The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-12-14
In Which is Recorded the
 Undoins of the Upright Leader of the Village Choir. V A A
BY WILL T. STEPHAN.

The little shoemaker sat unsteadily upon his short legged work bench. There was a merry, genial glow in his eye and "a suspicious dampness about his mouth.
 On one knee rested the fat brown Jug with the little Irishman's thumb fondly wound about the handle. The jug was frequently shifted from the knee to an almost horizontal position with Its mouth buried in the shoemaker's whiskers.
 And she trun ye down, did she?" he I would go on. "Ye are a real gintleman with frindly, ginrus heart and without disparg gin the lady, she's got dom bad taste. An, it's an iligant husband ye'd have made her. But, me bye. ye cant thrust 'em, ye can't thrust 'em at all at all. They're wicked. decateful cratures all of them. What does the poet say of thim, oh, woman in our hour of ease. thy name Is frailty.' and again how sharper than a toothless child bites e sarpent woman. An .begorra l know em. that do.
 Me bye, kiss the jug just vance, won't ye? One pull at the jug I tell ye will make ye forget the best and the worst woman that ever lived. An, come on, just vance"
 But Jenkins shook his head sadly. The little s1oemaker's wiles and pleadings went for naught. The righteous conscience was never overthrown and the jug never changed hands throughout the long night. As the night wore on Rafferty would oc- casionally break into song He grew rem- iniscent at times and his new friend heard with a wealth of detail Rafferty's ex- perience with the 'Swate little gurruP' in Frisco and his adventure with the Moo Leans widder."
 As the pink of dawn was creeping up in the east Cassandra was rudely awakened by an extraordinary and unu- sual noise. Ribald yells would rend the air. A roucous voice would break loudly into song, and the end of each line would be emphasized by wild screech.
 The town constable half dressed rushed hurriedly out to duell the disturbance. In the dim light of early morning he discovered two figures making cratic, unsteady progress.
 One figure. almost inert, was kept from the ground only by the utmost exertion of the other.
 Even as he looked a voice recognized by the constable as that of the shoemak- CTS song. "Oh, it's an iligant Turk I'd make, for I'm fond of tobacco and the ladies'"
 The constable with dignity and in the name of the law arrested both. He was shocked to find that one was the upright DOOkkeCpeT. HO iattCT oOOh COhNihCCU him that he was sober and almost per- suaded the constable that he was doing good Samaritan act. He allowed the unhappy bookkeeper to go but the whole affair was known to every resident of Cassandra before breakfast.
 Deacon Cowart. Justice of the Peace. held court that afternoon. Before him was brought Michael Rafferty. neither sober nor penitent. The store in which court was held was crowded to suffoca- ton by the curious townsmen. The breach of the law was manifest. The old deacon regretfully but firmly announced that a fine of sl0 was assessed against Michael Rafferty for disgraceful conduct.
 Rafferty not too drunk to enjoy the humor of the situation. smiled broadly as Theophilus Jenkins edged his way for ward through the crowd and shame facedly laid the amount of the shoemak- CTS fine on the deal table in front of the Justice. The little Irishman catching his eye winked impudently at his crest fallen but sober companion of the nights debauch.
 well, that beats me-" said Tom Kitch- ems, front row spectator. "A drunk by proxy and yet some people say there's nothing new under the sum-"