The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-09-24
Deacon Carter S
Goat
By M. QUAD
By M. QUAD
Copyright. 1912. by Associated Lit
erary Press.

NduShtGl hito BIG pcuuCothCu
goat. 1t was brought home and made
TO understand that its future lines
were to be cast in pleasant places. 1t
was given the run Of the yard, and for
three daysSits attitude elected sympa-
thy and commentator. 1t really shed
tears over the mistress and the home
1t had lost, Hnd then it braced up and
became playful.
The deacon had tomato patch. and
he went out one morning to pick two
or three tomatoes to go with his break
fast. AS he gathered them there was
a conclusion, and it was ten minutes
later when his wife came out and
found him just coming to himself
again.
"W-what is it, Jeptha?" she gasped.
'The-the goat"'
what about him?"
his head!"
But don't see how he
But she did see. The goat came
bounding on like cyclone and bowled
her over and over until she struck the
row of sunfowers. The deacon got
hold of bean pole and kept the goat
off, and they got into the house, famed
in every joint This was the outbreak.
1T was the end of the goats serenity.
Men had to be called TO help tie him
up, and those who hadn't looked upon
him before now came to gaze. Nobody
wished the animal Ill. On the contrary,
1t was generally held that grief had
driven him to desperation. The deacon
was advised to sit up all night and
watch to see that Billy didn't commit
suicide by hanging.
Two days passed quietly, but on the
evening of the second the goat quietly
slipped his collac and set out to see the
sights of Romeo. While ranging around
he encountered six different persons on
their way to prayer meeting. He took
them in "a fast as he came to them.
Some went rolling into the ditch and
some against the fence. but all under
went the same sensation. They thought
a tree had fallen on them.
Even a good man can't escape conse-
quences If he Is the owner of butting
goat Next day six limping people
wanted to know what Deacon Carter
was going to do about it. Like the
square man that he was, he offered
them So apiece and made settlements.
IF it wasn't that | had promised
Hammer on her dying bed he said to
his wife as the last victim limped away. /
81 KNOW know. deacon" was the
reply.
Wen have to keep him."
1--WE will"
"DurR his hide"
"S-s-s-h! There he stands In the
door'
That night the goat was shut up in |
the barn. but there was a window |
through which he jumped, taking the
sash and glass with him. Mr.. Griggs, /
the grocer, had locked up and was on
his way home when some white object
flashed before his eyes and he knew
no more for half an hour. The sexton
of the Baptist church has spent two
hours sweeping and busting, and had
started for his Preside with his hands
clasped under coattails He went down
like ripe barley before the sickle.
Abraham Davis, the undertaken, was
taking little walk before going to bed.
or had stepped outside the gate to take
one. when he went down with crash
and was out of range of the wireless
for ten minutes. Then he crept into the
house on hands and knees to ask his
wife how the earthquake had affected
her.
There were half a dozen others that
were treated to various surprises and
and this time 1t cost Dea-
con Carter $50 to settle. He was a
good man, and he had the interests Of
Romeo and the United States at heart,
but his fellow townsmen didn't pro-
pose to be butted into insensiblity for
Wen have to sell him." he said to
his wife with sigh.
But think Of Hammer looking down
from heaven"
Then We'll give him away to some
good family"
And Hammers ghost will haunt us"
The goat was chained up, and for
two days he was a quiet, reflective ami
NAL. He stood most Of the time with
half closed eyes, as If seeing his past
Ind hoping to see his future.
Then Sunday came, and the people
gathered at the church. The goat
worked some sort of hoci.s pocus on /,
that chain and was once more at lib
erty. The doors Of the churches stood
wide open, as II inviting goats to en- ,
ter with the sheep, and this goat enter ,
ID. He entered on the run, and within
three minutes he had driven out the >
Those that were little
slow were given aid. ,
Could such a thing as that be over
ooked and the offender forgiven? You I
know II could not With pickets pulled ,
rom the fence, with clubs and rocks ,
md umbrellas, they swarmed for the
goat, and though he fought back they :
we're too many for him. They finally
,emmed him in on the bridge, closing
n to take his life, when he went over
he rail into the creek and was
{
II s'pose Hammer is an angel" OBJ
erved the deacon's wife as they sat
ogether that evening. /
"yas 7 s'nosa 90 c