The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-06-28

fights among themselves and IN the
struggle the furniture of the barroom
and the sitting room was wrecked.
Slade received a beating almost as
bad as that inflicted upon Judge Ly-
man. This Seventh Night in a bar
room had proved an exciting "a for
the stranger.
Two years elapsed before he again
visited Cedaryille. Neglect, decay, dill.
~apidation was seen on every hand.
Fences were dow here and there,
he'd ges, once SO neatly trimmed. were
rank in some places and dying or
stunted IN others. The once beautiful
grounds of Judge Hamrnond's house
we're overruH with weeds, one pillar
of the Grecian portico had fallen
down, bricks had fallen from the
chirnneys and lay scattered whare they
had fallen. The Sickle and Sheaf was
dirtier and more dila pidated than ever.
and trim IN its new Daint now leaned
~drunkenly Owe a puddle in which a
filthy hog was walloWing.
On the porch, Uttered Up with
empty whiskey barrels, sat Simon
Slade. bioated, blear-eyed. dirty in
dress and person, a miserable wreck.
Frank Siade had grown into q stout
man, though his face presented moth
ing manly in the true sense of the
word-it was disgustin2]v sensual.
Simon Tnaundered in his talk and
complained that those temperance peo-
pie were ruling everything. h Sickle
and Sheaf. as well As its owner, was
apparently on it's last legs. Mrs. Slade.
the stranger learned, had broken
down under the terrible strain Of see
ing her boy and her husband descend
into the pit and was now in an insane
asylum. where Flora was IN attend
ance upon her.
But the barroom was we'll filled that
night as usual and, as usual. most Of
the customers were young men. The
stran2 er was witness to a pathetic
scene-an old man came and brought
away from the drinking and the
gambling which were going on a young
mana mere boy-who had evidently
begun to trave the road that Willy
once followed Slade,
half drunk. got into an alteration
with his father. who was a little more
than half drunk. Father and son
would have come to blows had the
~bystanders not separated them. This
was the strangers Eighth Night in a
lharroOm.
Simon did not appear until about 9
o'clock the next morning and looked
CHASTITY until he had swallowed about
half a pint Of brandy. when he began
to have some color and animation.
Poor Simon. No one would have
known him for the prosperous. good
LOOKING miller In the LESIl on LnS
night Of Hanmond's murder Simon
had had one eye gOuged out by his
assailantS and that face once 50 bland
and Eocd-natured, was hideous, repul-
Sive, sinister. That night the news
was brought tina Judge Hammond
had been taken to the p~oor-house. He
had lost all his money, even the old
homestead Of which he was SO proud
Joe Morgan was running the mill, a
gristmill once more. and doing well.
About 9 o'clock. when there were few
loungers in the barroom, Frank Siade
and his father renewed their quarrel.
Each accused the other OF being
drunk, Simon hit Frank in the face
and Frank. VINO had just raised a
bottle of brandy to pour out a drink,
struck his father over the head With
the heavy piece of glassware. Simon
went down as If felled by an ak. In
three minutes from the time the blow
was struck Simon Slad was dead and
within half an hour Frank Stade was
in a prison cell charged with patri-
eide. And this was the Ninth Night
in a barroom.
The tenth night a mass meeting
was held in the barroom OF all the
best people of the village. The speak
erS went over the history of the tav-
ern and the story Of its demoralizing
work in the community. Simon Slade.
it was found. had died absolutely
penniless-all he left was debts. It
was supposed that he and his son had
lost large amounts in gambling. Judge
Lyman was among the largest credi-
tors Of SHADES estate. It was resolved
at the mass meeting that all liquor
in the Sickle and Sheaf should be de-
stroyed and a collection taken up to
defray the cost Of it, so hat SHADES
creditors should not lose. The sign
post was solemnly chopped down. The
Tenth Night in a barroom was over
and the next morning the stranger
lett C~edarTille, to see it never again.
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