The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1913-09-04

.
when are we goin' ter drawn
! said one.
"Air we ever goin' ter draw?" asked
another, with sorrow and doubt.
what are: we here for if we CANT
drawn" pleaded another, looking sadly
at Ezra.
Gentlemen" answered Ezra, lit will
be all right in little while. The
treasurer is just cranky. We can draw
our mileage Monday, anyhow"
| At daylight they took their places on
the banks steps. and at 10 O'Clock
when the bank opened the doors were
besieged by a mob of members pain
fully anxious to draw before it might
be too late. -
Next morning there was disturb
ance at the breakfast table. The
J morning paper had in blazing head
lines an account of one James Mileage
who was member Of the legislature
from an adjoining county thirty-seven
miles distant. He had sworn to a
mileage record of $1O7.
That's an unfortunate mistake, sill"
said Perkins.
t '"Ten, ter yer own business" an
swered James Mileage.
II call it er purity sharp trick, I"
broadly grinned his partner.
| SCI call it stealin'," sneered an honor
able member, evidently envious.
! And James Mileage was his name
for all time, but Mileage shot ma
licious look at the member who had
called him a thief.
The next morning the paper of the
| opposition had another biographical
sketch on the front page.
II see your name in the paper this
morning, Mr.. Scoggins2' remarked
Mrs. Duke, looking pleasantly at the
member who had spoken so rudely to
James Mileage the day before.
| "Well. i reckon I'll make my mark
down here before it's over,' chuckled
Scoggins, with pride. What do they
say about Tile, ma'am?"
''They say you stole lot Of hogs!"
| Uttered the landlady. E.;
Mr.. Scoggins turned red. .2:..>%
"O-ho, is there another thief in this
age. ~.'
THAT'S all lie, ma'am, bout them
hogs. l didn't steal 'em. I just
pressed 'em from secessiner''
"Jes' So" said James Mileage; but
they say you were deserter at the
time. and not exactly in the service Of
your country"
tor oIaI
lies ergin Union men, explained
Scoggins, eating faster.
Eyes, that's So" said James Mileage;
''but there's another funny thing in
the paper about you
whats that?" cried Scoggins, with
new alarm.
THAT 11r. Scoggins met Sherman's
army with loud talk about lovin' the
Union, but that a mean Yankee officer
gave him cussin' fur not fightin' on
one side or the other, took all that
bacon he had stolen, hung him up by
the heels, gave him thirty lashes, and
left him hanging in the air"
Its a lie! It's a hev' beloved
Scoggins.
"Gentle1nen! Gentlemen! We must
not have such behavior at my tablew
exclaimed Mrs. Luke.
AnG Hog Scoggins was his name
from that day.
By the end Of the week another pain
full story was printed about one of this
group of statesmen. The newspaper
brutally declared that he had been
Of cfn
neighbours lanyard. 1t could not be
denied. And then q sad thing hap
Eened. The moral sentiment of the
little community could not endure the
Nrain. 1t suddenly collapsed. They
laughed at these incidents of the sad
past and agreed that they were jokes.
They began to call each other James
Mileage. Hog Scoggins and Rawhide
in the friendliest way, and dared
scornful world to make them feel
ashamed of anything.
But the Rev. Ezra Perkins was
panied by this breakdown. He felt
that. being safely removed two thou
sand miles from his own past. he
might hope for a future.
landlady. Il will have to ask you to
give me a room to myself. I'll pay
double. want quiet. where l can
read my Bible and mediate occasion
| ally
Certainly. Mr.. Perkins, If you are
| willing to pay for it..
1t was so arranged. But this as
sumption of moral superiority by Per
kins grieved Mileage, Hog and Raw
hide, and a GOODNESS sprang up be-
tween them. until they found Ezra one
night in his place of meditation dead
drunk and his room on fire. He had
gone to sleep in his chair with his
empty bottle by his side and knocked
the candle over on the bed. Then they
agreed that forever after they would
all stand together, shoulder to shout
Ior until tho hanphtv