The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1901-04-27

II hc were reading out of particularly
correct book. Lish saw him comins
down the road in his buggy and hailed
him and asked him If he wouldn't stol
at Uncle Billy's and get him a pound
OF soda. He had just come from the
store himself and knew how the old
man was feeling on the subject.
| 81 will do SO with pleasure, Mr.
Jewett,' said the pastor. If there is
any other little commission with
| which you desire to intrust me do not
hesitate to mention it. l shall be most
pleased to execute it,
That's all, thanky, Mr. Dolby says
Lish. Ill be obleeged to you
80 the pastor clucked to his horse
and logged on to the store, where he
found the old man Just in the act OF
filing his face with tobacco
Howdy, passon,' he said as soon
as he had got his quid into his check.
How do you do. Mr.. Stoval.' says
the pastor. I hope you are in good
health
"'oh. tol'able. tol'able.' says Uncle
Billy
Have you got any soda. Mr..
Stoval?' says the pastor.
Sody!' says Uncle Billy 'Sody!
Sody did you say? Why. dog my cats,
I've got sody enough ter raise the
northeast corner of hades.'
Another time. l remember, Glenn
Burr came down to visit his sister.
Glenn was conductor on some rail.
road, and we had great deal OF re.
spect for railroads in our town. the
nearest one being about 35 miles away,
and there was general idea that the
conductors owned the railroads. Add
to this that our common wear was
butternut and hickory, as to our trous-
ers and shirts. and you can imagine
the swath that Glen cut when he came
back after an absence Of Is years
dressed in a new blue uniform with
brass buttons and habitually wearing
clean white shirts and collars and
boots that were polished every day.
"He wasn't puffed up with his great
ness by any means, but you know how
it is. Some of the folks somehow got
the idea that he was proud just be.
cause he wore good clothes. They
couldn't forgive his buttons. either.
Uncle Billy seemed to think that he
was putin on dog and he wasn't
what you would call exactly cordial
with Clem-hadn't anything against
him. but having known him as little
frecklefaced, barelegged kid. with one
suspender and a perennial sore toe,
he took his little refinements of dress
and speech as sort Of insult to the
community.
"One evening Clem's sister asked
him if he wouldn't 60 to the store and
get some onions. and SO Clem came
into Uncle Billy's' l was there that
evening with the rest of them. watch
ing the game of checkers that the
old man was playing with Tom Pardee
from Tarkio. It was great game,
and as many as dozen were watching
it with absorbed interest. Glenn stood
a while and watched it. too. although
Ilc WdSA luIClCotCu 4>OOOuy AHu
taken any notice of him when he came
in except to look up for an instant, and
Uncle Billy didn't even do that. At
last C!em plucked up courage and
said: Have you got any onions, Uncle
Billy?'
"'Uncle Billy studied the board and
stroked his whiskers, and then jumped
three men and crowned his own. to the
Tarkio players intense modification.
After he had done that he says:
What's that, Glenn
"'Have you got any onions?
"'N-huh. It's your move. Tom
"Clem went out kind of wondering
low it came that produce had fallen
If to that extent and Uncle Billy
made his next move. Not until the
,ame was finished and the pieces
placed for the next one did the old
nan look up. Then he shifted back
lis chair a little and said, dryly: I
wonder if that blamed fool didn't mean
inguns.'
And now the poor old man is dead.
wish l had known it in time. / be-
ieve I'd have run down and attended
he funeral."-Chicago Record.