The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1905-06-15
Gbe Redemption Of Reilev.

[1On OF KG1lGV> 5 i
when approached on the subject.
Many stories were circulated regarding
Tim Reiley's absence. Some said he
was in Jail. Others that he was drink
ing himself to death in the city. A
few asserted that he was travelling
along with big circus working some
game of chance, and other wild
stories. Thus two years went by.
Then Tim came home.
People who looked for great change
in him, for better or worse, were dis
appointed. He was the same old Tim,
outwardly at least. But he was not
seen about the streets drunk any more.
In fact he was not about the town at
all. Then queer stories began to cir
culate about his carrying on. He had
been seen coming back from some un-
known place as late as ten o'clock
every night for more than a week.
And he had been seen "sneaking"
out of town as early as four in the
morning. They had seen him chop
ping wood in his mothers woodshed
on Sunday mornings. He had been
observed to go and come from the
widow Crocket's in guilty manner.
And they said that poor little Betsy
was wearing her eyes out with weep
ing for him.
But the climax came when he wss
discovered in church one Sunday dur
ing the service so drunk that he had
to be carried home. The Loyal and
Temperate Neighbors called an extra
meeting for the purpose of devising
some means whereby the town might
be rid of "the Kelley outfit" Zeb
Little, the chairman, addressed the
loyal and temperate fellows as follows:
"Feller citisens! A great calamity hes
befell our community, I referate to the
return of thet there good-fer-nothin'
Kelley feller. He is disgrace to our
town an people. Shell we suffer this
outlaw to waller an fatten on the tax
payers OF this village?" BE it remem-
bered, in parenthesis, that neither Tim
nor his mother had ever received a
cent from the county, "Shell we, say,
allow this bandit to comit his outrages
permiscusly in our midst? Is there no
remedy whereby we may rid our CO.
munity of this leach, this wolf, this
parasite, ruinin' our regulations an
settin' bad example fer our offspring
an innercent lambs CROWN up about
us? There is only one way, and that
is fer us members of this air serciety to
? gether ourselves together an drive the
vermin from our midst. I hev here
producing paper a resolushin writ
, up in antispection of this meetin
which will now read to you:
"Whereas one Timothy Kelley hes
= returned to this village of Heron Part
after an absence of two years anC
o aginst the wish and will of the citi
zens of sed village, and hev committed
sundry and various offences tenden' tt
: deteriorate the peace and dignity o
\ the sed village; the most conspicku
. offence bein' thet of gettin' intoxiatet
8 on SABBATH day an invadin' ou
! church durin' the service hour; now
therefore, be it
q Resolved-That, this serciety as
a representitiv body appint commit
tee of no less than six to order the SCI
Timothy Kelley from our town. Al
:, be it ferther
's| Resolved, Thet if he refuses to leav
- peacably the committee will then us
force
70 "Now feller citisens, will ye sign th
10 resolushin ?"
le The resolution was duly signed an
8. committee of six appointed. On
v, cold January morning the six set on
le in quest of their quarry. He was nc
e. at home when they arrived there. Mr.
is Kelley said he had gone out early the
le morning. They trooped off toward
ly the Weller residence, but met part
ne on the road who informed them ths
le he had seen Tim going towards tt
ne widow Crocket's place an hour or {
be since. The honorable committeeme
Ii. Hooked at each other as If to say, "N