The Washington herald., 1910-11-20
AWFUL SURPRISE /!
That's What pIutarch Stone Got When
He ThoTt Jonathan Was Burglar
TuTfibIs Goodness SetWi1t
Father 6 Son

Plutarch Stone, our respected towns
man, had a hair-raising and we might
also add. bump-raising experients last
Thursday night, or rather Friday morn
ing, which he will not forget for some
time to come. 1t was all owing 20 a
misunderstanding and largely because
Plutarch took action first and then
asked questions afterward.
Jonathan Stone, Plutarch's son, who
just turned Fl years of age on his last
birthday, has been keeping company
with Miss Hildy Wade of Sorrow Hol-
low for the past two years as every
body knows. Miss Hildy is FIVE years
Older then Jonathan, but that fact don't
make no difference TO him, he loves her
just the same, ard it has been the gen
eral opinion that they would make a
hitch of il just give EN- time enough.
Well last Thursday night there was a
spellin bee over at Dist School No. 8 on
Pea Ridge and Jonathan he asked Hildy
for the pleasure of her company to the
same, which she accepted. As for Plu-
tarch, he has been opposed TO Jonathan
keeping company with Hildy on the
ground that the Wades Of Sorrow Hol-
low amt as good as the Stones of Bins-
vile. But this parental objeekshion
was no objeckshion. Jonathan has kept
right on keping company with Hildy
in spite of Plutarch forbidding him not
TO, but Jonathan has been somewhat
sneekin about it, we admit Time and
again he has went and had settins up
with Hildy when his parents thort he
was sound asleep in bed. Love always
found a way
On acct. of his fathers views about
the matter Jonathan thought it would be
jest as we'll not TO say anything about
taking Hildy 10 the Spellin bee last
Thursday ev'g, so long about 80 p.
m. after Plutarch and the rest of the
folks had all went off to bed Jonathan
he goes out to the stable and bitches up
his mare "Jinny" TO :ae pung and drives
of quiet without no bells on her to
Sorrow Holler, where he picks up Hildy
and together they go TO the Pea Ridge
spellin' bee and remain until the last
one was spelt down which was most
midnight. Then Jonathan he druv
Hildy home and went inside to git
warm and then snuk on home in the
pung and put jimmy away and went into
the house the back way.
About this time Mrs. Stone was
woked up and she give Plutharch a jab
in the ribs and asked him what was
that noise down stairs? Plutaroh said
he didn't know and what did she sup
pose it was' She said she calkilated it
was burglars, and if ne had one spark
of manhood in him he woul, git outen
bed and go down and overpower them
and hand 'em over 10 Seth Dewberry,
our lion hearted town constable.
Plutarch studied about it awhile. He
told his wife he didn't believe it was
burglars at all, because he thought IT
must be the cat in the pantry you
know you put out the cat before you
come TO bed, Plutarch Stone" she says.
because l seen you do it. You're j
coward and you're afeared to go down
and face them burglars. that's all
ooh, you think I'm afeared, do your"
says Plutarch. well. I'll show you'll"
and he jumped outen bed. sBut re-
member" he says, IF ! meet them bur
glars face to face and they kill me you'll
be sorry all the days of your life; do
you still want me to go?" Eyes, | do"
she says. "and if you don't soon go
they'll be gone"
So Plutarch he opened the bedroom
door and started down stairs with moth
in on but his shirt and drawers. II was
90 cold that he shivered and trembled