The herald., 1915-03-11
TAR and FEATHERS
BY GEORGE MUNSON.

you have Griggs. Forty-five. or a little
less, stout, jolly, with perpetual smile
and a noisy way, and an addiction tc
noisy clothes; that is Griggs.
He passed through Evesham twice
year and stayed, of course, at the
Phoenix, where he used to SWAP
yarns with the rest of US in the eve
ming People liked Griggs pretty we'll
but he wasn't exactly the kind of man
they would have preferred for a 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
ent
Well, If Griggs was interested in a
maid, it wasn't anyones business, and
1t 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 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
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
care for anything they might do to an
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"
lnasmuch as no man had 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 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 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 a good dinner at the
Phoenix and then, feeling at peace
with himself and all the world, he |
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
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 It was
10 business of yours to interfere"
'nickered Miss Jones.
But Of course we understand now"
'aid Miss Blossom, and we came to
save a poor innocent girl from being
upon by scoundrel, not q
woman Of the world"
Griggs rose to the occasion splendid
y. He stepped out, bristling, in front
If the sisterhood.
'I'll have you know" he shouted.
that this lady is my wife, and has
,een this past six months, you-you-"
Shocked by the word he used the
isterhocd dissolved and bolted.
OF course the news came out next
lay, but Griggs must have stood up to
he squire as we'll as he stood up to the
to Judge from the fact that
,e stays there now, when he visits
gresham. which ia pretty often. In