The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1899-12-22

!, TWO STAY 1t HOMES. (


~NNNNNNNNNN
weren't no weemen, I'd a ben in San
dyago long ago." said Abner Ricka-
back He rolled nail keg close to the
stove, seated himself upon it, dipped a
handful of crushed tobacco leaves from
his coat pocket into his pipe and lighted
the odorous weed with a sulphur
match Then he wagged his beard at
the assembled company and repeated,
"Yessir, L d ben in Sandyago long ago.
"Weemen ain much on fightin away
from home. observed Samuel Snuffer,
biting cubic inch out of plug of Agri-
culturist's Charm which he had bor-
rowed from the man who was sitting
next him on the counter The charm
had, passed half way around the circle,
and the remaining cubic inch of it had
been restored to its owner, when Abner,
not catching the full intent of Mr.
Shutters remark, replied: "Yaas
they's heap O. truth in that there.
Weemen is sot ag' in furrin wars Least
ways my weemen is. Now
''Do they prefer the domestic kindP
asked the drummer of notions who was
packing up his sample case preparatory
to leaving the store.
"Not at all-not at all, =" said Mr..
Rickaback. "Ye see, my missus passed
thoo sich terrible times back in 1860,
when was abangin away at the rebels
down in the Wilderness, that when this
here Spaynish war broke out she sal:
to me, sails she, 'Ye just shan't go.
'Marthy, sails I, I'm a veteran
The governor O. Pennsylvania has cal
fer 10, 900 men, an he don't name me
but he means me jest the same. Be ev
| cry mortal an jest right, bein wet
eran am included in that 10, 000.,"
| "With that puts on me blues al
gifts down me musket an kisses the lit
| tie ones all aroun an starts fer the door
| Well, sir, you uns never seen sech ,
time ez was raised when they see wa
off to fight the Spaynyards. Mary Alice
the eldest, jest th'owed her arms arou1
| my neck an bust out with tears Th'
seven others begin to bawl, Pap, pap
you II git shooted'
"'Children, I sails, sais I, you
| papa's a veteran an experienced sol
dier. Duty calls. an he obeys.
''The missus didn't see things the
way. She jest gets me be the collar al
sets me down in an armchair, draws m
boots, walks off with them an me mus
ket an hides 'em. She wern't goin
have no foolin round the shanty, sh
sayd.
| "Marthy seemed to think thet the
there settled it, hut she didn It know me
fer all the evenin ez / set there be tb
fire so meeklike | was athinkin. Scene
wasn't to my likin, so l conceded L
jest let on like he'd give up all idee {
fghtin Spaynyards, wait tell the fam
lily was asleep an then vanquish.
'.At midnight sets up in bed. Th
moon was shinin thoo the winder, jes
half lightin the room. so l could NOV
aroun without trippin over the furn
ture The missus was a-snorin gentle
like, an overhead in the attic | coul
hear a soft sniffin jest like thrashe
engine when the men has shet down fC
dinner 1t was the children asleep.
/, climbs out over the footboard an lool
aroun for me boots. There they We
| stickin out under the missus' pillow
KNOWN l couldn't git 'em withor
wakin her, | conceded to vanquish bar,
foot. But they was one thing ag in thi
and thet was thet the door was locke
an some un he'd took the key. trie
the winder, but thet he'd been naile
shet Then gifts mad-thet there kin
: O. quietlike mad when ye boils up il
side an hes to keep yer mouth shet. 1t
. the meanest kind O. mad too. 1t SCENE
, like there was a smile a-playin arou
, the missus' face. an thet made me sou
e er an ever an kinder spurred me on.
! "Well, sirs, ez | stood there in tt
J middle O. the room thinkin what I'd {
" next and wonderin whether | hadn
better jist slip back to bed, me ey
ketched sight O. an old conf table thu
filled a hole in the wall where tt
daubin he'd fell out from atween tt
lawgs Thet put me in mind o schen
thet | wasn't long in kerryin out, f,
the hole was pretty good sized an m
mall man an wiry In less n no tin
| the conf BILE was outer thet hole, d
was in it. | staid in it, too, for j
as me head an arms an shoulders g
out o doors | felt a sharp prickin
me side. pushed back an a great bi
splinter jagged me. | tried to go c
for d. an it jagged me again. so ba
most yelled. Sc staid right there
one half outen the house an the Cth
half in. Seemed like time begin
move awful slow then, an it peared
whole day fore the moon went fro
the top O. the old lone pine tree
grandaddy's chestnut which is jest
feet Then me feet an legs was baki
over the stove an the cold Apryl win(
was whistlin down me neck
81 took to countin jest 20 pass tim
an low l must a counted $4,000. .O(