The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1904-01-12
EZRA BRIGGS
REVENGE 3, D. II.
TALMADGE

My friend the postmaster and gen
Eral storekeeper of Iiarlcyville was sit
ting ON the front porch of his establish
ment lazily pulling small clouds OF
blue smoke into the air and blinking
comfortably at his slippered feet,
which were resting against post on
q level with his face. | spoke TO him.
and the feet slipped down with thud.
"IIowdy," he said. Some warmish.
amt it:'
/ nodded. wiping from my face the
perspiration engendercd by an i'll ad-
vised walk of two miles over road
unshaded from a mercilrss July sun.
The family at the farmhouse where.
from motives of economy. was spend
ing my vacation had gone TO funeral.
and | had wearicd of my own compa-
ny. Wherefore. the afternoon being
too hot for fishing. had come TO Har-
leyville to seek companionslip.
I'D have went to lke's funeral my
SELF" said the storekeeper when ] had
explained thus TO his understanding.
"only the rest of the folks wanted 10
20. and I didn't like TO close up the
place on account of the pos.oiiice.
was down to Ike's when the great
damp breath blew his lamp out set
up with him two or three nights along
at the last"
"He was a close friend OF yoursT'
I asked.
well" signing explosively. there
amt much doubt he was considerable
close. and we was always friends. him
and me- had n feeling OF sympathy
for him during the last years Of his
life. too-sort of an admiration for
him. because he took his medicine like
man. 'TaIn't every male human that
does
Then he had long been an invalidT'
mo: that amt the idea. lie wasn't
J sick n great while. The story dates
back nigh on 10 twenty years. when
him and Ezra Briggs was rivals for the
hand OF Martha Telford. Twas nip
and tuck between 'em. but Ezra finally
won the match. Ike was fool enough
TO get mad about 1t. and when his pa
died. leaving among his other effects n
mortgage on the old Briggs place where
Ezra was living. his parents both being
defunct, he fcreclosed the thing and
made a regular dickens OF a bad mess
Ezra could have paid II he'd had an
other six months. but Ike wouldn't
wait. That was the beginning of a
mighty hard time for Ezra. Nothing
he touched after that seemed TO pros
per. Him and Martha-there wasn't no
children-come at last to live In house
hat 4tnr ho +rrd Inv
the mill yonder. and the woman's love.
so my wife and daughter say. sort OF
took sick and died. I've heard tell there
amt much female love that's proof
against poverty long drawn out. and
heaps OF what passes for real honest
affection leaks away through the worn
out places in woman's clothes.
Its my opinion that Martha wasn't
a real comfortable person to live with
during the last two or three years OF
Ezra's life. I've got a suspicion. more
or less founded on fact. that she was
sourer than the dregs of vinegar and
that her patience sort of shot of like a
Gatling gun once II had busted. Ezra
took sick finally with somebody or 9TH
er's disease OF something or other that
the doctors said was incurable. and he
didn't keep up after that. just poked
around and groaned till the trouble
knocked him down into bed.
HE kept his own counsel pretty
much. but I've got notion he was
nursing a feeling OF bitterness against
Ike most of the time then. I said tc
myself 'twould be blessing If the old
death angel would only flop down and
carry him Off before he done anything
that would shock the community.
But l was worrying unduly. How
ever much he may have been figuring
on revenge. there wasn't no bloody vio
lence mixed into his figuring. He die
give the community sort OF shock
though. such as twas. Most of u:
couldn't understand then why he don,
as he did. but 1t Is as clear as molassei
TO me now.
; THE river yonder five years ag,
last March got on a ripping tear OWN.
to a sudden thaw. and among othel
| things II done IL swooped down acros
Ike's barnyard and carried off lot o
live stock and things. including TX
? himself. who was trying TO rescue
valuable ram he'd paid n big price 70
r at the state fair.
I 'He went along with the flood ant
g never stopped till lie stuck In III
= branches of small tree about seveut
or eighty feet from shore near wher
Ezra's house stood. And as chanc
would have II Ezra heard him yelpin
e for help and dragged himself out O
u the house. where he was staying alon
e with his disease while Martha washe
o dishes up TO the hotel over at BottoI
i village.
J. Now. 'twould have been no NOR
d than natural for man In EZra's p,
L iition 10 have done nothing hut gloa
IS over the situation. But Ezra didn
g do nothing Of the kind. He hustle
e around rs fast as his disease woul
4 let him to save Ike before the tire
Y come unrooted.
y ''IIe got long rope and tried
9 throw one end OF II TO Ike. but II fe
a about five feet short every time. so 1
wnded out into the water. though IL
Y doctor had told him 'twould kill hii
II to get his feet wet. When Ike hn
y tied one cnd of the rope 10 himse
Ie Ezra tied the other end to u fence pos
z and the current done the rest.
r. THAT wctting Of his feet and le,
re was the beginning OF Ezra's finis
10 That night ne li:.I a chill. and his Ill
D. ease simply got rsmpaEeous- The do
; tor said twas hopeiess the minute