The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1900-07-31
Spoiled by Office.
He Kept Up the Dignity of Sheriff,
but Got Into Debt.


"My wife, she don't think I'd ortel
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 hel
husbands office and saw TALL lean
sunburned young man, with one
brawny shoulder braced 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 OF
complaint ina writ.
"Ah! How is that?"
"She says I'd better stick to farm
in. She says l 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 q
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. must remember that to
tell Mari 1t may reconcile her to hav-
in me gone some err the time"
"Your legitimate duties will 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 go idling
about to magnify your Office"
''Waal, l 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. ! 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 a little,
gave his attention as the man of law
unfolded the document explained it
and gave explicit directions to the new
ly made officer.
'sWho is hep" came from a voice in
the alcove as soon as 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
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 the 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. II am afraid
a poor sheriff is spelling a good farm
err"
''Staples has a new suit. l 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 member of the
legal profession"
81 wonder what his wife thinks of
it?' 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 and denim,
but it was Staples who piped excusing-
ly: Come in hurry; didn't fix up"
''The clothes he wore before he took
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 !
don't take no stock in myself don't"
"Has 1t 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 it
tor" asked the lawyer to gain time, for
he would not for the world have had
his wife miss hearing the story.
"Oh, Mrs. Staples helaEshe's got
Eyes, 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 ooh, 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
there has seemed to be a good many
things to call me away from home"
"He made up arrantsp' put In his
wife in her low, heavy voice.
"Waal, l didn't go no more than the
other fellers I was getting acquainted
with all roundabout. l 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 staid ter hum an minded your own
business while they was alvin on
their wits or their credit.
sWeI, | never'd he'd my fling, as you
might say, an when | went a-sheriffin
l got acquainted, an there amt no
gittin away from 1t. did buy new
clothes an a 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 as
you live, an kid gloves-drivin gloves
he called 'em--an he driv' In 'em no
doubt, fur he rid an he rid, carrytn
them fellers he he'd got In with around.
He went off with 'em to a politics con-
vention year ago an left the hay all
down. A rain blew up-I told him
felt In my bones tibet twas comin-an
it rained, an it rained, an when he got
home the hay was spilled. He got 1t in,
but twas musty, an the critters
wouldn't eat 1t, an cum winter he he'd
ter buy hay. He was so ashamed he
wouldn't buy 1t around hum, for never
before since the Lord set 'em apart In
to families did Staples ever buy hay
SO he drove II miles to the city an
got baled hay and brought It hum in
Their night an hid it in the haymow an
fed it out to the cows in the barn.