The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-12-13

fans in the summer. He used to talk pol itics to me and the jailer, and reporter and young doctor. which gang com prised the jail caucus.
 "Old Joe had a wife. and she was wife sho' nun. She didn't lose all her money in the war and she kept the old man up. But. Lord, she had temper! When old Joe got drunk that was T sig nal for open hostilities in the Yeardley household, and the next time Old Joe appeared his goatee would be frazzled and two of the three hairs which grew on the top of his head would be gone.
 One night, we were all sittin' around the fire. Old Joe wasn't there and we were all kinder missing him. l believe brought tip the subject of electing him this time to the House, old Joe thinks more of that than anything eise,' I said. and I L love to help the old man out The rest agreed and we kinder planned on the thing. Old Joe had already an- nounced. It wasn't more'n a week before the primary and he looked like sure loser. We figured that he'd get good votes in Beats 5, 6, z. 8. and Il, kinder 'ristocrat neighborhoods, and I knew that if we could pull 1 and IS around to give him majority, with the scattering vote he'd get in the other beats, he'd at least land in the last winning hole.
 
 doctor. and the reporter. and the jailer, and me, we went to the man who was running things. He was going to make a break for probate judge pretty soon and with a pull in my beat, the jailer's pull in his. the young doctors family, and the reporters position, we had a pretty strong delegation.
 "So We goes to the main man and we tells him just how we stand. and prom ises a whole lot of things for old Joe to vote for when he gets up there. That settles 1t, he promises us and IS.
 '"The primary come around the next week and we all had our beats fixed for old Joe. That night I went around to Beat 1 to find out about it. One. went good and strong for Joe. I drove out to 1S The main man had things fixed good there. I don't believe Joe got three votes in that beat, but every other ticket the teller pulled out he'd yell, 'Yeardley,' and. the watchers would sorter grin.
 Just as they got through and Joe had 114 votes added up, who should waltz in but old lady Yeardley. I smelled things coming and I dropped into the. next room. All the boys knew the old lady and having done the right thing by old Joe they thought they weren't in no dan ger of a tongue-lashing.
 Good evening. Mrs. Yeardley,' said the clerk, lowing and grinning. Colonel Yeardley came out handsomely here; I think he's elected.'"
 ''The old lady snuffed the atmosphere a minute and then she opened up.
 No such thing, you young scoundrel. l know all about it. You are a lot of vote-stealers and if have my way about 1t the Grand Jury shall know Didn't I hear that reprobate Bill Jenkins and that nigger-catcher Sam Smith, and that young poisoner Beverly, and that smart Alex, Jack COlton tell my husband they had things fixed for him here Don't I know that if he gets to the Legislature he'll stay drunk all the time and disgrace himself? Don't I know he made promises to that crafty cut-throat. who's running for probate judge? No sir If you don't count that box fair I'll snatch all your heads off. Who's running next to Joe? That young Irishman, O'Leary. Give all those votes of Colonel Yeardley, which ne didn't get, to oLeary. You won't? Yes you will or the Grand Jury will know about 1t and the newspapers. too
 l saw the boys begin to squirm. One by one they ducked out of the Sring line except the teller. He was cornered and in ten minutes he had tfae report signed. lt showed n4 votes for o'Leary and two votes for. old Joe
 This lost the race for old Joe and that night he was drunker, and more dlgnIfed than l ever saw Since that day. he has never entered the jail and don't speak to me on the street, but I've never had the heart to tell him. He owes his mis- fortune to his helpmeet"
 A long, lonely whistse sounded and With wheezy groans, the Boonville train pulled in.
 AS We passed out into the biting air of bleak December night the college man You are due another yarn in the smoking 4car." he said.
 l nodded but l didn't tell him that I ! De man dat makes business of Andin fault" said Uncle Eben. "gits mo occupation an less result dan anybody else in de com Inunity. .''-Washington Star Y '