The Forrest City times., 1895-10-04
A DAY OF MARTYRDOM.

The colonel and the young reporter were slipping their respective portions of cold bottle of beer and listening to the whir of an electric fan the other night when the colonel grew reminis- cent.
 Away before the war" remarked the colonel, musingly, when I was just sprouting my first whisker-a spindle-shanked, truant-playing prod uct of the effete east-my father sent me out into southwest Missouri to get braced up. l don't know what was the matter with me, but I was all run down, and my father was convinced that season on the Missouri farm of my uncle would prove beneficial alike to my mind and body. might say be- fore going further that it did
 "l bade my mother a sorrowful good-by, away back in New York city. and in due course of time 1 landed on the farm of my uncle. It was reve- lation. The verdure-clad hills, the breezes smelling spicy and sweet, the cold water from the well, wholesome food in large quantities, horses to ride eAhNA d AONC4y HCOl SO SO All made a new boy of me in week. Barring the fact that was compelled to retire with the rest of the family at nine o'clock at night and get up at an hour in the morning when the dew on the grass felt to my bare feet like ice water, that farm was heaven. It was two heavens when l got acquainted with Melvina Drake.
 ''Melvina Drake was about the four teenth child of farmer living about two miles nearer town than my uncle. Her father, Solomon Drake, was the poorest man in the county He was poorer than watered buttermilk, but the incest, mildestmannered old man you ever saw. His wife was skinny. sallow, forsal1en.looking, over-worked woman, with no pleasure in store for her but death Both were hard working but honest, but they had some kind of a hoodoo on them. They were old res identers in that part of the country. and their ancestors had been there be- fore them, but as far back as the mem- ory of man could extend the Drakes had always been poor-as my uncle said-'pore as shucks About all the Drakes seemed fitted for was increas- ing the population and getting hold of horses that couldn't draw anything but flies.
 ''As was saying, Melvina was about the fourteenth of the Drake brood, and she was a dream. l guess she was about sixteen years, big and sweet and healthy. Her checks were as rosy and clear as Missouri apple, and her eyes were big and blue. And she was so doggone innocent that I hope l may die if it didn't use to embarrass me like thunder.
 Consequence was 1 got mashed on Melvina; hard mashed l don't be- lieve stronger case of calf love ever developed in this whole state of Mis- souri. If l saw one of my cousins or any other boy talking to her I would go to some secluded spot and cry and butt my soft noddle against tree. At night l used to lay awake and dream myself hero. 1 used to imagine Mel vina tearing down the road on a fiery steed with certain death staring her in the face, and me coming up unexpect- edly, stopping the horse and rescuing her. sustaining in the operation a broken leg and sundry other bruises. Then I'd imagine Melvina nursing me back to life and finally marrying me. My head was full of such stuff.
 ''One day, along in June, there came out our way a wagon loaded with cir GUS bills, paste pots and bill stickers, and they slathered the country side with signs announcing that the great Egypto-Africano circus and menageries was to show in town on the Fourth of July. When I left home my father gave me ten dollars. and had most of 1t left. l made up my mind that would take Melvina to the circus, and