The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1900-10-05

Allt hNA lNANAN WISH NAAlNlltN Mllll nAI
progress, lie got his company out
and marched them 20 Sunday church
and to Thursday cvouln prayer meet.
I'm. There was lawsuit over COW
between Jim White and Aaron Tomp.
kins, and the IRE company was present
I'm fun uniform old Mrs, Hopkins was
taken sick. ana the doctor said she
must 90, and Rcuhc felt II his duty tO
march the company mp 20 her house
and bid her last farewell. Her sick.
ness took a turn fur the better. and she
begun to glt we'll and Rcuhc marched
the company up ag'in 60 give her three
cheers fur not dyln.
After about month there was only
one thing lnckiu. The fire COMPANY
had turned out FUR cycrythin but "A fu-
neral. but death had ohstinatcly rcfus-
eel 10 Gin II "A show. fhcrc was n lot
of old folks with asthma ana liver COM
plaint and lot of babies with whoop.
i'm cough and measles, but none Of 'cm
would die. Rcubc used 60 20 around
achn FUR H. and he'd drop into the
pustoilicc occasionally to say To me:
Pap, II some one would only die, I'd
turn ont the boy n way 10 jump
Jericho 100 years uhcnd Them red
pals and axes and ladders would Jest
hc an offset 60 the mournln, and the
way the boys would stand around on
one leg ana hook solemn would bc n pie.
turc To beat an old master lIow's
your heart disease, InpV
"Bottcr, thank YOU"
81 was la hopes IL was wuss. Thar's
wuss men nor YOU, Zap Perkins, but II
youll only die our fire company viii
gin SO n scudun tO make yer widdcr
proud FUR the rest OF her days"
Rcubo was OH the watch day and
night fur n funeral, ana he'd almost
made up his mind to turn ont the COM
pany fur the next COW that died Of hol.
Ter horn when crisis come like n
fash. OWN to his lame leg Lish Bil-
llngs hadn't fined the fire company,
but hc was mn old aud respected cltl.
zen who could beat anybody In town
az n game Of checkers ThnrfOre when
the news como that his well had cavcd
I'm on him aud buried him under ter
feet Of nirth the fire bells rung aud red
shirts went whoopin down the rond.
Mrs. Billings didn't seem to care very
much whether they got Lish's body or
not bcln Il was already buried, but
they wns determined to hcv II fur n
funeral They worked MI the nrtcr-
noon and all night, And nt intervals
Roubc had the bells tolrd fur the dead.
Nobody Ia Jericho slept Tho well
kept Gavin In, aud the hrcmcn kept
worlllu Ike heroes 10 ClCnr u out II
was y o'clock next mornln when they
found Llsh's old hat. As II was passed
UP 10 Rcubc be shed tears nnd turned
his hcnd away. phllctus Johnson was
jest rcmarkn that Lish's loss wns our
gain or something Of that sort, nnd the
diggcrs down In the well were loolsin
FUR arms nnd legs when Llsb himself
appeared In the crowd. He seemed to
bc IN good health aud spccrils, aud lac
carclcssly remarked to the fire compa.
ny that he wns much Oblccgcd fur say
iu him weeks work. Nuthln was
said fur about mint, but presently
Hcubc lIoldfnst wiped the tears from
his eyes aud asked:
"Lish, whar you bin since yesterday
noouI'
CUP stairs In the house" says Fish.
"What was your oblockY
"1O boom jericho by Rcttin up IA.
neral. Thurs my old hat, and you kin
take II along ana bury Il In good
ebnpc'
Itoubc called or his company, and
they marched back 10 town with sol.
cmn trend. They hadn't put away their
red water pnils before folks was laugh.
iu az '"m. md before sundOwn the
doom of the fire company was sealed.
LiFh Billings had thrown 'cm down,
and the public wus guyin ana rldlculln.
when the O'Clock mail had bin dis.
trlbutcd. Rcubc stood up IN the post.
office and said.
"Follcr citizens wharns this 'crc
town ~ Jericho don't seem 10 apprccl.
ate enterprise. vigilance. horoism and
bgOms aud whnrns she'd ruthcr be nt
tho mercy OF the fire houd thnn ~ have
her disastrous cOunngratiOns squirtcd
out. now tlnrfDro resolved that this
band Of heroes be- dIsbandcd and Jcrl.
cho hin go ~ thunder" VI. QUAD.