Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-02-14
THE DEACONS.
STORY
By NJ, QUAD
Copyright, 1872. by Associated lit
erHrv I1eSs

SHy0Pf. the grocer I'D the SittaEe Oh
Hampton. had rUom back OF his
store In whi, b certain Old fellows used
to gather OF an evening and play
checkers or tell yarns, 1t was harm
less gathering. and no one ever criti
"iSed 1t. The club, us 1t was Called
aad been running two or thrre years
when Deacon SltHthers dropped In one
evening to have slass OF cider and
listen tn few yarns. He WIS no talk,
T err No one had ever known Of his
telling a story. He was always quiet
aml thoughtful. and he started To do
something that night that astonlshed
tue others.
How SIlas come purity nigh losing
his scalp pnts 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 yenrs ago me an Dave Ben.
son went up to Wildcat bin to Gather
'chestnuts. On the way up told Dave
that we must be careful. as ! Ind a
feeling that something was going to
happen. When We got To the hill we
found chestnutR thicker n GeaS con q
dog. There was no need Of climbing a
tree. but bimeby Dave said be was 60
Ing to do 1t. I ~.,
"'Dave. tia dangerous. says ].
"'WiIliau. know IT, he replies.
at was Jest shout two minutes
siatrr" said the deacon az hr k,oked
around. that -.ss~.... -,
What asked every man in chorus
! The dtacoR ifa,i Opened his tips Il,
'fIHy. when their w:s u grrHt sllnti; ing
rom the street. and all the men In tbs.
tyr0m ran out. 4 mad dog had PASSED
without biting ANY QUE. hin the meet
z ,nS ST the club had been broken up.
mi the rest Of the dpacOn's story MUST
wait. 1t did wait. For one c1Iuse or
lnut her he did not drop Into the room
lgain for three years Then he. found
only four of the Original seven that
had heard the hrSt part OF his story
The quartet were very anxious To bear
the outcome. however. aud the deacon
sat ,dUwnsnnd said: s.....
Well. There was Dave. Benson mp q
chestnut tree. and there w;is ME stand
ing OH the ground. );IyP was u good
climber. hut there was my feelings thnl
something waS going to happen. Some
VI you may have huh EN- | kept hol
tering up to Dnve;to be careful for
mercy's sake. and he: kept replying thai
he would. WHEN Xxx, r
-Yes. deacon, When %wbnt 2" - >
Let's see. / think. Dave. had been
married about seven years then. = 1t
may hare been eight. and II may have
been only six. 4 don't, want to say
eight II It wasn't but six" ..~. ~
"But let that go. Dave Is up q tree"
He was. should say nc was up
forty feet. Might hare been a, foot
more or less. Thought Of going back
there to measure. hut never did"
But get along to the accident II
don't make no difference whether Dave
fell thirty-nine or forty feet -.: -.
II told him that 1t would be wful to
fall aud break leg,
Deacon. will you tell us at once
what happened?' interrupted Henry
Clay Smith. one of the trio. :
Il was going to-" !
But get to II. then"
II didn't know there vas any hurry
about it. Seems to me you are just
aching to have Dave fall and break his,
neck"
mo. no. no! But, you see. it's three
years since you started In on this
story"
81 didn't know anybody was pressed
for time. At least haiR't. 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 be walked OF 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
he deacon in the mood to finish that
story Dave Benson had moved to
Kansas long before the 6rst part Of II
was told, and 50 he couldn't be ap
Deaied TO to finish It. l
One day a 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. lie was not
pnly conscious. hut he had been prop
ped up in bed and given stimulant
hat he might talk.
",SOy<." liz said. after he had offered