Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1897-01-07
ABILENE WEEKLY REFLECTOR ABILENE KANSAS JANUARY -TwEl PAGES

didn't have no haying myself. ! put II
all out Then be wanted to know who
put it out to, and ! told him Franz
Davis gensr ly did it, and he said as he
was going to see il Frank Davis
wouldn't give him job. He struck me
as pretty pert looking young fellow to
be a-coming up here to work in haying.
Any relation O. yours, Joe"
"He's about the same relation as your
bull cali, answered Mr.. Higgins grave.
ly, and bis reply was followed by a GUT
faw Of laughter all around the store.
II ledge they're both equally high
stepping" commented Bent, humor.
Gus old miser who lived in a nutshell
Of q house which was as black inside
q Q brick oven, and Is bare, though
they said he was worth $4,000, and
the best men Of the village borrowed
money from him on their land till peO-
pie said jokingly that before be died
Bent would own the town.
Bent's remark also caused a outlaw
Of laughter.
he come around to see me this
morning, too" said Jonathan Tinchley,
one Of the biggest farmers Of the region,
90 he sat comfortably on the counter on
the opposite side Of the store from Joe
Higgins. He chuckled to himself min
ute or two before be went on, so that
all eyes were fixed on him inquiringly.
II was moving that ten acre lot on the
sidehill up above my house." he said
at last, land didn't have only Andy
and Jim and myself. Felix and Sibley
were down finishing up little hoeing
in the garden that had to be done be-
fore we got .airly into haying. Well,
along come this city crack and says he
wanted q job I asked him ef he could
NOW, and he says, Yes, guess co.. I
kind O. thought he didn't know any
thing about it, but l said: All right.
You don't look right strong, and reck-
on you'll blister your hands the first
day. But I'll give you dollar for the
rest Of today So l took him down to
the barn and ground Sib's scythe for
him and flung it for him, as be didn't
seem to take hold very smart. When I
give it to him, he stood there a.holding
it on the ground till I took up mine.
Then be took bis under his arm just as
! did mine, and kind Of easy and grace
full, and thought mebbe hecould NOW,
after all.
well, ! tell you it was fun to see
him when we got up there. He sort Of
waited till be saw us begin, and as be
started in late be was quite piece be-
hind. But kept looking round over my
shoulder to see him. First he tried the
big swing, and the blame point went
right into the ground and the heel flap
ped clean over and yanked the whole
blame business out Of his hands. He
looked up at me sort Of frightened, but
! didn't let on 90 ! had seen.
"Well, he didn't do that agin. He
sort O. gingerly tried to put the scythe
round the grass and yank it of.
II didn't say nothing, but I let him
work away there till got round. He'd
kind Of haggled up the grass for few
feet. reckon he'd pulled it of with
bis hands. Looked as If he he'd. When
I got round there, I perlitely asked him
to step aside, and be did very perlitely,
too, for he's a perlite sort O. fellow,
and then ! moved over what he'd
tramped down, and it was no easy job
neither. Then l says; I guess you'd
better 90 home, sonny. / guess you're
ruther tired out Ell you get rested up,
you ken come around tomorro'.'
ANDY, he was mad, and wanted to
give the fellow fits. But told him
that the young fellow looked awful
white, and was sort O. sorry for him,
and I didn't say nothing more, and he
asked where be should put the scythe,
and told him to hang it in the barn,
and he went down to the barn and hung
1t up, and walked off, and didn't say
blame word.
II reckon he was some city fello' just
trying what he could do. Thought he
knowed it all and was going to show us.
But l was sort Of sorry for him, he
looked 80 blame white"
A long silence followed this pathetic
narrative, though bursts Of laughter
had been scattered through 1t. Every
body was wondering where the young
,ity fellow had gone when he walked
away, and there seemed to be an un-
comfortable fear that he might turn up
again, along with a curiosity to zee
what he would say or do II he did. Be-
fore night everybody in the village
would know Of his experience at JON
athan Finchley's, and If he returned he
would meet brazen wall Of we'll for
tilted curiosity.
ITO BE CoNTINUED.'