Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-10-05
DAILY SHORT STORY
Father and Son.
[Copyright. 1903: by c. B. Lewis.l


the cornfield one. day and said to his
son Jonah, who was hOeing the next
row on his right:
"Joner, folks isIsayin' that 1 ought to
git married ag'in."
"Yes, I've heard 'em say So" replied
the son.
land bein' as folks think 1 ought to
git married agTn, and bein' 1 don't
want my children to say they was neg
lected, 1 think I'll drop over and see
the Widder SpoOner this evenin'."
Jonah had been counting Widow
Spooner himself for the last three
months.
That evening Jabez Lee set out on
counting expedition, while Jonah, who
did not dress up at all, was also absent
from the house a couple of hours and
reached home only five minutes before
his father On the next night his father
stayed home and Jonah went abroad.
1t got to be a regular thing for Jabez
Lee to call on the Widow SpOoner ev-
cry Wednesday evening. Some one hid
den behind the fence threw stones at
him on three or four occasions, and
once he caught sight of a man skulk-
ing about in the darkness. All of sud-
den one day he got an idea. 1t was an
idea that made him catch his breath
and lift his right fist in the air and
shake it and mutter to himself:
"By gum, but that seems to explain
it! If it's so, I'll make joiner tired clear
up to his chin"
The idea was developed that very
evening. When Jonah changed his
clothes and took a walk the father fol-
lowed him and kept a hot trail to the
Widow SpOoner'S. The murder was
out and the mystery solved. The par
lor curtains had not been lowered, and
the father crept up and saw that his
rival made himself very much at home
on the very chair he himself had occu-
pied the night before. Two hours lat
er, as the son wendell his way home
ward, q rock whizZed by his ear, and
ghoStly yell from the darkness jumped
him six feet. Next day, while his hair
was still curling and lie was trying to
connect that yell with his fathers deep
bass voice, the old man suddenly turned
on him with:
'Joner, if you was courtin' a woman
and sneak of a Teller tried to sneak
himself in, what would you do?'
I'D lay for him." promptly replied
the son.
That's jest my way O. thinkin'. Yes,
sir; I'd lay for him and lick him till he
couldn't holler."
"Drat such sneaksv'
Father and son looked into each 9th
er's eyes for q moment, and each dis
sembIed and tried to look innocent.
They understood each other, however,
and both set their jaws as they went
on with their work. That night was
Jonahs night to go counting, and be-
fore he left the house he took notice
that his father was missing. He real
lied at once what that meant, and he
began to plan. The route to the Widow
Spooner's carried him over q bridge
spanning q deep creek near her house.
There were trees near the north end,
making a deep shadow for many yards,
and Jonah felt that his father would
wait for him there and play some trick.
He therefore removed his boots when
hO was yet lWSity ydIuS away anu APP
preached the spot with catlike tread.
1t may be stated in advance that the
father was there in the shadow. He
had sheet ready to wrap around him
self and pillow case ready to pull over
his head. He was not only going to
play ghost, but the ghost would do
some humping before Jonah could get
away. In that same deep, dark shadow
was a second party. 1t was an old lame
mule which had been turned out to get
his living beside the highway, and he
had halted at that spot that night to
ruminate and doze. He stood within
twenty feet of the man In ambush, but
made no noise to give himself away. In
fact. he took no interest whatever in
the proceedings for a time, realizing
that he had passed the age when he
should be mixed up in love adventures,
and it was not until his long ears de-
tected the approach of Jonah that his
eyes shook off sleep and he wondered
what was up. Jonah crept forward foot
by foot and at last his presence was
also detected by the father. With soft
ness of touch he got ready his ghostly
garments and was on the point of dom
the old mule raised his head, tapped
his ears and uttered a bray. 1t was q
bray that split the air with thunderous
sound and made things shake for rods
around. The awful and unexpected
sound stirred the ''ghost" and Jonah to
action at the same instant. They went
over the railing of the bridge and into
the waters of the creek almost togeth-
er, and both yelling the same yell.
Five minutes letter father and son
reached the bank together and pulled
themselves out AS they stood gasping
and dripping they recognized each 9TH
er, and the father shouted:
"Joner, durn yer hide, but Tll-I'lr'-
dad, you old hypOcrite, Tll-I'lP'-
chOked the son.
at that moment the widow opened