Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1905-12-24


 leave the church l am astonishcd that heads of families and men of probity should band together for such q purpose"
 Truthful smith. who was president then. denied that thare Was any lying. There might have been ill the begin niHg. and the name still clung, but tie story, told by eve,E member. was the ruth and calculated to entertain and eniighten. lie then had several of tn@ members tel! their favorite yarns, but tie minister was not to be deceived. He reiterated his ultimatrm. and 1t the next meeting it was resolved to dis band the club. The only one who stood out against it was Ihiletlls SWiftioot He had paid the lightning rod man a dollar extra for lessons. and he had q story about being out on the plains and lodging the Indians for two weeks. They got him at last and were burn l2g him at the stake when a squaw Htlo had been in love with his grand father came forward and saved his fife. Philetus had told that story over and over until he had come to believe 1t and made his WIG and children be- lieve it. He was ready to sell his farm once to a stranger for q good price, but 3eeatiSo tie man refused to believe the Indian story he Was told to @ on about his business. Il was once told from the stand in place of ;l I'os:etA of July address, and 1t fired the n1blic heart to beat Bunker Hill all to p:eces.
 Do you mean th;t I've got to quit le!zins ny Indian storT!' asked Phile- tils as the motion was made to dis solve.
 .tnlcss you tell 1t ca the steps of the grocery, and then nobody will believe y9u," was the reply.
 Then I saAll kiek. You fellers may, go out of the club and be hanged to you, but I'll keep it going. 1 think just IS much of the church as any man, bu. nothing can induce me to drop that story. Why, what was the use of my being almost roasted alive by them h. juas if 1 wasn't to live to tell of it:'
 But the old man was sat down on. The club dissolved, and he was left aloae and every time he started out to tet his story he was laughed and snoered at. At length he gave over, but folks noticed a change ill him almost at once. He began to lose flesh and to look drawn about the eyes, and there was No i3nser Il cheerful ring to his Voice. The thing was preying on his mind i,I offo f4o,. CT three months, as folks predicted. What made the matter worse was that the lightning rod man came back on a visit after all those years. He expect ed to find the Liars club in full blast and better than ever, and when he was tol6 that 1t had dissolved and that the best liar in it could no longer get an audience, he hunted up Philetus and said:
 Tell me that lie about the Indians l made up for you ten years ago."
 Lie? Lie? What lie do you mean ?" asked Philetus.
 Why about your being tied to a stake when squaw rescued you. You paid me dollar in cash for that lie, and I understand it always took the cake"
 Sir said Philetus as he drew him. self up, Il know nothing about any lie When young man I went west, and"-
 But you were never as far west as Buffalo.''
 ''I went west, and after dodging the Indians for two weeks was"-
 "You never saw an Indian in your life."
 "What! Wasn't I captured and tied to the stakey'
 Never"
 And didn't squaw rescue me just as the fagots were lighted?'
 Mot on your life! made the whole thing up for lie, and you knew 1t was a lie. MT. Swiftfoot.' come of your perch. The liar has had his day in this town
 Do you mean it?'
 "For sure.''
 Philetus turned away without anoth- CT word, and that night he went to the barn and committed suicide by hang ing. Life was no longer worth the liv- ing to him. M. QUAD.