The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-11-17

1 SNSA4S SNASA ON 4HN CS " -
sticks, an gez he:
you've jest spilled my day, Mis-
Bowers. I wish you'd a staid at home,
where you b'Iong."
Very likely" SEE I; "fer eff I'd "a
staid to home I'd "a been KEEP in ig-
nerance a this sassage episode, an I
wouldn't a missed thet fer nothin', Mr..
Bowers. By the way, what did you
do with thet balony?"
"Slung it out'n the winder," SEE he.
"Well, Ephrum Bowers, " eez I, you
do beat all. Thet piece would "a been
plenty fer supper an breakfast.
Yore awful free, all 'twunce."
Afore he he'd time to answer, the
trainman hollered out "Hoopestcn,"
so we clumb off.
We went right from the depot up to
S9dge Blacks office, 'lowin' to ketch
him afore he he'd any other bizness on
hand, He wuz real nice an pleasant
to us, an said he he'd the hull mornin'
to devote to us. So Ephrum started
out an told him ev'rything tibet 'ud
testify him in hevin' Mr.. McWilder
rested. The jedge heerd him through,
an then he SEE, with his eyes a snap
PIN:
well, Bowers, I did think you were
a wan of good common sense, but after
these statements you've made, 1 doubt
it,"
Then Ephrum fared up an aez he:
"Well, elong's you've expressed
yoreself SO free, I'll tell you what my
opinion is: I b'Iieve, Obadier Black,
that yOre in cahoot3 with McWiIder,
| an yore tryin' to bluff me-but 'twon't
work"
Nov, Mr.. Bowers" SEE the iedge,
keep perfectly cool; we'll not discuss
this this matter further, il you lose
your temper. I spoke rather abrupt.
ly, I'll admit, but the idea Of McWilder
being engaged in such a business was
so absurd, that it would have provoked
me to hear you even hint such a thing
much les come right out and con
denim the man. Why, Mr.. Bowers,
there's not a more honest, reliable and
upright nan in the whole country than
Duncan McWllder."
Imagine eff you kin our feelin's when
the jedge got done tellin' US this. Well,
we Ecurcely knowed what to say. But
fnly Ephrum ketchod breath, an SEE
he:
well, jedge, more'n likely we're
mistaken bout this-but ev'rything
p'inted ag'jn' the man"
"Everythingp eez the jedge. "Nhy,
the few trifing incidents you had to
go on were too slimpsy to even come
under the head of circumstancial evi-
dence; and to tell you the truth, Mr..
Bowers, l think the whole story grew
out Of the fact that cWilder attended
strictly to lis own business-and that
is very much against the principles of
Sapviile."
Then sez I, speakin' up:
"Well, what is the mans business,
anyways Nobody ever sees him doin'
a lick a work"
He is an inventor, Mrs. Bowers"
SEE he, ''Rnd he has made an immense
amount of money off of his patents.
Some of his mechanical Inventions will
make his name famous all over the
country, before many years."
"Well," sez Ephrum, gittin' up to
start, I've heerd 'nough-the mans
all right fur's I know; all I ask a you,
jedge, is to keep mum bout this"
Well, the jedge said he would, an
as we wuz startin' out the door, he
holIered to Ephrum, an SEE he, "Now
don't be hunting any more trouble, Mr..
Bowers-it doesn't pay"
After we got away from the office,
| Eprum seq to me:
"Marthy, let's ketch the fust train
fer home, no matter if it's the freight
'commodation."
Eyes, Ephrum," says l. "I'm MORN
willin'; but there 8 no kind a train fer
two hull houlS yit so jest keep kahn"
"Well, we ct dinner, an then we
went round to see some folks a Our'n;
we'd never he'd much to do with EN-
afore-but we did want some place to
stay till time fer the train to come.
The time drug long dretful, an We
wuz powerful glad when we got on the
train bound for Sapville.
Then Ephrum begun a-worritin', an
SEE he:
"Mar5hy, I'd ruther face the parson
eff l wuz drunk, than to see Jed an