The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1907-04-09


miration and friendship finally ripened
into love. In this they were secretly
supported by Mrs. Jones and Mrs Tai
bot. The two peppery old men, who
had lived for fifty years without know
ing each others existence, seemed
disagreement Within a month both
found themselves at the same black
smith shop to have repairs mace to
their buggies, and, after glaring and
snorting at each other for a time, Mr..
Jones sarcastically said:
81 haven't seen anything of them
grasshoppers yet"
''They are probably waiting to come
along with your later bugs"
"Uml Mr. Talbot, If that is your
name, pity the folks in this village
who have to put up with your ways"
"Uml Mr. Jones, and that is I'M
doubtedly your name, for / never saw
a Jones who didn't look like a mean
man. If l was you, I'd go hang myself
and let my town take a rest"
apologize, sir! Apologize at oncer'
"Not until you apologize first"
They met again on the highway and
again at a funeral and a town meet
ing, and each meeting made them long
to kill each other. The son and the
daughter were forbidden under all sorts
of pains and penalties even to bow to
each other, but their lovemaking could
n hn cfn NV obi
was no question of love, but that of
marriage was held in allegiance In
hopes that their respective fathers
might undergo change of opinion. A
mutual friend undertook to bring this
about. He called upon the peppery
Mr. Jones first. He started out with a
lot of sweet oil, but he hadn't talked
over half a minute when Mr.. Jones in
terrupted with:
THAT will do, sir. A year ago l
told that old fool of a Talbot that it
looked like good year for later bugs,
and he up and insulted me-"
But there were no later bugs last
year."
Makes no difference. l have met
him two or three times since, and
tell you he is cantankerous old rep
rebate. If he's going to continue liv-
ing in the state, I'll get out of it,"
Nothing could be done with the pep
perry Mr.. Jones, and so the mutual
friend tried the peppery Mr.. Talbot.
He had only stated his errand when
the latter shouted out:
"Stop, sir do not want that mans
name mentioned in my presence! II
ever there was an obstinate old fool
who needed to be kicked from here to
Hornsdale, he Is the one. He owes
me an apology, and l shall insist that
he get down on his knees to make it.
Be friends with Jones-J-o-n-e-s. You
don't know me, sirr'
But yet things were working. Provi-
dence or something else always seeks
to bring things out right in case of
true love. One day party of people
living in Winston went out to a hue
kleberry swamp to gather berries, and
the peppery Mr. Talbot went with
them. On the same day party from
Hornsdale visited the same swamp
and the peppery Mr.. Jones was among
them. The two parties kept separate
for some hours, and they had only
drifted together when a thunderstorm
came up. At the same time messen-
ger arrived from Winston with the
news that the young couple had gone
off and been married The people had
to seek the shelter of the trees, and it
so happened that the two peppery old
men found themselves side by side.
81 will never recognize the mar
riagep' exclaimed Mr.. Jones as he
found himself face to face with his
enemy.
Nor | eitherr'
"Your daughter plotted to trap my
son.
"'Tis false. sir! 1t was right the
other way"
They would probably have kept on
quarreling for the next half hour, but
thunderbolt shot out of the black
cloud and struck the tree underneath
which they were standing. Five peo
pie were knocked senseless and con
LknucQ III lIdL Sldl lOI Ol all
hour. Then the two peppery old men
recovered consciousness, sat up and
looked at each other
talbot, where are wei" slowly ask.
ed Jones.
sIn heaven, JONES'"
"Were we killed by lightning?'
"We must have been"
"Well, as we are in heaven and the
children married, don't want to carry
no grudge against you. I'm willing to
apologize if you are."
'sWell. I'm sorry"
''So'm 10
OF course they found out later on
that they were no nearer heaven than
the huckleberry swamp, and of course
there was little humiliation on the
part of both, but, like sensible men,
they buried the Ratchet and rode home
together to congratulate the happy
couple.