The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-01-13

the crime OF plagiarism. nor guessed
that his choicest morsels OF adNen-
lture involved a felony Mrs, shrimp
lin felt il necessary TO protest,
NO telling with what nonsense you
are filling that boys head =.
II hope" said Mr.. Shrimplin, mar
rowing his eyes 10 a slit, as II he eX.
pected 10 see pictured on the back oil
their lids the panorama OF Custer
| future. Il hope | am filling his head
with Just nonsense enough so he VIII
never crawfsh, no matter what kind
OF proposition he goes up against
Custer colored almost guiltily. Could
he ever hope TO attain 10 the grim
standard his father had set for him.
Il wasn't much older than him when
! | shot Murphy at Fort WORTH con
tinued Mr. Shrimplin, You've heard
me tell about him. son-old one-eye
Murphy, or Texarcana?"
He died. | suppose" said Mrs
Shrimplin, wringing out her dish-rag
Dear knows. | wonder you Amt
been hung long ago."
did he die" rejoined Mr.. Shrimp
lin ironically. We'll, they usually die
when begin TO throw lead" He
tugged fercely at the ends OF his
dropping faxen mustache and gazed
into the wide and candid eyes OF his
son
Like I should give you the particu-
lars. CUSTER" he inquired.
/ Custer nodded eagerly, and Mr.,
Shrimplin cleared his throat.
He was called oneeye Murphy be
cause he had only one eye-hed lost
the other In a rough-and-tumole fight;
il had been gouged out by feller's
thumb. Murphy got the feller's ear,
chewed II OF as they was rolling over
and over on the floor, so you might
say they snapped even"
] Il wonder you'd pick on an afflicted
person like that" observed Mrs.
Shrimplin.
afflicted. Well. he could see more
and see further with that one eye than
most men could with four"
II should think four eyes would be
confusin'," said Mrs. Shrimplin.
Mr.. Shrimplin folded his arms
across his narrow chest and permit
ted his glance 20 follow Mrs. Shrimp
Inns ample figure as she moved 70 and
fro about the loom; and when ne
spoke again a gentle melancholy had
crept into his tone.
81 dunno but man makes heap
OF sacrifices he never gets no credit
for when he marries and settles down.
The ladies amt what they used TO be.
They look on a man now pretty much
as a meaLticket. guess II feAer
chewed of another fellers ear IN
Mount Hope he'd never hear the last
OF it,"
AS neither Mrs. Shrimplin nor Gus
ter questioned this point. Mr.. Shrimp
lin reverted TO his narrative.
II started in to tell you how | put
Murphy out OF business, didn't /, son?
The facts brought out by the coroner
Jury" embarking on what be con-
ceiyed to be bit OF happy and elao-
|, crate realism. was that I'd shot MIN
, In self-defense after he'd drawed
| gun on me. He had heard ! was al
Fort Worth-not that | was looking
for trouble. which never done; but
never turned Il down when any one
was at pains to fetch II TO me; was
always willing they should leave IL
with me for TO have a merry time.
Murphy heard Id said II he'd come
10 Fort Worth I'd take him home ana
make a pet OF him. and he'd sent
man with two ears to play with: and
I'd said mine was on loose and TOT
him to come and pull EN- OF After
that there was just one thing he couid
do II he wanted to be well thought OF.
and he done II. He hit the town nell
snorting. and so mad he was nj TO De
tied" Mr. Shrimplin paused TO per-
nit this striking phrase to lay hold
OF Clusters imagination Yes, SIT
hell-snorting. and so bad he was plum
scairt OF himself He said he was
looking for gentleman who had sent
him word he had two ears TO contrib
ute to the evenings gaiety, by which
| knowed he meant me and was in
earnest. He was full OF bootleg whls-
ky"
What kind az whisky's that, pa?"
asked Custer.
That" said Mr.. Shrimplln, looking
into the round innocent face OF his
son. that's the stuff the traders used
to sell the Indians. Stroag2 Well,
YOU might say 1t was middling strong
l-iust neutrality-suspicious. three drops OF
~ would make a rabbit spit In a bull
dogs face
II was on one memorable twenty
seventh OF November that Mr. Shrimp
lin reached this height OF verbal felic-
lity, and being Thanksgiving day, 1t
was. aside from the smell OF strong
yellow soap and the fresh-starched
white shirt, very like a Sunday.
He and Custer sat before the ktch-|
en- stove and in the Intervals or his
narrative listened to the wind rise
without. and watched the sparse hakes
! OF fine snow that II brought coldly out
Of the north. where the cloud banks
Law leaden and chill on the far hori-
ron.
Mr.. shrimplin had risen early
that day, or, as he told Custer ne
had got up SOON" and long before
his son had left his warm bed In the
small room over the kitchen, was
we'll on his rounds in his high two
wheeled cart, with the rack under
The seat which held the great cans
OF gasoline from which the lamps
were filed. lie had only paused at
Maxy Schafferis Railroad Hotel TO
nartake OF what he called Ken
tuckv breakfast-a drink OF whisky
and chew OF tobacco simple
dietary protection against the evils
OF an empty stomach. TO which he
particularly drew Clusters attention.
His fathers occupation was en-
tirely satisfactory TO Custer. Being
employed by the town gave him an