The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1905-06-29

~ LID DEACON FOrdham was
laying down the laws for his
~ daughter Sadie. He was
standing on the center rug in
the parlor of the Fordham homestead,
his hair was ruffled, his paper collar
awry, and he had on his feet one mud
splashed boot, wherein the pant-leg]
was tucked, and one russell slipper.
With his thumbs thrust in the arm
holes of his vest, his long fingers beat
ing tattoo on his breast, and his
chestnut vandyke moving in rhythm
to his words, he made ludicrous ap-
pearance as he stood there. But he
did not look at all funny to little Sadie,
seated by table with work-basket
in her lap, and gazing in alarm at her
wrought up pater.
"'Taint no use talkin', Sadie, he was
saying. II won't have you trowin'
yourself away on such useless feller
as thet Zeke. He amt done dog on
it thing since he was old 'nough to
wear pants, but monkey round with
some fool machinery. The las thing
he's up to now is fiyin' machine,
maybe, or sumpin' down in
thet OF disused railroad shed. Eff he
was my boy I'd" He lapsed off into
silence.
"Whst would you do, father ?" asked
Sadie.
"What would I do?" he repeated.
-disinherit him, by Gosh!
or make him 60 to work ct sumpin'
useful"
"Oh, he may be doing something
useful for all we know, father" she
= said apologetically.
It was true what the old deacon said
about Hezekiah Furrifeather. Being
the youngest of John Furrifeather's
SIX stalworth sons, he had been left to
do much as he pleased from childhood
on. Mr.. Furrifeather cheerfully ad-
mitted that he was the "good fer moth.
in'est good fer nothin' kind of feller,' y
but he said it proudly, as if it was a
praiseworthy rather than bad trait
All his other boys had married and
were doing we'll; Zeke only, remained
under the parental roof
He was well-built, handsome boy
with frank, open countenance, and
in his eyes there lurked not one atom
of deceit. But he a0ouzd spend his
time tinkering around some worthless
object or other which he called "inven
tions." Sadie and he had been "sweet'
on each other for years, but Sadie''
father demanded that young Furri
feather prove his worth before h
would consent to give him his daugh
ter.
A day or two after the conversation
between the deacon and his daughte
took place, the former approached th
railroad shed spoken of, very cautious
ly. He found a crack in the board
and applied his eyes in manner tha
revealed the fact that the venerabl
deacon had peeked before. What b
saw seemed to amuse him greatly; fol
after looking little while, he stood o1
from the building, slapped his thigh
and doubled up with silent mirtf
From the inside of the huge shed cam
the cheerful hammering and singin
of man at work. The deacon too
another look through the crack an
nearly choked with second fit Q
suppressed laughter. He wiped ava
the tears that his merriment had prt
duced, shook his head and shuff1ed O.
for home. Having arrived there hi
visibility broke forth anew. He a
most went into commissions. Sadi
became greatly alarmed at her father
strange behavior.
aWhy, what in the world is the ma
ter, father ?" she asked.
Matter? Ha, hs, ha! Oh, it's to
richl He, he, ha! You'll never gue'
what I've seen, Sadie. Wal, I'll tell y
I've seen your Intended at work. H
ha, ha, hop Here he went into anoth'
spssm. q.
''What was he a doing, father ?" an
iously. l.a
"Doin'? Why maxim s0ooden horse
Ha, hap
"Wooden horsesp ?" she asked incre
ulously.
> 81