The Washington times., 1906-10-13
CHARIYARI STOPS
AS BEAR APPEARS
How a Bridegroom Turned
Tables on a Ducking
Party.
JOKE WORTH THUMBS LOSS
Proof Of Yarns Accuracy Found on Left
Hand of Entertaining
Stranger

SLAB CITY, VI. Oct. IS.-When the
wedding was over and the blushing
bride and stalWart bridegroom had been
fooled away TO the nearest railroad sta
lion amid showers of congratulations
and rice. Uncle Lem Green dangled his
rheumatic legs from the veTanda of the
general store and sighed.
Don't seem S though these ere new
tangled weddn's was half as lively as
them we ulster have IN the good old
times when 1 was a boy" he remarked.
while the aggregation perched on wab-
bly, chairs.
Il reckon they ain't' chuckled Luke
Pettingin his eyes twinkling reminis-
Gently Ulster charivari 'em good and
larn 'em hey was married
well, we heard Of one exception"
volunteered the guest 1T was told TO
me when / was a boy visiting In Notown
and / never forgot it, for 1t was an odd
way OF turning the tables on a chari-
vari party"
The aggregation shufied its feet ana
pricked up its ears in anticipation of a
story.
Guest Spins Yarn.
III was back in $500. as 1 recall it,"
went on the guest, digging his hand
deeper within his vest.
In NOtown. VI. the charivari spirit
was particularly alive, having been
nursed along until, at the time l speak
of, il was as much as a mans life was
worth To marry girl in his own town.
IL had. in fact. reached its height OF
boisterous roughness when Jonathan
Allen. a popular village youth. took the
hand of Sally Pratt in the holy bonds
OF matrimOuY. When Jonathan was
quietly informed by a friend that the
town bucks were preparing to duck bride
and bridegroom by dragging them 10 a
pond he laid his own plans accordingly.
Buying ar antiquated horse from
ueighbOr Tor "a dollar. ne lied a heavy
spring trap Ou its back, shOuldered- his
iiintlock and set of up the mountain.
That was the last seen of him until the
day OF the wedding
The ceremony was performed at
o'clock in the evening, according to
schedule, and an hour later the bridal
couple set out for the cabin. while the
charivari party, chuckiing to think what
thev were going 20 do To the newly
weds. conGregated in the church sheds
and received fnaI instructions from
A+i- Ahllt AAbhH'- a. abLHh ana utlFl~
mineG character who had been the VIII
lage leader i'm similar escapades for
twenty years.
The plan was To sneak up In the
cabin force the door and drag the
couple To the pond before they put the
lights out for the night. The crowd got
Co the cabin just as heavy thunder
storm broke The candles had already
been eNuuguished. but. nothing daunt-
Cd, Big BIZ threw his weight against
the door, and the next instant the party
cheering ana shouting. burst into the
main living room.
Bear to the Rescue.
.-It WAS expected that Jonathan. an
ticipatiug the invasion. would lend TO
the sport by putting up a fierce fight.
but instead an at'leteic form glided to
the kitchen door. opened il and sprang
back. Instantly the place was in pandi-
mOnium, for out Of the kitchen rushed
"a snarling bear that plunged head first
into the cropping crowd. A vivid flash
OF lightning illumined the extraordinary
scene, and as the swapping, snaring
beast leaped for Big Bill he caught
Aliens leit hand In his jaws and bit
of the thumb as cleanly as though a
surgeon had severed IL. The next bite
relieved Big Biz of "a chunk of his
arm and a third divested him Of part Of
his coat.
Perhaps the crowd had run faster
at some time bat they could never re-
collect just when il was and when il
WAS all over and Allen had bound up
his wounded hand, he declared that the
trick was worth a thumb and the price
of the dilapidated horse ne had used
for bear bait as we'll as the trouble he
had In capturing bruin and getting him
10 the house
Proof Is Desired.
THAT 'cre's a toTable hefty yarn fer
a stranger" admitted Uncle Lem when
the tale had been finished, but we folks
round these parts sorter expect a rea-
sonablc amount o. proof-rhat is, II sor-
ter seem g though we'd orter have suth-
i'm 20 hang to-
The city guest smiled indulgently. and,
drawing forth his left hand, held IL up.
From il the thumb was missing.
'RirthmaTk. he observed quietly
pointing 10 the place where the thumb
should have been. Allen was my great
grandfather, and the first son has been
born with a hand like this ever since"