Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1899-09-19
Spoiled by Office.
He Kept Up the Dignity Of Sheriff.
but Got Into Debt.

II WtAts sa< w. ~ss'.-
Be q sheriff."
Hearing the unfamiliar. high pitch
ed. piping voice. Mrs. Charles peered
through the panels Of the japanese
| screen that concealed her desk and
| chair In tho bay window alcove Of her
husbands once and saw q tall lean.
sunburned young man, with one
hrawny shoulder braced awkwardiy
| against the .'asing Of the outer door ~
] he looked down In awestruck admira-
tion at the lawyer whose pen was rap
Idly filling IN the various counts OF
complaint In writ.
"Ah. How Ii thaty
"She says I'd better stick to farm
In. She says shall lose more In the
long run than I shall make. but any
body hadn't always orter be on the
make. he'd they1 And there has to be
sherifYs."
Certainly. and the citizens Of .
county should cheerfully serve their
turn In fiiling the Offices prescribed BY
law. There should be NO vulgar scram-
BILE for Office nor shirking Of responsi-
bility."
"Jes 80. must remember that TO
tell Mari u may reconcile her to hav.
In me gone some er the time"
"Your legitimate duties WIN not Of
ten take you from the farm. and fan
cy you are too well settled To be led
astray by bad company or to 60 idiinS
about to magnify your ONCE"
"waal. 1 guess not. I've allus stuck
ter hum pretty close. and don't know
a. I shah like sheriffin at all You'll
hev ter tell me what ter do. ! don't
know no more how TO sarve writ
than that lettle stump tail dog over
there do"
The little animal, recognising the
word dog. wagged his short tail. and
the young farmer. laughing little.
gave his attention as the man Of law
unfoldcd the document, explained II
and gave explicit directions to the new.
ly made officer.
''who is hep came from q voice In
the alcove as soon n the door was
closed.
"stephen Staples" was the reply.
you know his farm. over In Staples
hollow"
"where we called for drink OF milk
once when we were driving? His wife
Ia one Of the old fashioned homespun
kind. . staple Of the community. you
told her that day. and her voice sounds
like distant thunder"
"Jes' So" laughed Squire Charles 10
comIcai imitation Of his client, and the
matter WAS dropped for that time.
At intervals TIE sheriff came TO the
ONCE or the lawyer mentioned seeing
him here and there.
"steve Staples can't be doing much
farming" he would say. Il am afraid
a poor sheriff Ii spelling q good farm
er."
STAPLES has . new suit i hardly
knew him when met him In the city
today. He evidently enjoys his little
Journeys In the world"
Next Il was. STAPLES Ii wearing tan
colored shoes" and later at court time:
Staples is sporting q high hat and
cane. He strikes an attitude like
Judge Coleman. and the uninitiated
might take him for . member Of the
legal profession"
II wonder what his wife thinks Of
kY remarked Mrs. Charles.
The question was answered by that
GOOD woman In person several months
later. She came into the office with
her husband early one midsummer
morning. They both looked neat and
businesslike In bingham snd denim,
but II was Staples who piped excusiny-
": Come In q hurry; didn't dx up"
The clothes be wore before he took
up sherifin are good enough to wear
when he rides with me-" said bis wife
In low. heavy ground tones. They
are % good an he can afford. and, best
of al. they are paid for. The things
he had to mortgage the farm to buy ]
don't take no stock In myself-l don't"
HAS II come to thatf" asked Squire
Charles In surprise.
"Jes' So" piped Staples. "I1l tell
you how twas. We've come to get the
papers made"
"who are you going to mortgage II
tor asked the lawyer to gain time. for
he would not for the world have had
bis wife miss hearing the story.
"Oh. Mrs. Staples here-she's got
money!
Eyes, I've got money, but be won't
git It to sheriff around on unless have
security"
THAT IL all proper" said the man Of
law. "Oh, here's my wife! You'd be
pleased to meet Mrs. Staples again. my
dear. Now Let us hear about these per
plexities."
"Waal, twas this way" said the
farmer, who had left his chair and
braced his shoulder against the door
frame in the old way, where he could
look down upon the desk: "All along
tners mas seemed to be q good many
things to call me away from home"
"He made up arrants! put in his
wife In her low, heavy voice.
"waal, l didn't 60 no more than the
other fellers was getting acquainted
with all roundabout. ! didn't wanter
| BE- different from them"
You'd always been different from
| 'em In the way that You had owned
your farm an had money In the bank
an sfaid ter hum an minded your own
business while they was a-livin on
their wits or their credit"
"Well, never'd he'd my ding. a. you
might say. an whsa ! went a-sher'mn
l rot acquainted. IN there ain't no
gittin away from It. ! did buy new
clothes an q new hat an new boss
an buggy an all the dxin'a"
.The nxjn's was Z gold watch an
/ chain an Z gold ring. jest - true q
you 1--WE, an lid siovss drivin gloves
b .caIIsds 'em--an hs drtv' IN 'em ne
doubt, fur he rid an he rid. carEyiu
them fellers he he'd got In vith around
He wsnt OF With 'em to politics coa
III ~ f~os 49, - MI