The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1902-05-20


You are a real good fellow. Zeb, but
you are no hero. l think Lucinda
Jackson would make you good wife.
Don't blame me, Zeb, and don't get
desperate and jump off the barn. |
know you want to talk for an hour or
two yet, but it wouldn't do any good.
Good night, Zeb. The sooner you shine
up to Lucinda the quicker you can ask
her to marry you"
Zeb Johnson went home a stricken
man. In dim way he knew what
Jennie sighed for. She was looking
for an armored knight to come along
on prancing coal black steed and kill
three or four villains and bear her of
on his saddle Zeb had no armor, no
coal black steed. no desire to kill. He
was simply out of it.
He sat on the stump and thought
hard but no consolation came to him.
The best thing he could get out of 1t
was grave under a willow tree. a
grave over which Jennie might come
and weep when tired of waiting for her
knight.
Eyes, it shall be DEATH" said Zeb as
he rose from the stump. '1'm lop
shouldered. knee sprung and hump
backed. and / couldn't be a hero If
was paid a hundred dollars a month.
There's nothing left but to hang my
self"
He went to the barn. procured rope
and started for the woods He had Sc
lected the tree and the limb In 9 little
glade stood a white beech tree. and
there. amid the songs of birds and the
rustling leaves of the wild grape. the
rope should choke the life out OF him
and his body should be left to swing
In the summer breeze.
While Zeb was after the rope things
were happening in that little glade.
Three tramps who had broken jail six
miles away the previous evening were
In hiding, and Miss Jennie had wan.
dered into the woods to study botany
and wonder when that armored knight
would make his appearance. She was
thinking of guerdons and lances and
squires and steeds when she confront
ed the three tough specimens of hu-
mainly.
Their very first words proved that
they were not chevaliers. There was
nothing suave and gentle and cour-
teous about the way they ordered her
to sit down and keep her mouth shut.
She had Numbered upon them, and
they didn't propose to let her go and
give the alarm before they were ready
to move on. What with their oaths.
their vile jokes and their threats she
bad bad quarter of an hour of 1t,
and her knight came not.
Zeb Johnson did, however. He came
with slow step and downcast head, as
is proper when a man is going to hang
himself. He was thinking of Jennie
and wondering if it hurt much to hang
oneself. There was tear in one eye
and a CLEAN of determination in the
other when he suddenly appeared be-
fore the ragged. dirty trio and their
prisoner.
The tramps might have bolted If they
had had a minutes warning. but as 1t
was tHCy hdu " uSht. AcD SdW tue
situation at glance and the light of
battle famed up in his face. 1t is a
good thing to go out to hang oneself
and find scrap at hand to postpone
matters
1t was a fight that uprooted bushes
and small trees and plowed burrows up
and down the glade, but at the end of
ten minutes Zeb was victor and had the
three on the earth under his feet He
was still breathing hard and wiping
the blood off his nose when a gentle
voice walled out:
"Oh, zeb. Zeb. suppose you hadn't
Gomez
''But did come" replied Zeb, land ]
guess I've given 'em a licking to last
year. Where was that hero of
yours?''
Ell don't know"
fought to have been around. hadn't
her
"Y-yes-that is, no. No; I don't want
him"
Anything happened?"
Eyes. I've got all the hero l want
Zeb, I'm sorry, and If you want to get
married. and IT,
swell, let me kick 'em a few times
and then I'll go home with you and
ask the old folks what they think about
It II was lucky l thought of playing
the fool and hanging myself"