The Press., 1900-02-08
Spoiled by Office.
He Kept Up the Dignity OF Sheriff,
but Got Into Debt.


be 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 the bay window alcove OF her
husbands office and saw tall, lean,
sunburned young man, with one
brawny shoulder b:aced awkwardly
against the casing of the outer door as
he looked down in awestruck admira-
ton at the lawyer whose pen was rap
idly filling in the various counts or
complaint in writ.
"Ah! How is that?'
'She says I'd better stick to farm
in. She says shall lose more in the
long run than l shall make, but any
body hadn't always orter be on the
make, he'd they? And there has to be
sheriffs.'
Certainly, and the citizens of n
county should cheerfully serve their
turn in filling the offices prescribed by
law. There should be no vulgar scram-
BILE for Office nor Sinking of RESPONSE
bility.'
"Jes' so. l must remember that to
tell Mari. 1t may reconcile her to hav'
in me gone some er the. time"
your legitimate duties will not Of
ten take you from the farm, and fan
CIV you are too we'll settled to be led
astray by bad company or to go idling
about to magnify your office"
"Waal, guess not. I've allus stuck
ter hum pretty close, and don't know
as 1 shall like sheriffin at all. You'll
hev ter tell me what ter do. l don't
know no more how to sarve writ
than that lettle stump tail dog over
there do
The little animal, recognizing the
word dog, wagged his short tail, and
the young farmer, laughing little,
gave his attention as the man Of law
unfolded the document, explained 1t
and gave explicit directions to the new
~ made officer.
"Who is hep" came from a voice in
the alcoye as soon as the door was
closed.
stephen Staples" was the reply.
'You know his farm, over in Staples
hollow"
where we called for q drink Of milk
once when we were driving? His wife
is one of the old fashioned homespun
kind, a staple of the community, you
told her that day. and her voice sounds
like distant thunder"
"Jes' so," laughed Squire Charles in
comical imitation Of his client, and the
matter was dropped for that time.
At intervals TIE sheriff came to the
Office or the lawyer mentioned seeing
him here and there.
"Steve Staples can't be doing much
farming" he would say. 81 am afraid
| poor sheriff is spelling a good farm
err"
STAPLES has a new suit. / hardly
knew him when l met him in the city
today. He evidently enjoys his little
journeys in the world" --.---
Next it was, STAPLES is wearing tan
colored Shoes" and later at court time:
| Staples is sporting a high hat and q
cane. He strikes an attitude like
Judge Coleman, and the uninitiated
might take him for a member Of the
legal profession"
II wonder what his wife thinks OF
| itY 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
hVrci IN, OIL 1o1n nj
but it was Staples who piped excusing-
ly: Come in hurry; didn't fix up"
''The clothes he wore before he took
up sherifffn are good enough to wear
when he rides with me-" said his wife
in low, heavy ground tones. '"They
are as good as he can afford, and, best
of all, they are paid for. The things
he had to mortgage the farm to buy l
don't take no stock in myself DON'T
HAS it come to that?" asked Squire
Charles in surprise.
"Jes' So" piped Staples. I'm tell
you how twas. We've come to get the
papers made"
"Who are you going to mortgage II
| to-" asked the lawyer to gain time, for
he would not for the world have had
his wife miss hearing the story.
"Oh, Mrs. Staples here-she's got
money!
| "Yes, I've got money, but he won't
| git it to sheriff around on unless have
security"
"That is 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
bTaced his shoulder against the door
frame in the old way, where he could
| look down upon the desk: "All alons
there has seemed to be good many
things to call me away from home"
HE made up arrantsv put in bis
wife in her low, heavy voice.
WAL, didn't go no more than the
other fellers 1 was getting acquainted
with all roundabout. l didn't wantez
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 staid ter hum an minded your own
business while they was alvin on
their wits or their credit"
"Well, never'd hea my fling, as you
might say, an when / went a-sheriflu
l got acquainted, an there amt nc
gittin away from it. l did buy new
clothes an new hat an a new boss
an buggy an all the fixin's."
"The fixin's was a gold watch an
chain an a gold ring. Jest as true, al
you live, an kid gloves-drivin gloves
he called 'em-an he driv' In 'em nc
doubt, fur he rid an he rid, carryln
them fellers he he'd got in with around
He went off with 'em to politics con
Vention a year ago an left the hay al
down. A rain blew up-I told him
felt in my bones tibet twas comin---au
1t rained, an 1t rained, an when he got