The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-03

sion. Old women went clear over into the
next county TO attend funerals, and little
children dragged themselves to school look
ing for all the world as If they had the
collie.
OF course, everybody was thin. and sniff
fed, and elected 10 go 10 heaven by the
most painful route on the celestial map, but
Hezekiah Doles had them all beaten about
three laps to the mile and still gaining. He
was so thin he slit the bedclothes when he
lay down e~dgeways, and he was so gloomy
the neighbOrs had to light an extra lamp
when he came TO the house.
Consequently II was a terrible shock TO
the community when Hezekiah walked out
OF his back lot one evening and strolled
across 10 the -four mill. ~chuckling. actually
chuckling!
"Ha, Ia, Ia. ha. hal" said Hezekiah.
breaking into a real laugh as he sat down
on the platform where Salathiel Croak, the
miller, and Nathaniel Moody. the black
smith. were listening 10 the song OF the
frogs In joyful sadness. Hezekiah's laugh,
in a normal upity, would have been
as gay as a dirge, struggling as 1t did
through near fifty years OF dyspeptic de-
spair, but here in Gloomsburg, as the late
afternoon shadows were dying away, it was
almost sacrilegious.
why. brother Hez-e-ki-ahl Are you ill?"
SaIathiel asked in ~neighborly anxiety.
mo sir-eei' gasped Hezekiah. But say.
brothers Salathiel and Nathaniel, Ia, ha,
Ia, ha, say, I've been driving a well-A-a-h
Ia, Ia, ha. hal"
Yes, brother Hezekiah," urged the sor-
rowfuI Nathaniel, exchanging panied
glances with the miller.
"O-o-o-h. no. no. no. no, ho!" said Heze-
kiah, wiping his eyes.
YES. brother H~ezekiah." coaxed the
Respondent Salathiel.
We'll. I've got 1t down 1877 feet-ah, all,
an. an Oh. oh, oh, OH Funniest thing
you ever saw. Drill slipped and fell down
the whole way, kerplunki Oh-a-a-a-ah,
IA. Ia. hal A-a-a-a-a-h ha. ha, hai Ooh
s-a-a-a-ah-" and Hezekiah went off into
a peal of laughter such as was never before
heard in Gloomsburg. Simeon Graveweeds.
the tailor. came over. almost running, just
as Nathaniel made another disconsOlate at
tempt to get at the bottom of the sad oc-
currence.
And then what. brother Hezekiah?' ne
asked.
why, that's ALL Hezekiah roared. and
then doubled up with mirth.
Better run for his wife, Simeon whis-
pered SaIathiel. THE poor man is touched
in his mind. but sister Sarah can manage
him"
So the tailor ran for Mrs. Doles, while
Hezekiah laughed at the way Simeon's bow
legs spraddled over the ground. Sarah
come with her apron over her head and
her first act was to smell Hezekiah's
breath.
mo" the detected woman admitted, "Hez
hasn't been drinkin' He's just got the
simples."
She yanked Hezekiah off the platform
with a mastery and practiced hand and
dragged him off home. laughing like q
ninny. and put him TO bed. Then she let him
laugh himself to sleep. while she enjoyed
the most delightful sorrow she had known
for years. And that is saying a whole lot,
for Sarah was a natural-born Borrower.
The next morning, gloomy and early,
Hezekiah got up as melancholy as ever.
and when he reflected over his awful frivOl-
ity of the evening before he sat right down
and wept. Sarah had intended to wrestle
with him a little in spirit, with the rolling
pin handy In case or emergencies, but when
she saw MIN melted Into tears she sat down
and wept with him They had a moist and
happily miserable time of it for a quarter
of an hour, and then Hezekiah went to
work. refreshed in spirit and ready to con-
quer all temptations To be cheerful.
II was not until about 4 o'clock that he
went out to the well again. He worked at
IL lot dDOuI Ill nOuT. HSnlUS all the time
against an unaccountable and growing de-
sire TO be lighthearted. when all at once the
impulse Overcame him and he snickered. He
let the drill slip out of his hands and took
a few kinks out of his voice, and when
Sarah hurried out into the back lot she
found him rolling over in the grass and
laughing so hard that the little birds in the
trees had all stopped twittering.
why. Hez DOlesi' she exclaimed. Il
declare IL you hain't the foolishest loony
j ever see in all my mortal daysi What
ever makes YOU take on so and
she grabbed him by the collar and shook
him TO make him understand.
"O-o-o-o-o-h. ha- Ia, ha, ma. "a began
Hezekiah. but she shook him so hard that
he had TO stop and take breath.
Jest wait till l tell We. Sarah" he
gasped. II was drilling away, you know
ah, ah. ha, ha, ha-"
Sarah shook him again.
w ait, Sarah! After a while I drew
Don't, SARAH And right on the drill was
a little patch of rust! O-h-h-h-h, ha. ha-
don't, Sarah, And it looked for all the
world like the funniest-faced man you ever
see sence yer uncle Ebenezer died. A-a-a-
a-h. ha. ha. ha-" and Hezekiah went into
a peal of aughter that shaking wouldn't
stop. So she choked him.
Jest wait till / show yer he spluttered
as soon as he could get his breath. and
with a series Of chuckles and explosions
he went over to the windlass.
We'll. IL that's all ye're laughin' so like
a hoOdy-noddy at, we've gone plumb daffyt'
said Sarah with a look of panied disgust.
Never mindi' he snickered. when We
see IL yull laugh yourself sick, It's the
funniest thing that ever wasi'
Sarah's face, as that drill came gradually
up out of the well. was a sight to behold.
At hrst she wore a set expression as If she
had Just swallowed a lemon. She looked as
II money from home would arouse no inter
est and winning the Counterpart prize at
the next fair would be no satisfaction what
ever. As the drill came slowly winding
up. two or three of the wrinkles between
her eyes began to straighten out. Then
her eyes began 20 grow moist. Next her
nose lost that frosty look. and the lines
running down from the side of her nose
sOttened and brOadened. Little crows feet
appeared. then. at the sides of her ewes,
and her spectacles lifted up a trihe. The
drOOp of years. Strengthened, and had a
muscles OF her cheeks.
Then Sarah smiled.
II would have been an awful thing for a
stranger 10 behold. the birth of this mile,
full fOrty-ive years after the rest of the
body had been born. but 10 HeZekiah. work
ing at the windlass. IL was so funny that
he had 10 stop and wipe his eyes and
double up In a vOlley OF laughter that shook
down all the wOrm-eaten apples in the
orchard beyond. This time Sarah dldn'
check him. Her eyes now were glued on the
grimy rope. az the drill came nearer the
surface. her smile broadened until her ears
lOosened the comb in her hair.
At last the dripping drill popped out OF
the hole and Sarah craned eagerly forward
10 look. For a fun minute she gazed and
then she suddenly threw up both hands
clawed the air for a moment. held hel