The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1910-06-16

When Zeb Acted
By LAWRENCE ALFRED CLAY


Brother Jimmy had overheard
! enough. so that they were obliged TO
take him into their confidence. In
fact. on the night Mary left the house
he had carried her satchel for three
miles on the way to the village
When his story had been finished
and there were many other details
both father and mother looked at Zeb
Never before had they seen paleness
through his sunburn-his eyes look so
stccly. his jaw so hard set They
didd't ask what he was going to do;
they could read It in his face The
New York Uncle Toms Cabin com.
pnny" was to foregather that night at
a village % miles away for rehearsal
previous to taking the road, The boy
! Jimmie had 1t all down pat. II he had
only been year or two older, so he
! had been told. he would have been
! taken along to play the part of George
| Harris.
/ Zeb Hastings went upstairs and
| changed to his Sunday suit When
| he came down he went TO the barn
and harnessed the old mare to the dem
ocrat wagon. He had the barnyard
| gate open TO drive out when Mrs
/ White came out and asked between
! her sobs:
"Zeb, what you Eoin' to do?"
Coin to tip over Uncle Toms
cabin"
/ He drove 20 the village where Mary
must have taken the train. put up the
/ horse at the tavern barn and then
/ went to the depot TO wait for his train.
| Men who knew him for n good fellow
/ shook hands or slapped him on the
/ back. and. after looking at him in his
/ Sunday suit asked IL he was going
| away to be married To their sur.
| prise he replied that he was. He
wasn't mentioning names but he cX.
/ peCted to bring n wife back with him.
At two o'clock IN the afternoon Zeb
| Hastings was landed at the depot in
/ Sohofeld He made a few inquiries.
| got n bite to eat and then made hia
! way to Turner's hall. a citizen named
| Turner had the enterprise to turn the
| second story Of his hardware store
| into place where outraged taxpayers
! and other bodies might meet Theat.
ricals had been given there and there
were bills on the walls and boards
/ announcing that the Uncle Tom com.
pany would take its chances at an
! early date.
A rehearsal had been called for two
o'clock and as Zeb made his way into
| the hall II was Just beginning. He
! paused for a moment to locate two of
! the actors-Mary White and the sum.
mer boarder Then he advanced and
! lifted himself upon the stage. Mary
| stared and turned pale and trombled.
! The summer boarder didn't recognize
the farmers hired man, and he ad.
| vanced and demanded why The intru.
! sion.
Il have come to act!" replied Zeb,
and he proceeded TO do so,
1t was great acting. 1t never will
be beaten. 1t brought down the man
agcr and the house-the manager
first. Zcb didn't have many speeches,
but the action was superb. He seized
that manager by the hair and shook
him silly. Then he mopped the stage
with him. Then he booted him about
The women Of the cast crowded to-
! gethcr and shricked and screamed,
They were real shrieks and screams
warranted throc.ply. The gentlemen
! I'm thp Cnst WOkp nm after bit and
pitched INTO Zcb in a body. There
was no make.belieye In that pitch, but
they were as straws in 40-mile gale
| Down went Uncle Tom. and down
went Legree. The Lawyer Marks was
tossed aside like chip and George
Harris received two black eyes in one
two measure.
II took Zeb Hastings just nine min.
utes to tip over Uncle Toms cabin
! and Uncle Tom and everybody con
nected with 1t and bring about finan.
cial wreck. When he had finished he
I beckoned to Mary White She came
over and took his arm, and they left
: the hall together II was IL o'clock
that night when they drove up to the
farmhouse. The family rushed for
ward with extended arms to cry:
"Oh, Mary how could you-.how
could"
"Cut II QUIT" interrupted zeb Mary
and me was married before we left
Schodeld, and there's been acting nun
for one day"