The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1901-1903, 1902-08-12
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DAILY Short Story
Brunswick News.
tSsph Eolland's Suest.
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that Il shook as with al conEestlVe en-
The jherce old man held out the gum
and Iagraspcd it, but before 1 could re-
verse it, my intentionI being to cover
him and tell him TO Throw up his
hands, he wrenched thelpiece from me,
his eyes rolling wildly 4nd his head in
clined as If listening.
There wus,a sound without. the beat
Of horses hoof On the roadway
broke past the lunatic and gained the
wood shed behind him, slamming the
door AID putting my foot against it.
Within reach was a small window
shook the sash until It give way, and
| sent cry for help out into the night
Was il heard? The horse was being
urged up the bank. as If the rider We're
In hot haste
l peered out.
What was my amaZement when my
host sailed forth, lamp in hand BY
its light I saw the horse pulled up and
a ragamufIin of boy hand him a pa
per, swing the horses head round and
plunge down the hank Raising the
lamp above his head the old man read
the paper. He read a second time, as
If to make sure OF the contents, and
then lifting his head like hound
when it bays, he uttered a series Of
yells that the ridge gave back with
many reverberations The next mo.
ment he was In the house, and the
next outside with the leap Of spring.
box. A report followed. He had fred
the gun Bang! 1t went ngaln. Rapidly
reloading, he discharged both barrels
and kept on firing until he had soluted
the wilderness and the night eight
times
Say, stranger, come out O. thar he
shouted at the wood shed Il ain't
a-goin' to hurt nary hair on yer head"
I came bewildcred into the living
room, my face dripping with perspira.
ton He seized me In his arms and
Rugged me until | gasped
Look at thatr' be said thrustng
into my hands the paper the boy had
brought
! read:
Blaine comedies New York to Cleveland.
He Is elected beyond all doubt Shakei
ED BARNES
Editor Sullivan County Palladium.
And before | could say anything or
ask any questions Eph Holland broke
into a jig step, the while yelling like
a Comanche,
'Lillker up, you son O a gum he
roared at me, stopping from shortness
of breath. He filled my glass and
tunbler for himself
Here's to Grover" he said Drink
'er down"
did not know what my politics
was Mt that moment, but / drank, and
the stuff sent the blood back 10 my
heart
Don't you think it's w to you to eX-
plaiuY said ], with sickly smile,
when he had drained his tumbler
The old man dropped into a chair,
threw back his head and gurawed
until his mirth ended in a,violcnt fit of
coughing
"Oh, myw he begoin and went off
into another explosion
l did not laugh The old fellows
manner had changed 50 completely, he
had become 80 friendly joyial and
altogether human with the recovery of
his speech, that ] recalled my error Of
him with shonefaccd feeling
Il thought you were a mute, and
yes crazy" ! faltered
"And that | wanted yer scalp" said
the old man, wiping tears from his
eyes. but, great Betty, I can't blame
you Well, stranger 1t was this way:
1 was very much worked mp about the
election; hadn't spoke u word since
Tilden WIS beat in 1916 vowed | never
would TIL a Democrat was elected.
That was eight years ago"
How about your hair and boardT /
asked, getting interested
Then was to grow" said Mr. Hol-
land "a right smart crop o hair can
be raised in eight years, ana | amt
very pretty nohow When You come
long here last night | didn't want to
take you in-thats a fact KNOWN as
how [ couldn't talk yet But | hated
to turn man and beast away. 1t was
mighty uncomfortable for you warn't
itT
"Well, rather" said I, drawing a
deep breath.
Dunno whst'd ha' happened
old villains grin bespoke enjoyment Of
the fright he had inspired IF the boy
hadn't come long with Ed Barnes
rippin good news But s'pose you
could have crawled out O the wood
shed window when l warn't lookln'"
He chuckled and filed my glass
again and his own
Then we talked politics and drank
more whisky until a cock crew at the
rising Of the moon, which was .
o'clock.
Eph Hollands step was unsteady
when he piloted me up his crazy stairs
to bed, and he stumbled down with a
falsetto whoop for Grover which was
eloquent Of his condition