Cut Bank pioneer press. [volume] (Cut Bank, Mont.) 1909-current, 1915-01-15
WHEN CALMNESS GOES
TALES OF EXCITEMENT THAT 40
COMPANY A FIRE.
Old Mar P~easIee's Story Probably the
Best Of Good Ones Related After
the conflagratIon 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 a large
part of the community had gathered
about the ruins. The men were busily
recounting their own exploits. and Wig.
orously criticizing the behavior OF
others who had gone home. Jed Clip.
o was speaking.
"Tt REILLY takes q fire to bring out
the last mite Of foolishness there lie
In q man." he asserted. with convic'
tion. "F'r instance, did any Of you
folks notice one of them Bentley
twins, to see what he was dom?
Didn't, hey? Well, I did, and he was
over at that dry we'll, south Of the
barn, with a pail and a rope. tryin'
to get water out Of it-and there amt
been a drop of water in that we'll for
more'n ten year,"
"Sho. now, Jeddiei" 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 well went dry
when Bentley blasted out for that
deep we'll of his-cut into the vein
and sucked Nudd's we'll dry as an ash
heap. No. sir! It's Jest as I tell you
"a fire brings out all the foolishness
there is in a Teller. and he'll do things
there amt a mite of sense in. You
notice, and see if l 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 c1psheaf 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 t~here-right where il
would ketch. Course it would have
burnt in the barn. but it wouldn't have
burnt any quicker than it did where
1t was. They might jest as we'll 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
I've noticed. jest as Jeddie says, tina
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 mine
of old Aunt Dilly Peterby, the tim
her husband had that fit. Folks dow
o. the river road heard her screechin'
and came up to see what the matte
was, and they found Aunt billy bend
in over him, ticklin' him underneath
the chin with a straw. Doctor Whit
was there, and he asked her what he
idea was, and Aunt Dilly told hir
that she REILLY want sure what sh
was doin' 1t for.
But says she, real decided TO
her, I wanted to do somethin', and
knew that II that didn't do any good
1t couldn't do a great deal of hurt
Youths Companion.