The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1907-01-26


mooMshine as any other crittcr fur ten
miles around, and ! was fool nun to
feel proud OF the fact.
when / was married. Fifteen years
ago, my wife thought she could reform
me. Mebbe i went Il leetle light fur n
year or so but the rcformin' didn't re-
form. I'd promise and promise, but
as soon as ] got out with n crowd Ia
ill up. The only good thing abodt my
gettin' drunk was the fact that
never raised row at home. | sim
ply wanted to git home ana 70 bed,
and if left alone I'd sleep it Off b.
next day. had been sober fur three
months when town meetin' day come
along. When got ready TO leave
home the old woman said:
"'Zeb, you've been livin' Ike q de-
cent human bcin' fur some time past
Are you comm home drunk or sober
tonighti'
"'Sober as II stump I replied, not
fearin myself at all.
"'Why not let town meetin' slider
"I couldn't. I've promised 10 be
thar to vote
"'rlar'll be heaps ana heaps Of
whisky thar. won't they" she asked
Fur shore But don'tyou be afcared
fur me. l give you my word that |
won't drink mthin stronger'n lemon
ade.'
"rhat was n lively town mectln', with
whisky fiowin' like water, aud. though
| held out agin it fur an hour or so, |
had to take drink ut last. Ihon fol
Tered second ana Il third. and by
night was roarin' drunk and nghtln'
everybody. They started 10 take me
home in cart, but when mile from
my cabin I got out and wouldn't go
any further and was left there. 1t
was n bright and beautiful moonlight
night. could jest remember that.
How got home after. leavin' the car,
l never could recall. | didn't know
when reached here ana fell down in
front OF the house. The fust thing
knowed was that somebody was pulllu'
me around in mighty rough way. ]
opened my eyes and sot up. and thar
was the old woman OH the doahstep
and between me and her was two
bars. They would look mt her and then
Mt me, and it was their haulin' me
around that had reused me up.
WASN'T sober yit. you understand. but
could reason things out after Il fashion
"'Why don't you git the gun and
shoot the bars? / called 10 the old wo
man, but she never 'pcarcd to notice
me. The bars did, however. They
turned from her TO me and begun q
sort o. hossplay. One of them fetched
me a sort of cuff on the ear that
stretched me out and made my head
ring fur week arter nnd then they
begun playin' ball with my body.
knowed them fur bars. and | Enowoa
that it would be all play until tried
to git away from thoin or fit back.
"Well. sub, I can't begin to tell you
what them thar bars put me through
that night. They rolled me over and
over; they dragged me about feet frs,
ana head first they pulled me down tc
tile plgpen and then pulled me back
they used their teeth and claws oaly
in play, but they left marks bchiAd
that didn't 90 away fur two months
Every time they rested called Out e
the old woman. but she wouldn't an
swer. Sometimes she looked ut mn L.
pltyln' way, and sometimes she wa
liughin' at the way ! was tossed
about. The rifle was on Its hooks In
tho honse and loaded. and in thai
moonlight she could have shot one OF
the varmInts through the heart, bu
she wouldn't move to do It
II reckon then bars sported Will
sH ia