The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-11-06
AGood Story
But It Took Some Time
to Tell 1t

Marvin PaTSOHS. II was :" SOoN
on Pliny, you betcher Seemed IKE
every time Pliny passed Bills house
that flee O. Bills I'D run cat yappln
and snappin' at him, an he got SO
mad that he swore he'd kill it,
I've swore the same thing, SAID
Sol Baker. Did he kill it,
You wait" said Parsons, struggling
with mirth. "Pliny'd been over to the
market an bought him steak for sup
per. 1t was a right prime cut, an
Pliny said to Dick Spence when he
cut it that he didn't gredge payin'
shillin' a pound for steak like that
was. I'm a-goin' to have the old wom-
an fix er UP with inyuns an brown
gravy he says to Spence, an the way
he said it. Spence tot me, he couldn't
keep his mouth from waterin'.'
81 don't blame him. said Washing
ton Hancock. I've tasted them steaks
that Pliny's wife fixes, an l wouldn't
want nothin' better. She's got way
o. cookin' steak that beats any I've
ever knowed 1t don't need to be no
prime cut, nuther. She can take
piece right atwixt the critters horns
an make you think it wus porter
house"
That's the French in her. said the
storekeeper. Then French"
What did Pliny do to the dawg,
Marve?" asked Baker, impatiently.
Did he kill him? That's what | want
to know"
IF he'd "a killed him | reckon Bill
wouldn't be a-tellin ii around fer
joke" said the storekeeper, contemptu-
ously That's a fool question to asst.
That amt Bits style
"Bilrd be chasin behind Pliny with
double barrel shotgun right now If
Plnyd KEEP up his gait this long.
Plny ulster be some at runnin', but
Bits a stayer, an he's mighty sot up
about his shotgun, an he thinks
right smart O that dawg," said Han
cock
Anyway. this was a pertickler fine
piece o steak resumed Parsons.
There was two pounds of it. too.
m ="
II wusnt dispuin' it bein' fine
piece O. steak, Marve," said Hancock.
mildly "All | was sayin' wus that
Plnys wife cd take most any scrag-
ely, tough oil pieC' . be an fix it
up SOS it nd seem like a prime cut.
You don't need to get mffed."
What did the dog do to Pliny,
Marve?" asked Baker.
who said he done anythin'?" de-
manded the storekeeper. why don't
You give Marve chance to tell it,"
That's what say" said Hancock.
You keep your mouth shet an your
ears open, Sol an you'll soon find out
about the dawg if you're so deter
mined to know"
what dawg is that" asked Henry
Westerman from Duck Crook. as he
lounged up to the group and hoisted
his bulky form to seat on the
counter. "Ben Sibleys?"
mo, it's Bill Riley's dawg," said
Parsons. Il was tellin'-"
Il didn't know Bill had a dawg Is
he any count
lest little fee" said Baker One
o them emery little yappin' tarriers, no
ercount fer anythin'. | told Bill | was
agoin to kill him if he run out at me
again"
81 thought mebbe you was talkin'
about Ben Sibey's Tige." said Wester-
man. Jerry Bush says he seen
dawg that can whip him. It's one of
those yere sheep dawgs, an a Teller
over in Sassafras township owns him.
He's whipped everythin' over in that
section. an Jerry says Tige wouldn't
last him five minutes. | thought if
seen Sibley I'd tell him about it. It's
gotter to be pow'ful good dawg to
whip Tige"
Tell us about Pliny's dawg, Marve,"
entreated Sol Baker.
Does Bill think he en- fght?"
asked Westerman.
Why, no" said Parsons, hastily.
TT hain't fightn' dawg. was sayin'
that he'd ben pesterin' Pliny William.
right smart, an Pliny had ben
around to Dick Spences to get him a
steak for his supper He was a.goin'
to have his wife fix 1t up with inyuns
in great shape"
She's great hand to fix steaks
with injuns." explained Hancock. help.
fully. She can take a piece off the
shank or off the neck of a beef an
cook 1t SOS it I'D melt in your mouth"
She's French supplemented the
storekeeper, an them French know
how to fix vittles. There was an oil
French woman down where | was
raised Where you goin. Marve?"
Tell us about Pliny afore you go,
Marve," begged Hancock
Parsons turned and faced the group
irresolutely. Well" he said. "Pliny
wus goin' by Bills with the steak an
he seen the dawg nosin at a rosebush
two yards OFF an he hadn't got a rock
so he plugged AT him with the steak
an the steak hit tree an the paper
busted an the dawg got the steak an
run under the house with il afore
Pliny cd git around to him. an when
him an Bill did git the steak it was so
mauled il want fifteen for nawthin'
an that's all there WIS to it. dog.
gone every last one O YOU"
What's Marve mad about?" said
Hancock wonderingly. as the raconteur
strobe out of the store.