The National tribune., 1898-11-17

trust to my own smartness and the Providence
that provides for war-widows and orphans to
git out every dollar in good shape for them it
was intended for"
The bullet-screw brought out the first
'wad - easily and all right
'Well, Providence is lookin' out for Jim
Twins wife and children all right" said
Shorty, as they smoothed out the bills and
found them intact
The next attempt was equally successful
and as Shorty unrolled the bills he remarked:
=" Providence is again overlookin' There's
Jim Beardslee's $50 for his widowed
mother"
And she needs it, poor woman" said the
Deacon. ''I've seen that she had all the
meat and wood she's needed since Jim enlist
ed, and Deacon Flager keeps her in -four"
The next offered more difficulty. The
rammings on those above had compacted il
pretty solidly. The bullet-screw cut off bits
of it, and when finally it was gotten out the
$40 bill was in pieces.
That's Alf Ellerby's gift to his lame sis
ter" said Shorty. as he ruefully surveyed
the fragments. Pm afraid Providence
wasn't mindin' just then, but III give her a
good bill out o. my own pocket"
No, you Needn't" said Maria, who had
slipped in, fork in hand, to pinch 81. kiss
him, and ask him n question which she did
not want Mandy to hear; 81 kin paste
that all together with white Of egg SOS it'll
look as good as ever. / done that with bill
that Towser snatched out o. my hand and
chawed before l could git it away from him.
The storekeeper took it and said it was just
as good as any. SOphy Ellerby ID rather
have it that way than new bill, so longs it
comes direct from Aft"
Again Shorty sent down the bullet-screw,
and again there was more tearing off of bits.
and finally a mangled $50 bill was dragged
forth and laid aside for Mandy to repair
=" Ike Englehafdt sent that to his mother TO
help take his sister through the Normal
School, SOS she kin become teacher. She'll
git that all right. But I've broken my bull
let-screw in that wrastle. 1t snapped clean
off, and I've got the worst job of all now
to get out 800 in two sos that Abe Ire
lawney sent his mother to meet that mort
gage ON her little house. Abe's bin savin'
it up for months, and | was more anxious
about it than any other, and so I put it down
first. ST, let me have your bullet-screw."
'Haint got none. Lost mine weeks ago
while we was on the Tullahomy march"
Great Jehosephat what am I goin' to
do?" groaned Shorty, the sweat starting ont
on his forehead. ''Now's the time for Provi-
dence to help out, if He's goin' to. I'm at
the end o. my string"
Supper's ready, boys; come on in an
nounced the sweet motherly voice Of Mrs.
Klegg. She seconded her invitation with
her arm around ST and kiss on his cheek
9 Father, bring Shorty, unless he'd rather
walk with the girls"
Shorty was altogether too bashful to take
advantage Of the direct hint. Sis lively
sisters filled him with a nervous dread of his
social shortcomings. He grew very red in the
face, hung back from them, and caught hold
of the Deacon's arm.
Go slow with him. girls, whispered the
Deacon to his daughters after they were
seated at the table. He's a mighty good
boy, but he amt used to girls"
He's rather good-looking, if he does act
sheepisb," returned Mandy.
Well, he amt a mite sheepish when
there's serious business on hand, - returned
the father. ''And next to ourselves he's the
best friend you brother has.''
1t had been many years since the wander
ing, rough living Shorty had sat down to such
an inviting, well-ordered table Probably he
never had. No people in the whole world
live better than the prosperous Indiana farm
ers, and Mrs. Klegg was known far and wide
for her housewifely talents. The snowy
table-hnen, the spotless dishes, the tastefulIy-
prepared food would have done credit to a
royal banquet. Hungry as he was, the
abashed Shorty fdgeted in his chair, and
watched ST begin before he ventured to make
an attack. The mother and girls were too
busy plying ST with questions and antici-
pating his wants to notice Shorty's embarrass-
ment
81 was making heroic effort to eat every
thing in sight, to properly appreciate all the
toothsome things that loving hands were
pressing upon him, and to answer the myriad
Of questions that were showered upon him.
and to get In few questions of his own at
The same time. He just found time to ask
Shorty:
Say, this is great-this IS like liyin', amt
to"
And Shorty replied with deep feeling:
. Just out o. sight. How in the world'd
you ever come to enlist and leave all this? "
The neighbors began gathering in-fathers,
mothers and sisters of members of Co @, all
Iuil of eager questions as to their kindred,
md this relieved Shorty, for he could tell
hem quite as well as ST.
The supper ended, the problem of the
money in the gun again doomed up Every
me had an opinion as TO how TO extricate
he valuable charge. The women, of course.
hair-pins, but these were tried
without success. A gimlet taken from its
handle and secured to the ramrod, refused to
AXE hold.
Somebody suggested shooting the gun
across pond of water, and getting the
money that way, but it was decided that the
orce of the Springfield seemed too great for
ny body of water in the neighborhood
Then JADE Clemmons, the Speculative "
genius OF the neighborhood, spoke up:
Gentlemen, Pve an idee. Deacon, how
mach is in that small haystack of yourn ?"
Bout 10 tons, answered the Deacon.
" Jest about. Well pll pay goo the reg
liar market price for it, and give S10O to
Miss Trelawney. Now, let this gentleman
stand so feet from it aud shoot his gun at it.
t-tIssss,sessssz.