The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1914-12-28
WHEN CALMNESS GOES
TALES OF EXCITEMENT THAT Ac-
COMPANY A FIRE.
Old Man PeasIee's Story Probably the
Best of Good Ones Related After
the ConfIagration Had Been
Subdued.

The little village of Dilmouth had
suffered from fire-Ethan Nudd's low
er barn, where he had stored his farm
ing tools, had burned fat, and large
! part Of the community had gathered
about the ruins. The men were busily
recounting their own exploits. ana Wig
orously criticizing the behavior Of
others who had gone home. Jed Clip
son was speaking.
cit REILLY takes a fire to bring out
the last mite of foolishness there is
in a man." he asserted, with convic-
ton. "F'r instance, did any Of you
| folks notice one Of them Bentley
| twins, to see what he was doin'?
Didn't, hey? Well, I did, and he was
over at that dry we'll, south of the
! to get water out Of it-and there amt
| been drop Of water in that well for
more'n ten year,"
"Sho, now, Jeddie!" soothed Mr..
| Peaslee. Don't be hash in your jedg-
ment. Mebbe the twin didn't know it
was a dry we'll"
Course he knew it," scoffed Jed
impatiently. THAT we'll went dry
when Bentley blasted out for that
deep we'll of his-cut into the vein
and sucked Nudd's well dry az an ash
heap. No, sir! It's jest as I tell you
"a fire brings out all the foolishness
there is in teller. and he'll do things
there amt a mite Of sense in. You
notice, and see if amt right"
'Bentley's twin didn't do all the
foolish and useless things that was
done there" broke in Wendall Cooper,
"for to my mind the capsheaf of fool
ishness was when that passed. of Junk
heads from the lower road broke into
the farther end of the barn and
dragged out that old hayrack full OF
bean straw. They got it just outside
the barn, and then they dropped the
pole and left it there-right where ii
would ketch. Course it would have
burnt in the barn, but it wouldn't have
burnt any quicker than it did where
it was. They might jest as well left
it in the barn!"
Here Caleb Peaslee's mild old voice
interrupted again.
under strain of excitement, same's
at a fire." he observed, moderately
1--WE noticed. jest as Jeddie says, tha
folks do things that mebbe they
wouldn't do if they was cam, but I've
noticed this besides-and it dom
seem to have struck Jeddie at all
the things they do any time like tina
amt things that bender or help much
That is to say, even if they do seen
to be useless and foolish, the chances
are they amt right down hurtful-
they're jest cases of poor Judgment"
He twirled his ash stick in his hant
a moment and then went on again a
if he had not stopped talking.
Folks like that" he ruminated, a
if to himself, always put me in min,
Of old Aunt billy Peterby, the tim
her husband had that fit. Folks dow
on the river road heard her screechin
and came up to see what the matte
was, and they found Aunt Dilly bend
in over him, ticklin' him underneat
the chin with a straw. Doctor Whit
was there, and he asked her what he
idea was, and Aunt billy told hir
that she REILLY want sure what sh
was doin' it for.
But says she, real decided 70
her, I wanted to do somethin', and
knew that If that didn't do any gooC
it couldn't do a great deal of hurt
Youths Companion.