The suburban citizen., 1900-01-13


kM8ANHAS Sgs3A fee and pied the
aWbA&Ds TS Sil type was some
gNEX a 9kgsM thing rather re-
tNlMlLFA el# markable. Colo
WlNeSsA4 A4Q7vteN@Sz mel Slocum ex-
2 pressed the opiu-
m. Sse.:-h=9 ion that we
s'oughter glue it together so it wouldn't
be SO burned touchy," and we really
gave the suggestion serious attention.
Mr.. Milo Bush did not often disturb
the type, but his conversational dis
plays were sometimes rather discon-
certing. We were forced to bear the
brunt Of his numerous stories, most
of the older residents being immune
from many repetitions. His idea
seemed to be that nothing was too
stiff for us, especially after he had
made show of paying something on
his subscription--an adroit operation
which consisted in turning in o quar-
ter with considerable flourish and bor
rowing half dollar the next day.
One day. after having performed
the first part of this transaction, he
dropped both feet into the capacious
waste basket and told story of one
Hendershot, former more or less
mythical resident of the town. L had
heard other stories of Henderson,
from both Mr.. Bush and Abner Black
mark, and l am inclined to think that
he at some time existed.
"Well, now, Hendershot was all
right" said Mr. Bush on the occasion
in question. "You know about Hen
-dershot-Hi Hendershot, who used
60 run the Headquarters Hotel? Hen
dershot--yes, yes; quite man, Hen
dershot was. Couldn't tell you all
about Hendershot if | took a week of.
Wish't l had ell the money l lent
Hendershot, and he heayed a sigh
meant to be pathetic, as calmly as if
he didn't know that 1 knew he never
lent any money to anybody in his life ;
but, on the contrary, owed money to
every man in town.
"Reckess, Henderson, was, with
his money. Bet on some fool thing,
or give it away, or lose it, or anything.
Hadn't thought OF Hendershot for a
dogs age till last night when / was a
reading that item in your paper about
the hens egg old Deacon Brown
fetched you, eight inches in diameter.
THE egg was eight inches in circum-
ference, but Mr.. Bush never recog
nized such minor points of mere fact. !
Made me think of HendershOt's old
speckled hen, Everlasting. Eyerlast-
ing Hills was her full name, cause she
sot Just like 'em, or more so. More
so, / reckon, cause a yearthquake
will wreck a hill good deal, but it
couldn't never move that old hen
She never spent any time laying eggs
like the Deacon's, nor no other size,
not 80 fur as L ever heard. Her OBJ
iect in life was setting.
"She preferred eggs to set on, but
when they want handy, wasn't above
anything else. Next to real eggs, of
course, she'd take artificial ones
these here china nesteggs. Seemed
to get more satisfaction out of EN-
than she could out of corncobs, or a
piece of chalk, or a brickbat. Next
to porcelain eggs she cottoned to door.
knobs, white fust, briudle if she
couldn't get white. Preferred 'em on
the ground, but If necessary, could
fly up and make the attempt to hatch
'em out right on the door, bracing one
foot on the key, and squawkiug a good
deal down in her throat if anybody
opened the door, Powerful hand tc
so Quawk! quawk Just like that
way down in her throat, if she was
disturbed when she was setting.
Hoped on to the back platform oI
the passenger train one day and sol
down on the bright head Of bolt
Seen her mistake at the section sta
ton down, and come back on the
freight, setting on a chunk of coal in
the tender. Cyclone blowed away the
coop one day, but old Everlasting just
froze to the ground and kept the
broken teacup she was setting on safe
and warm. Most Of the feathers haC
been snaked off by the force of the
wind, but when old Hendershot wen
out, tickled half to death to see hel
there, aud tried to pat her on the back
she just squawked down in her throat
and snatched dab at his hand which
drew the blood. Gamiest hen in the
Territory; if billing Yolcauer haC
bust out in the back yard she'd blis
tered her feet setting on the stones il
hove up.
''But the old hen wasn't such {
blamed fool, after ALL When she haC
sot on anything three weeks without
results she began to get suspicious
and to sort O. look hard with one ey,
fore she got back on the nest, Thel
when another week was up, she woulC
just light out and leave whateTer i
was and look around for something
else. Her judgment was bad on max
ing fust choice, but she knowed whei
she'd got enough
"Well, it run along till that heI
had sot on just about everything il
sight, and she was getting pretty
hard up for setting material. OnC
day Henderson, was in the billiard
room having a game with Judge
Longsdorf, and he was a-nursing the
balIa 0entla like down along the rai