Evening journal., 1912-05-29
THE DEACON'S
STORY
By M QUAD
Copyright, 1912. by Associated Lit
erary Press.

E Hampton, had a room back Of his
& store in which certain old fellows used
\ to gather Of an evening and play
3 checkers or tell yarns. 1t was harm
less gathering. and no one ever criti-
3 cised it. The club, as It was called,
& had been running two or three years
i when Deacon Strathers dropped In one
4 evening to have a glass of cider and
Il listen to few yarns. He was no talk
er. No one had ever known Of his /
& telling a story. He was always quiet
and thoughtful, and he started to do
something that night that astonished
81 the others.
How Silas come purity nigh losing |
n his scalp puts me in mind Of some !
n thing" observed the deacon to the |
81 great surprise Of all in the room.
81 He waited a minute for all to settle |
q back in their chairs and then went on:
Twenty years ago me an Dave Ben
Son went up to Wildcat hill to gather |
chestnuts. On the way up told Dave |
that we must be careful, as l had /
feeling that something was going to
E happen. When we got TO the hill we
81 found chestnuts thicker n fleas on |
Il dog. There was no need Of climbing a
81 tree, but bimeby Dave said be was go
f Ing to do it.
"'Dave, it's dangerous says 1.
|. p" William. / know it, he replies
ut was jest about two minutes
& later" said the deacon as he looked
81 around. that
"WhatT asked every man in chorus.
The deacon had opened his lips 20
reply when there WIS a great shouting
&. from the street. and all the men in the
room ran out. A mad dog had passed
q without biting any one. but the meet
4 ing of the club had been broken up,
and the rest Of the deacon's story must
wait. 1t did wait. For one cause or
another he did not drop into the room
again for three years. Then he found
only four Of the original seven that
had heard the first part Of his story.
The quartet were very anxious to hear
: the outcome. however, and the deacon
sat down and said:
z "Well. there was Dave Benson up a
chestnut tree. and there was me stand
n ing on the ground. Dave was a good
climber. but there was my feelings that
something was going to happen. Some
OF you may have had 'em. l kept hol-
lering up TO Dave to be careful for
& mercys sake. and he kept replying that
he would. when
"Yes. deacon. When what?"
Lets see. l think Dave had been
married about seven years then. II
may have been eight. and it may have
8 been only six. | don't want to say
eight If It wasn't but six"
"But let that so. Dave is up tree"
"He was. / should say he was up
forty feet Might have been foot
more or less. thought Of going back
there to measure, but ! never did
But get along to the accident II
don't make no difference whether Dave
fell thirty-nine or forty feet"
Il told him that il would be awful to
fall and break leg"
Deacon. will you tell US at once
what happened:" interrupted Henry
Clay Smith, one Of the trio.
Il was going to-
But get to It, then"
81 didn't know there was any hurry
about it, Seems to me you are just
aching to have Dave fall and break his
neck"
"No. no. no. But, you see. it's three
S years since you started in on this
story"
81 didn't know anybody was pressed
for time. At least | hain't. and I'll
S save the rest for some other day"
APOLOGIES were made and arguments
used. but the deacon's feelings had
been hurt, and be walked off without
another word In the next three years
three of the original seven men died
and two moved away. leaving only two
to wonder when they would ever find
the deacon in the mood TO finish that
story. Dave Benson had moved ia
Kansas long before the frst part Of II
was told. and so he couldn't be ap
pealed to to finish II.
IS One day summons came to the two
survivors that Deacon Strathers lay
diving of fever and wanted to see them
before the end came Together they
drove out to the farm. He was not
only CONSCIOUS. but he had been prop
ped up in ,ed and given stimulant
that be might talk.
Boys" he said. after he had offered
them a greeting hand. 'six years ago
in Snyder's back room I started in to
tell you a story"
"Yes. deacon
Il never finished it,"
''No. and don't try to now"
"But must. feel ] owe It to you
and want to go with a clear con
science. Dave Benson and me was
after chestnuts."
"You We're"
"He climbed a tree"
$50 you said"
81 tried &c stop him, but up he went
Eyes"
"And / was hollering at him to be
careful for mercy's Jake. when some
thing happened"
"And what happenedg We have beer
wondering for years"
"why. Dave said he guessed he'c
come down"
-And he tumbled and
"Nope. slid down like a cat and
never even tore his trousers. and We
got bushel of chestnuts and come
home. That's ALL"
And that night the deacon passed
W away with a smile on his face.