Morgan County democrat. (Versailles, Mo.) 1900-1906, 1905-02-17

mot PARTICULARLY INTERESTED
IN THE CONNECTION"
holes, slammed 1t on the ounte beside
the groceryman's legs and yelled:
Wake up. Rip Van Wrinkle. the day
OF judgment has come, and you are
still buried. You got to get a move on
you or the procession will 90 of and
leave you Say. are you afraid OF rat
%tlesnakes. and the bad boy shook the
paper box when an ominOus rattle
came from within. as though a snake
had shaken Its tall good and plenty.
"Great Scott. boy, I believe you have
got a rattlesnake in that box" and he
Jumped of the counter and grabbed
an iron FIRE poker, while the boy got
out his knife to cut the string on the
box. Now, l%ookahere. I am suffering
from nervous pr%ostration and a snake
turned loo Sc in this store would settle
It with me-"
well wouldn't that skin you" said
the boy, as he s%harpened his knife on
a piece OF old cheese. and felt Of the
edge. Here you have been telling
me for years what a brave man you
were and how you were not afraid of
anything that wore hair, and now you
have fits because a little fve-foot rat
%tlesnake, with only ten rattles on,
makes a formal call on you. Gee, but
you are a squaw."
"Now. let up until | wait on these
customers said the old man, as ne
went to the or and let In a commit
ton NJ unnnan Whn uynrp tn h,U cnvoo
supplies for a church sOclable. The
women lined up On each side Of the
store, looking at the canned things on
the shelves, and the old man was try
ing to be polite. when the bad boy
opened the box and laid on the floor
a stuffed rattlesnake that was as nat
ural as life, and touched n rattlebox
in his pocket, and the trouble began.
The women saw the snake curled up,
ready to spring, and they all went
through the door at once. tipping over
everything that was loose, and scream
Ing, while the old man, when he saw
the snake, got into the front show win
dow and trembled and yelled for the
police. A policeman rushed into the
store, and when he saw the snake he
backed out of the door.
ARREST that boy with the snake,
| said the groceryman.
"Come out of that wild your menag
| erie" said the policeman, shaking his
his club.
Come in and get the snake II you
want It," said the boy, II don't want
It any more. anyway" and he DOL the
stuffed snake up by the head and
laid It across his lap. and began to
shake the ~rattles, and laugh at the gro
ceryman and the policeman and the
crowd that had collected In front OF
the store. The policeman came In
laughing, and the old groceryman
crawled out Of the show window. and
all breathed free again. and finally the
policeman went out and drove the
crowd away, and went on his beat
again, after shaking his club at the
boy, and the boy, the groceryman. the
snake and the cat remained in the
store. The groceryman took a swig
put OF q bottle Of whisky to settle his
nerve. and the boy took up his snake
and pushed It towards the cat. which
ran up a step ladder and yowled.
Put that COMPOUNDED old stuffed snake
In the Ice boz and sit down here and
and tell me something. I saw your
father IN the street yesterday, and he
Is a sight. His stomac.. IL twice as big
as It was. and he looks troubled. What
has got into him."
"Well. I'll tell you; dad has got what
they call q morbid appetite. Whatever