Charlevoix county herald., 1904-04-02

In the cornfield with his hoe, and he
leaned against the fence and heard
what the publisher had TO say and then
replied:
by gum, but l always knowed Silas
Bebee was sneak, and now it's prov
ed He wants folks TO think he's the
big Bebee, does he? Wants the world
to believe that all the other Bebees
stand around and look at him with
their mouths open? WAL, I'll bust UP
his little circus for him!'
Mr.. Graves had struck a good thing,
and he was the man to push it. Reuben
wanted more pages than Silas had.
His sons wanted to spread out In lib
eral manner, and Mr.. Graves fixed
matters to suit them and himself He
had free board and lodgings for four
days and departed with cash enough
to buy a fur lined overcoat for the
next winter. In honor bound, as he in
formed Reuben, he must call on Sala-
thiel Bebee, but only to make sure
whether his grandfather was bitten by
mad dog in the state of Ohio or Mich
igan. He called. Salathiel was up
roofing the pigweeds which had crept
into his garden, and when Mr.. Graves
had explained the biography business
to hlm he Strengthened up and said:
you kin pass right on. | amt buy
in no gold bricks today"
But Mr. Graves didn't pass. He
showed the contracts entered into with
Silas and Reuben, and he added the
remark that it was too bad there were
only two eminent families of Bebees.
Then Salathiel struck the trunk of a
cherry tree with his fist and exclaim-
ed:
"By John Rodgers, but the idea of
them BebeeS passin' themselves off
the smartest and best in America.
They do know how to farm and |
won't go for to deny it, but MS for be-
in big guns they amt knee high. I'm
no hand to brag, but if don't lay over
Sile and Reube every day in the week
then you kin kick me clear across the
barnyard."
The rest was easy, of course. There
were Salathiel, his wife and two sons
and two daughters and all had to go
into that book regardless of space or
cost. Mr.. Graves was not an impetu-
Gus man, and he took his time writing
out his notes and managed to get five
days free board and lodgings. Then
he departed 10 work" Moses. 4Abra-
ham, Joab Peter, Paul ana several
other Bebees. securing victims ia each
and every family and in one instance
taking in everything from tho grand
mother down to the infant in the era
Ole. He put in a full month at his
work, and he had the best beds aud
the best meals. After his coming the
BebeeS no longer neighbored, and they
passed each other with their heads
held high and their noses turned up.
In one or two cases the young men
came to blows. and lawsuits were
started over old matters. Things were
edglng along toward grievous state
of affairs when Mr.. Graves and his
notes and his money departed. and
three days later Il detective arrived in
search of him and exposed him us
swindler. The Bebees didn't want to
and couldn't believe it at first, but the
evidence submitted was too strong for
them to stand against. and after Il due
amount of weeping and wailing aud
swearing a meeting Of all the families
was held, and it was unanimously
"Resolved, That while the Bebees
date back to the year 900 this year
saw the whole durn caboodle making
fools Of themselves without reason or
excuse, and we won't Go it again."