern
an set the bucket down, the wotter
splashin over tho side an goin up in
fog as soon as it struck the door
Then he Strengthened up like ter
stretch his back an raised his hands
ter his mouth an begin to blow on.
'em. Pop didn't hear no sound, but
no seen the lamp flickerin, an at the
sight of Ed standin there so nat'rnll
his couritch come back,
The ghos stopped aminute. Then
his face twisted like he was groaninA
an he picked mp the bucket an start.
ed ON toward the sugar bawrels.
When pop seen thet he clean forgot
etwasa sperrit, ct looked so lifelike.
He jumped up an ran cut yellin:
Here you, Ed Harmon, don you
dast put tibet wotter in my sugar.
THE ghoS' stopped, turned round
an looked mt pop, an pop stopped an
looked at the ghos'. The appyrition
set tho bucket down easy an blowed
on his hands. Tibet kinder cooled
pop.
You uns hem trcatin mo square,
he says, polite like, dampin my sug-
ar an sp'ilin my trade
Ed didn't say nothin, hut Jest
looked ut him cool like an give his
comforter another lap round the
neck.
Nov, SEQ here, says pop, a lit.
tie louder, I've foun yon ont, Ed
Harmon, AMI make ct pretty hot
fer you round these parts if you
don't let up
THE ghos turned roun proud
like, blowed its hans, leaned over
an picked up the bucket an started
trampin toward the bawrlagin. Pop
forgot himself. he was tibet mad. He
give run an kick ut the bucket,
fer he didn't hev no desires ter hurt
Ed Harmon, but tended jest ter spill
the wotter. He sayd he ncar drop.
ped dead on the spot, fer his feet
Went right up inter the pail without
his feelin ct. The old thing broke
inter dozen pieces, the slaves fall.
in i'll heap on the floor; the VOTER
rose up i'll fog like, an fer an in.
slant he could see nothin. 1t cleared
away an he noticed ono of the hoops
a rollin off inter the dark. He ra.l
fer ct an grabbed at ct, hut his hand
Went right through ct. He. threw up
his arm tllinkin ter kctc-l ct thet
way. As helooked upat Iii hand le
seen the old hoop revolvin there in
the mir above him. He give wild
jumpat ct. His hand struck the Ian.
tern an knocked ct off thenail. They
was n loud crash as tile glass broke.
He was left in the dark What hap.
pened after tibet he didn t know. i
foun him slecpin ON the pile OF sacks
next murnin.
Sights" cried the chronic loaf
er, when the narration was ended.
He drew his keg closer into the little
circle, which by this time had as
sumed the smallest possible circum,
ference.
The tinsmth glanced surrepti
tiously over his shoulder toward the
dark corner where lay the entrance
TO the storeroom. 'Et do beat all, :
he said.
From over among the distant
mountains there came the low
beration of thunder The storm had
passed the valley, and now the rain
was falling lightly and the breeze
was dying,
Was thS sugar wet next Glay?Y
asked tho shoemaker, nervously Bit
ing tho end off the stem of MS pipe.
Ssh! LISTEN whispered the
loafor honrsely.
There was no sound save the gen.
tie pattcr of the rain and the loud
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