The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-02-15
TAR AID FEATHERS
BY GEORGE MUNsoN.

picture Of the type that this descf'r
ton calls up in your own mind anu
you have Griggs. Forty-hve, or q little
less, stout, jolly, with perpetual smile
and . noisy way. and IN addiction 70
noisy clothes; that is Griggs.
He passed through Evesham TWICE
. year and stayed. Of course, q INC
Phoenix, where he used to swap
yarns with the rest Of US In the eve
ming. People liked Grisss pretty weil'
but he wasn't exactly the kind OF man
they would have preferred for neigh
Dor.
He had . wife somewhere along his
route. but none of Us had ever seen
her. We learned of the fact only from
. 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
emit.
Well, II Griggs was interested IN
maid. 1t wasn't anyone's business. and
it wasn't up to US to interfere.
You can imagine the upshot II there
II one thing that enlivens Evesham
more than another 1t is married man
paying attentions to an unmarried
woman-or q married one. for that
matter. unless she happens to be his
wife. OF late Griggs seemed to have
been making Evesham his headqaur-
tiers more than 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 bafied.
They didn't dare to be insolent to
Miss Amy and they knew she wouldn't
care for anything they might do to an
noy her. So they held a consultation
in Miss Jones house.
"What l says ls," 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.
'Whatll 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. It was about four weeks later
that he stepped of the train on 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 had q good dinner at the
Phoenix and then, feeling at peace
with himself and all the world, he
/ started uptown toward the squires
kitchen-the squire was away at the
time-and they saw their opportunity,
too.
It must have been an hour later that
Miss Jones and Miss Blossom crept up
to the kitchen door to reconnoiter. Be.
hind them came q 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 you suppose? Martha
Bayliss? No, sir, the squire's daugh-
ter. Miss Amy Bellairs herself.
Well. you can imagine the silence Of
petrified establishment. Nobody remem.
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"
AS also why you didn't think 1t was
no business Of yours to interfere"
snickered Miss Jones.
But of course We understand new
said Miss Blossom, land We came to
save poor innocent girl from 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 from,
Of the sisterhood.
III have you know" he shouted
that this lady is my wife, and has
been this past six months. you-you-'
Shocked by the word he used the
sisterhood dissolved and bolted.
OF course the news came out mex,
day, but Griggs must have stood up te
the squire as well as he stood I'D to the
sisterhood. to Judge from the fact tina,
he stays there now. when he visit,
Evesham. which is pretty often, in
stead Of at the Phoenix.
And the moral l draw is that yo,