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

- ~ ~ ssNlt p. ?
He hurried toward the door, but
as he opened it there was a binding
dash of lightning. loud crash n
thunder, and the whole bniIdins
trembled. Afresh gust of wind drove
che rain against the windows with
redouhlcdyigor, and no slammed tho
door shut and returned TO his ler
VIVA what's thetg" exclaimed the
G. A. R. man.
Thestorekeeper mournfully shoot
his head. Its the ha'nt rive INV
pap so much trouble. /"
"a ha'nt" cried the loafer and
the shoemaker, their teeth chatter.
ing with terror.
Yes" replied the storekeeper
leaning his chair back on two legs
Thet's what pop used ter say ct
was. he seen ct. Bnt If you uns
1rawsu up close I'll tell you about ct. .
Nothing loath to get as near as
possible to each other tho men, seat.
ed ON chairs, kegs and boxes, formed
little circle about the Storeleeper.
who ina voice scarcely above a wins.
per began his story:
My pop, you uns knows, run this
here store an done pretty lively
trade till the year fore he died. He
bought ct off old Ed Harmon, who
he'd KEEP ct long while. You uns
may remember Ed, or maybe you
don't. He was mean man. if ever
there was one, never hesitatin ter
give short measure in scllin butter
and takin long when he bought. allus
buyin eggs he the bakers dozen and
sellin the rcglar way, usin calilv
stick an inch short of the yard. Et
don't take many years of tibet kind
of tradin ter hurt a man S reputation
in these parts, an consequent when
he died he he'd the name of bein
bout the meanest, ,lishonestcst man
in the county, if you uns reck 'lect. ("
Tibet ! du, tho shoemaker inter
posed. AN the sugar he sol was
tibet wet you could squeeze ii tin Of
wottcr outell every pound.
My sightsr' calculated the
chronic loafer.
Sure. continued the storekeep.
er, IAN 'cordin to Pup. who he'd the
name fer tellin the truth, them was
his footsteps we heard Jest now"
Sam Hill" cried the G. A. r.
man under his breath. His body's
in the Methods buryin groun. "
The chronic loafcr cast an anxious
glance toward tho entrance to the
storeroom, from which II stairway
wound down into thecella The tin
smith shifted his chair closer into
the circle. There was n roll of thun-
der overriding themountains, u fash
of lightning that seemed to find the
earth somewhere among the distant
ridges, but the rain was still pouring
down in torrents.
True. Thct's what pap says, " the
storekeeper continued ina low, awed
tone. He tol me before he died all
about it, an guess lie tol me right,
fer we've heard the footsteps, an my
sugar hes ben wet lately
Sony missus was sayin-still' =
The storekeeper was slightly ruff
fed by this interruption and glared
contemporary at its author, the
loafer, for moment. Then lie re-
sumed his narrative.
''Et took pop consilerable time ter
build up his trade, hut he gave square
measure, an by I'M by the folks be-
gin comm here stead of goin way up
ter Kishkoquillas. Then the trouble
started. One day he found chip
stuck i'll the scales he weighed the
meat lie bought on, so it wouldn't
weigh over 50pounds. He licked me,
tibet he did, though / never done ct.
Next day he found another stick
there, an he was jest tibet mad he
licked me agin. Then l went away
fer week. an every mornin reg lar
he foun thct chip. He begin ter feel
queer 'bout ct when lie seen WASH
responsible So every day he pulled
the chipout, tell final ctstopped He
thot ct was rats.
Things run all right fer about n
year, an then folks complained tibet
the sugar was damp m blamed pop
with victim ct ter make ct weigh.
He sayl he didn't, an lie didn't, Ger
he savd so, an lie wasn't u man ter
tell nothin but the truth, 10 more
ter treat his sugar dishonest. But the
customers begin ter drop off buyin
i'm he ter beafrnid of loSin his trade,
AN what was more he seen tibet sug.
ar lie got III the barrel as dry as II
chipwas dampevery moriin. When
no declared he'd never wet ct, folks
Jest wouldn't believe him, fer they
was no gittin round ct them goods
was soakin. Heconcidod he'd fin out
jest what was wrong, fer lie wasn't
no fclly ter low customers ter drop
off two an three month because
some one was spoilm the sugar.
Well, he fqrn out, an he never he'd
no moro peace, nor he'd l. What hap
pencd tell you exactlyushe tol me,
nm / amt no cause ter disbelieve
what hc s;ryd, fer he wasn't no man
Ter waste words, He toll mo before