Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1901-12-12

ne thought would be the worst wipe
yit."
1T seems tkat Jephtha Virgins was
the greatest pei, gatherer in the Old
Passadanky country. and he had a
daughter named Prudence. Paley
Since likely young woodsman, was
In love with Prudence and the feeling
was reciprocal.
"Now." as the Passadanky narrator
will tell You. "mehbe you mowt won
der what under the canopy Old Belize
bub had 70 do With that. Nothin. meb
be. 'Taint likely tha' he cared a snap
whether Palcy Since loved Prudence
Virgins. But Jcpthy Virgins cared
He had other ideas for his daughter
and well that amazin' bear knowed IT,
Jepthy wanted the Squire Bimbler pos
sessions in his family, and he could git
'em by mairyin Prudence to the
squire's son Jorum. Jorum didn't
want 10 git married. and Prudence
didn't want 10 marry forum, but Jo-
rum and Prudence didn't have any
say in it. The squire and Jepthy fixed
1t to suit themselves. The weddin'
night come, but no Jorum. Along in
the forenoon Of the next day in come
forum To Virgins.
"'Old BeelZebub kidnapped me as
was on my way over here through the
woods Yesterday said Jorum. lie run
me straight and fast to Gormley's bar
La, al nf
swamp. and KEEP me there all night.
Jephtha Virgins swore that he would
hunt down that vengeful and vindic-
tive bear and strip off his pelt il it took
him all the rest of his days.
at was gittin' along lords Christ
mas time when Paley plucked up cour-
age to ask Jepthy ag'in for Prudence.
Jepthy turned on him, GRIMM the ag-
gravatinest kind. and blurted out:
Yes, you kin have her-that is, If
you fetch me two black sheepskins for
a Christmas present! If you don't, you
can't never have herv
Now, of course. that was just as
good as tellin' Paley that there wasn't
any use. He never knowed TO his
dyin' day what il could "a been that
sent him roamin' and roamin' that day,
but he went a-roamin'. and the first
thing he knowed he found himself on
the edge Of a scrubby lookin' clearin'
in the Sour Medder district. and he
seen man clubbn' what he s'posed
was tame bar That riled him
more'n ever. and he shouted To the
man:
What are you poundn' that poor
bar forT
Its my bar the man shouted
back. and if YOU don't like what I'm
doin' come here and I'll pound you
awhile and give the bar a restp
"And what did Paley do but go over
there. and | s'pose that when he got
through with that citizen of the Sour
Medder district the citizen was leetle
the worst whipped man ever seen in
them parts.
There" said Paley. When you
run ag'in me, you haven't got no bar
TO fool with"
and then Paley see that II was Bart
Sproat he had been lickin' and that the
bar was Old Beelzebub. Paley hadn't
gone more than hundred yards OH
Lis way when, lookin' over into Bart's
field. he see two Of the biggest and
blacklist sheep that ever cropped sor-
rel!
1.-The only two black sheep in the
hull blame country" Paley groaned.
and here I've gone and most hammer
ed the life ont of the man that owns
'em! Tossed Prudence away jest to
take the part Of rambunctious old
sheep stealth barr
"Paley actually batted himself agin
his head with his fist and lifted up his
voice and wept. After awhile he cooled
down leetle and got an idee.
"T'll go back and apologize to Bart
said he, and offer him twenty dollars
for them sheep. That's as much as his
hull clearin' would fetchp
$50 Paley went back. The bar laid
on the ground lickin' himself. and Bart