The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1915-03-13
TAR AID FEATHERS
BY GEORGE mUNsoN.

Il NAAoo1
picture of the type that this descrip-
ton calls up in your own mind and
you nave Griggs. Forty-hve, or a little
less, stout, jolly, with a perpetual smile
and a noisy way, and an addiction to
noisy clothes; that is Griggs.
He passed through Evesham twice
a year and stayed, of course, at the
Phoenix, where he used to swap
yarns with the rest of US III the eve
ming People liked Griggs pretty well,
but he wasn't exactly the kind of man
they would have preferred for a neigh
Dor.
He had a wife somewhere along his
route, but none of US had ever seen
her. We learned of the fact only from
a word that he casually let drop one
day.
Miss Amy Bellairs was the beauty
of Evesham. Her father, Squire Bel
lairs, was one of the few men who,
belonging to the old type, had adjusted
himself to the conditions of the pres
ent.
Well, II Griggs was interested in a
ludtu, IL WASH I duyOIG . UAoAnCoOg anu
it wasn't up to US to interfere.
You can imagine the upshot. II there
is one thing that enlivens Evesham
more than another it is a married man
paying attentions to an unmarried
woman-or a married one, for that
matter, unless she happens to be MS
wife. OF late Griggs seemed to have
been making Evesham his headqaur-
tiers more thar his business warranted.
The sisterhood didn't speak to Martha
they ostracized her. They didn't
speak to the squire, for he was not a
sympathetic man. They attacked
where they thought the best chances
of success lay-at Miss Amy.
A deputation visited the squire's
daughter and laid the facts before her.
Ladies'" said Miss Amy quietly, in
my opinion you have come on a spite
full errand. 1t is no business of mine to
inquire into the character of my
maids callers and | won't do it,"
So the sisterhood retired baffied.
They didn't dare to be insolent to
Miss Amy and they knew she wouldn't
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noy her. So they held a consultation
in Miss Jones house.
What | says is" said little Miss
Blossom, the confectioner, we've got
to strike at the man. It's men who
bring harm to us poor women"
Inasmuch as no man mad ever
brought any harm to Miss Blossom,
who was wizened, dried up and sixty,
this does not seem to have been first
hand evidence, but her suggestion was
acclaimed with great enthusiasm.
"What'll we do to him?" inquired
Miss Jones.
"A thick coat of tar and a few feath-
ers-chicken feathers" answered Miss
Blossom.
The sisterhood kept very quiet after
that, but they kept their eyes on
Griggs. 1t was about four weeks later
that he stepped off the train OF Eve
sham platform, with his perpetual
smile and jolly air. He hadn't done so
before a female scout was hurrying up
town with the news.
Griggs mad a good dinner at the
Phoenix and then, feeling at peace
with himself and all the world, be
started uptown toward the squire's
kitchen-the squire was away at the
time-and they saw their opportunity,
too.
1t must have been an hour later that
Miss Jones and Miss Blossom crept up
to the kitchen door to reconnoiter. Be-
hind them came a cohort of nearly a
dozen Infatuated ladies, two of whom
carried the tar-pot. while the rest car
ried mostly feather pillows, ripped up
at one end.
Ladies" said Miss Blossom. 1T isn't
usual to tar and feather over the coat,
is it?"
This idea had not occurred to any
body. but Miss Blossom was equal to
the occasion.
"Over his head" she said, and with
that the Infatuated band burst open
the door to find Griggs with his arms
about-whom do o suppose? Martha
Bayliss? No. sir, the squire's daugh-
ter, Miss Amy Bellairs herself.
Well, you can imagine the silence OF
| pttIlitQ SLOulouh1Cnt ~NODO0y ACAlCAh-
bered the tar-pot. Nobody would have
dared to tar Griggs in Miss Amy's
presence. But they didn't forget their
tongues.
$50 now we understand" said Miss
Blossom, what the attraction here
was"
las also why you didn't think it was
no business of yours to interfere"
snickered Miss Jones.
but of course we understand now"
said Miss Blossom. and we came to
save a poor innocent girl Q being
imposed upon by a scoundrel not a
designing woman OF the world.
Griggs rose TO the occasion splendid
ly. He stepped out bristling. in front
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