The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1901-05-16


might have been, considering the
great advantage he had in being
sober, and the good words with which
he had started out from the '.meet'n
house.
He laid his heavy hand angrily
upon the drunken mans shoulder
In another minute there would
have been bloodshed But suddenly
the dark shadows at the other END
of the room swayed with a strange
motion; d great creaking sound
arose and the warping bars tottered
forward and fell upon the floor with
a crash.
The wranglers turned with anxious
| faces. No one was near the bars, it
seemed that naught could have Jared
them; but there lay the heavy frame
upon the floor, the pegs broken, and
the yarn twisted.
"a warming" cried Soils mother.
"a warming how you-uns spen' the
evenin' O. the Lords day in your
quarlin' an fightin' an sech. An
We, John Grow ies' from the meetin'
house!'
She did not reproach her brother
nobody hopes anything from a
drunkard.
"A sign O bad luck said the
grandmother. ut minds me of the
time las summer that the wind blow
ed the door in, an straight arter
that the cow died!''
Chem signs air ez likely ter take
hold on folks ez on CATTLE" said ia
cob Smith, half-sobered by the
shock
There was look of sudden anxiety
on the face of SOlOmon's mother. She
crossed the room to the youngster
rocking in the cradle.
Come, Benny" she said, ''ye
oughter go ter bed Ye air wastin'
yer strength settin up this late in the
night. An We war a-cougin' las
week. Ye must go ter bed"
Benny chung to his unique rocking
chair with sturdy strength which
promised well for his muscle when he
should be as old as his great, strong
brother Solomon. He had been as
quiet, hitherto, as ii he were dumb,
but now he lifted up his voice with a
loud and poignant wall, and after he
had been put to bed he resurrected
from among the bedclothes,
ever and anon, with bitter, though |
iargon of protest.
I'm fairly afeard O them bars"
said Mrs. Grow, looking down upon
the PROSTATE timbers. Its comical
that they fell down that way. hope
t ain t no sign o bad luck. | jes'
hev nothin ter happen fer
An Benny war "a coughin'
as week"
She had not even the courage to
,ut her fear in words. As she tender
Y admonished tOw-headed Benny.
Vho was once more getting out of
ed, to go to sleep and save his
trength, and remember how he was
last week.
He he'd a chicken bone acrOst his
~. g. | |
er he coughed."
Solomon arose and went out into
he black night-so black that he
Ould not distinguish the sky from
he earth, or the unobstructed air 3,
ON tie dense forest around II
He walked about bhndly, dragging
heavily after him. The
eight of concealment it was. He
new something that nobody knew
esides. 5
At the critical mement of the alter
alton, he had stepped softly among {
he shadows to the warping bars-a S
trong push had sent the great frame {
down. He was back in an
lstant among the others, and by /
eason OF the excitement his agency
1 the sensation was not detected. {
Like his biblical namesake. Solo I
lon was no fool Had he been rear
d in a cultivated community, with
he advantages of education. he |
hight have been one of the bright .
Dung fellows who manage other |
Dung fellows. who control debating ,
ocieties, who are prominent in mys-
erious associations. the secret of {
7hich is at once guarded and repre- s
ented by Cerberus OF three Greek