The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-05-27
THE DEACON'S
STORY
By M. QUAD
Copyright, 1912, by Associated Lit
erary Press.
By M. QUAD


Snyder, the grocer in the village or
Hampton, had a room back of his
store in which certain old fellows used
to gather OF an evening and play
checkers or tell yarns. 1t was a harm
less gathering, and no one eyer critl-
cised it. The club, as 1t was called,
had been running two or threa years
when Deacon Strathers dropped in one
evening to have a glass of cider ano
listen to a few yarns. He was no talk
err. 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
the others.
How Silas come purity nigh losing
his scalp puts me in mind of some
thing" observed the deacon to the
great surprise of all in the room.
He waited a minute for all to settle
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 | had a
feeling that something was going to
happen. When we got to the hill we
found chestnuts thicker N fleas on a
dog. There was no need Of climbing a
tree. but bimeby Dave said he was go
ing to do it.
"'Daye, it's dangerous says ].
7 hr
cit was jest about two minutes
later" said the deacon as he looked
around that
"What?' asked every man in chorus.
The deacon had opened his lips to
reply when there was a great shouting
from the street, and all the men In the
room ran out. A mad dog had passed
without biting any one but the meet
ing of the club had been broken up,
and the rest of the deacons 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:
"Well, there was Dave Benson up a
chestnut tree, and there was me stand
ing on the ground. Dave was good
climber, but there was my feelings that
something was going TO happen. Some
of you may have had 'em. l kept hol-
lerlng up TO Dave to be careful for
mercy's sake, and he kept replying that
he would. when
Eyes, deacon. When what"
LETS see. / think Dave had been
married about seven years then 1t
may have been eight. and it may have
been only six. don't want TO say
eight il it wasn't but six"
But let that 60. 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. 1t
don't make no difference whether Dave
fell thirty-nine or forty feet"
Il told him that it 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.
II 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
years since you started In on this
story"
IL didn't know anybody was pressed
for time. At least haint, and I'll
save the rest for some other day"
Apologies were made and arguments
used, but the deacon's feelings had
been hurt, and he 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 to
Kansas long before the first part of it
was tod, anu SO ne couiuh NC ap-
pealed to to finish 1t.
One day summons came to the two
survivors that Deacon Strathers lay
dying 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 bed and given a stimulant
that he might talk.
Boys" he said. after he had offered