The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1913-07-22

u RsS~ AosOA III lndI respect, but
I ne appears to take peculiar delight
IN entertaining me with his pestifer-
GUS recollections of the good old
times which, as Washington Irving
says, appears to have abounded in
good-for-nothing characters. l deter
mined to give him a long, dreary. in
consequent shadowgraph of the past
that, | thought. would prove an eff
cient antidote to his mania for an
cient biographical fatuities.
! The opportunity came one night
when caught him sitting alone at a
table in Hennessys place. sat down
beside him and asked him to take
something.
beg your pardon, colonel, but
there's something l want to ask you
before | forget, This afternoon Jesse
Randall and l were having a talk
and neither of us could recall the
name OF certain man whom we used
10 know very we'll. 1t wasn't Mere
dith, nor Merryweather; but some
such name as that-it began with a
Merry" anyway
Yes, said the colonel, closing one
eye and scratching his head: there
was man OF some such name as that
lived around here, years ago. How
long has he been dead, JohnT
Well, l turned that question off
OF course, there never was any such
man at ALL
ON, don't know, exactly 1 said;
.Dut you must remember him, all right.
he lived on Delaware avenue. on the
side opposite to your house-a little
farther up, nearer the park. He was
tall, flne-looking man, with a heavy.
iron-gray mustache.'
Yes, SIR said the colonel. that's
the man, all right. 1 knew him as
well as / know you, John. Strange
that can't speak his name-and I've
got it on the tip of my tongue
or course, there's no question of
your knowing him, colonel said. He
had two very handsome daughters.
They were very lady-like girls, and
highly accomplished. The father was
a hospitable man; used to entertain
a great deal-kept open house, in
fact
You never spoke a truer word
than that in your life, John! the colo
mel exclaimed, enthusiastically. And
he knew how to do It, He didn't do
It by halves
And, if you remember. colonel I
went on, jogging the old gentleman's
memory Of this purely hypothetical
parsonage, he was elected to the city
council one year, but only sat there
about three months. He was unseat-
ed on petition. 1t was proved that
votes had been bought for hinl-if not
by him; and he came near getting in
to trouble
But this old fellow that we're
speaking of-Merry something a
glass eye, you know
All! That was it. l knew there
was something peculiar about him;
but | couldn't just locate the trouble.
That's what 1t was, John-a glass eye.
But there wasn't one person in hun
dred that knew it; it was as natural
looking as the genuine article. But
what was the mans name? Merry
-Merry-something with a Merry in
front of it. I know; but 1 can't get
the rest of 1t out
We'll, you'll think of it by and by.
colonel l said; but you'll have to ex-
cuse me now. I must go-got an ap-
pointment. Good night
Good night, John, says the colo
mel. I'll tell you the old cocks name
next time l see you
Il didn't see the colonel again until
last night, when l happened to drop
into Hennessy's place again. I'd for
gotten all about the old Merry fell
low; but the colonel hadn't
The other night, john he said.
you were asking me about a man nam
ed Meredith, or Merrivale, or Merry
weather. or Merry Andrew-got elect
ed to the city council, but was I'M
seated for bribery
eyes. yes said What of him,
eolonel?'
Well. you were all right I'D to |
that point JOHN said the colonel,
slowly; but you said he had glass
eye.'
Eyes.
That's where you were a bit of, /
john the colonel replied, taking a /
sip of his liquor
How?' l asked.
Why, the id old fool-he had
two glass eyes!' the colonel yelled,
banging his fist down on the table.
We'll, l did the only thing man
could do under the circumstances.
set EN- up.
But the colonel wasn't cured of his
old trick, nor satisfied with his re-
venge.
He started out on another Of his
long-winded stories. He said this
man with the two glass eyes remind
ed him Of another old citizen, whose
name was Sorfeet or Sorefeet-some-
thing of that kind"
Copyright, by Daily Story Pub. Coz