Sharp County record., 1907-11-29

TIL G WORS I

man with the lank hair and shrlll
voice as the car swung around the
| curve.
whats terrible when it comes?"
inquired the man in the next seat,
lowering his paper and glaring over
the top Of it.
"Why, that what's bound to hap
pen, replied the man with the lank
hair.
"And why's anything bound to hap
pen," asked the man in the next seat
impatiently.
"Rain!" breathed a shrill-voiced
one, with a shudder "And snow!
Hail. too Frost also! Fourteen kinds
of unreasonable weather, all in row!
1t means that something awful is
bound to happen"
"Shucks!" snorted the man in the
next seat, slapping his paper in his
lap. you talk like a dizzy old dame
with the herb habit. Cut it out and
take a pill, for your liver's loafing
Take a pill"
you can laugh" said the man with
the lank locks, in grieved tone, but
/ know what I'm talking about.
But l don't mind telling about it,"
resumed the man with the lank hair,
after some slight molliflcatory re-
marks from the red-haired man in the
rear, because it shows just what
we're up against on this part of the
big map. Grandfather was saying
last night that this year was dead
ringer for 1881, and you've all heard
about the awful thing that happened
then.
What! You're not wise? What
ignorance! Anyhow, according to
grandfather, 1881 started off just like
this year. Along in March, when or
dinarily the sleighing was good here
in town, there came bunch of heat
that made all the front doors in town
blister and peel. Then it got cold and
showed then it hailed and then 1t
rained And along in June and July,
when ordinarily Washington Is like
furnace, it was raining and showing
and hailing all in twenty-four hours,
and the water was so deep on Pennsyl-
vania avenue and the thermometer so
active that one day the Mary Wash
ington could steam at full speed from
Alexandria to the Soldiers home with
out taking soundings, and the next,
iceboat races would be in order Oh,
1t was fierce year, and we haven't
seen the worst of this one yet. You
listen to me-"
"Well, what was the awful thing that
happened?" inquired the man in the
next seat, with more impatience,
"Oh," replied the person with the
lank hair, 81 was getting down to that.
You see grandpa had just been mar.
ried in January of 1881, and his wife
was a good cook and he was naturally
Of an optimistic disposition, he didn't
take much stock in the calamity con
versation that was going round, But
| finally It began to work on his nerves
and he got 50 he'd sit looking out of
the window for hours at a time, Won
dering just what form the impending
disaster would take, just like folks
and particularly married men, are do
ing now. So"
Look here" said the man in the
next seat, glaring at the shrill-volced
conversatlonalist "aro you or are you
not going to tell us what happened in
1881?
Certainly" replied the lank,locked
individual with an injured glance
around Il was just getting down to
It. Wen, as | was saying, grandfather
got so he couldn't eat, lie knew
something was going to happen, All
signs pointed to 1t and he'd never
known such signs to fail, And sure
enough It did and It was terrible,
II was worse than he had ever imag'
ined, Grandpa was poor"
! Say" shouted the man in the next
seat you tell us right away what that
terrible thing was that happened
don't propose To-"
Certainly" interrupted tho long
wlndod calamity convorsationalIst
nervously, certainly ! will right
away AS was saying, grandfather
was sitting In his Office this partle'
ulOr day in the summer Of 1881, feel
ing sort Of shaky and blue, and he
heard horse come galloping madly
down the street and stop in front of
his door, And ho just know that
something terrible had happened,
The man In the next seat pulled
llereely at his cigar but the lani.
locked talker doomed right along un.
notiolngly,
Grandfather rushed to tho front
door of his Office" he said, "and out
there was q horse covered with foam
and man just falling to the ground
from exhaustion, And grandfather
looked Ot tho man and his tongue lust
Glove TO tho roof Of his mouth, llo
knew something fearful had occurred.
'Good'day, Smith, he sNld after he
got his yolee-the man who fell off
tho horgO Wna A nOiEhbor of Grand.