The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-30

more OF furnace nor no did OF a b'iler,
or somepin' made his wheels go too fast
some how, an every little while he'd run
right up in the air,
"He were on the boats for a spell, afore
he settled down in Arkansas City, an I've
heerd him say, them times, like he reckoned
no were some like n steamboat hissef
III don't blow of steam now an again
he says, I'm plumb sure to bust
well, he blowed of, all right. There
was doin's when he started to blow. He'd
go along, steady az a clock for month.
maybe, an then somepin' d happen.
There was one night he came in here az
cool IA a catfish, an lookin as sober as
one. We never knowed till after Z he'd
been drinkn' steady for two nights up to
the hotel.
"There was a couple O. strangers standin'
at the bar takin' their liquor quiet an
peaceful, an Joe came up sort o sudden
an pushed one on 'em along. 'Twa'nt
exactly done violent. but want polite,
nett her, an the stranger spoke up, kind o
mad.
Well, Joe he kind o mumbled somepiin'
an II the stranger d had sense he'd ha'
took 1t for an apology, but he got wlss an,
he, lowed il Joe touched him again he'd
lick him.
Then Joe did act hasty, there amt no
denyin' of it. He knocked the Teller down
first. an then, pickin' him up in his two
hands, he throw ed him plumb through the
window. O. course, he didn't mean to kill
him, an he wouldn't never ha' been RELY
blamea, for II. seem the feller brought 1t
on hisse!f, If he hadn't picked the other
stranger NJ an throwed him out O. the win
dow, too.
Folks thought that was goin' leetle
too fur, an likely it might ha' gone hard
with Joe for KILN two men to once, even
hn iii IKNsf Ittf n
the boys that was IN here told how they'd
seen the second felles start to pull his gum
so o course that mace II self-defence, an
there wa mt nothin' to ne did. Joe paid for
the window when he got sober. an bein'
as the two men was strangers there wan
no more said about It.
But 1t was the way he lister change his
mind, t started TO tell about. There was
times when it 'peared like 1t was provi-
dental,
plumb rllinous il he'd did it, an all in a
minute he'd change. 1t didn't take mule
to kick him in the face, neither. Just q
word, or a look d do it.
He spanked a girl I'm up in Little Rock,
one winter an come nigh marryin' her:
They do say t he'd bought the rir.y an
was goin' to the parsons the next Sunday
She were nice girl. too. She ooms a
visitin' some Of her mothers family t liz ed
here, an Joe was stuck the minute he seen
her. Her family was church people, though,
an they was likely to make some trouble
about her havin' of him, on'y Joe d got CON-
sidable property together by. that time,
an they seen Z he was good match.
But the girl was troubled She liked
Joe. all right, but she was church mem
him swear off on tol'able nigh everything
short O. DRAWN his breath.
-She couldn't abide man that'd fight,
an she made him put away his gun. Then
she hadn't no use f'r man that drinked,
an he give up drinkin'. An she didn't
like the smell o. tobacco, an Joe throwed
awav his pipe an quit chawin'.
-She had scruples about cuss words, an
Joe give up cussin' as nigh IA he could
An the wust of all things 'cordin' to her
believe t draw poker was gamblin', 80 Joe
pulled out O. tn anne.
We was all takin' notice, natural enough,
an there was sort O. feelin' in the com
munity that she were goin' a leetle too fur
when she drawed the line agin poker.
Jake Wnterbottom was talkin' about it
one night an he Gays. sensible enough:
Il reckon lady had ought for to have
some to say about the man she m arries,
anyway, up to the time she marries him,
an cuss words, Joe had ought for to humor
her a spell; but interferin' with draw poker
is downright sinful. It's wuss'n that
| he says, for it's interferin' with the pros
per1ty OF tne community. Wnere q we all
| be if we didn't accommodate the strangers,
he says, that comes here lookin' for a
game?'
But told EN- it'd be all right. I
know Joe Bess stt tol'ble well, ] says, AN
if he don't blow of steam somewheres
he's goin' to bust | says. That's what
he says his own self.
There's a providence that watches
over these things, l says, an faint likely
as good citizen. like Joe, is goin' to
be led away. without some special interpo
sition. An reckon ] says, that there's
terpostion just about due now.
"Mebbe 'twon't come till alter the knots