West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1915-10-14

time-and so obstinate had been tho
father OF the present owner-(he had
red hair precisely as his daughter
had)-that they had come TO blows
about II to the discontinue OF Old
Baumgartner: and. afterward. they did
not speak. Yet. when the loafers at
the store laughed. Baumgartner swore
that he would. nevertheless. have that
pasture before he died.
But, then, as II fate. too. were
sSinst him. the railroad was built
ats station was placed SO that tn,
Pressed farm lay directly between II
and him, and OF course the life" went
more and more In the direction OF the
station-left him more and more "out
OF it"-and made him poorer and poor.
er, and Pressed richer and richer. And.
when the store laughed at that, Baum.
gartner swore that he would possess
half of the farm before he died; and
as Pressed and his wife died. and Seffy
grew up, and as he noticed the fond.
ness OF the little red-headed girl for
his little tow-headed boy, he added TO
his ADMIRATION that he would DO har.
rowing that whole farm before no
died-without paying a cent for IL!
But both Seffy and Sally had grown
to a manageable age without any
thing happening. Seffy had become in.
ordinately shy. while the coquettish
Sally had accepted the attentions Of
Sam Pritz. the clerk at the store. as
an antagonist more worthy OF her,
and In n fashion which sometimes
made the father OF Sefy swear and
lose his temper-with Seffy. Though,
OF course, in the final disposition of
the matter. he was sure that no girl
so nice as Sally would marry such a
person as Sam Pritz. with no ex.
tremely visible means OF support-a
salary OF 81 week, and an odious rep.
utation for liquor. And IL was for
these things. all OF which were known
for Baumgartner had not a single
secreO that the company at the store
detected the personal equation in Old
Baumgartner's communications.
Seffy had almost arrived by this
time, and Sally was In the store! With
Sam! The situation was highly dra-
matte. But the old man consummate-
ly ignored this complication and di.
rected attention to his son. For him,
the molasses-tapper did not exist.
The fact is he was overjoyed. Seffy,
for once in his life, would be on timel
He would do the rest.
Now, boys, chust look at VA
Dogged II they amt bose like one an
other! How's the proferb? P...ds OF a
feather flock wiss one ano6ser? /
dunno. Anyhow, Sef flocks wfss Betz
constant. And they understand one
another good. Trotting like q side.
wise dog OF a hot summers day." And
he showed the company, up and down
the store porch just how a sidewise
dog would be likely to trot on a hot
summer day-and then laughed JOY
ously.
IL there had been an artist eye to
see they would have been well worth
Its while-Seffy and the mare so az
fectionately disparaged. And, after
all, am not sure that the speaker
himself had not an artists eye. For
spring pasture, or a fallow upland,
clover. I know he had perhaps you,
too, haveO And this was his best
mare and his only son.
The big bay, clad In broad banded
harness, soft with oil and glittering
with brasses, was stumbling INCIDENT
ly down the hill, resisting her own
momentum by the diagonal motion
sidewise trot. The looped trace-chalns
were jingling a merry dithyramb, her
head was nodding, her tail swaying,
and Seffy, propped by his elbow on
her broad back, one leg swung be-
tween the names, the other keeping
time on her ribs, was singing:
Il want to be an angel
And with the angels stand,
A crown upon my forehead
A harp within my hand"
His adoring father chuckled. Il
wonder what for kind Of anchel he'd
make. anyhow? And Betz-theyn
have to go together. Say. wonder II
IL is horse-anchels?"
No one knew; no one offered a sug.
geStiOn.
We'll, IT ought to be. say-he ken
perform circus wiss oil Betzi"
They expressed their polite sur
prise at this for perhaps the hun.
dredth time.
'Yas-they have kind OF circus.
ring In the barnyard. He stands on
one foot then on another, and on his
hands wiss his feet kicking. and then
he says words-like hoKey-pokey-
and Betz she kicks up behind and
throws him of in the dung and we all
laugh-happy efer after-Betz most OF
an"
After the applause he said.
! guess I'd better wake EN- up!