West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1915-11-11
''where was you then. sef,-

Where was you then. Sef?"
I'm the heer--Sal--Saily's cheer"
The words stuck pitifuIly In his
throat.
"Yas--" said tho old man. looking
away. I don't blame you. SET"
II was pasteboard thing-iike a
tombstonc--pinned en- my bosom"
-vatl" cried his father-the W.
would become ~ in cases OF sudden
emotion.
"Pasteboard - tombstone!" Sefry's
head dropped In shame. with things
printed on it-'Sephenijah p. Baum
gartner, Junior. Went 70 His Rest,
June 10th. 1871. In the goth year Of his
age. Gone Not. But Forgot-Read
Backwards"
His father stined laugh. II was an
old trick to him. o ~, ~v0
"What-what did you do thenr he
asked In as matter-of.fact a voice as
he could command.
"Sneaked home. II was daylight"
Gone not. but forgot-read back.
wards. hair"
He couldn't quite make 1t out. That
was new. seffy helped him.
Forgot, but not gone"
There was no restraint to his
fathers laughter now. After II had
subsidized he asked:
What did you do wiss the tomb
stone?"
Left II there"
That's bad. Sery He'll put II up
at the store an you ken nefer 20 there
no more"
Seffy's look OF horror was a re
minder to his father that II would
have been better not TO say that. But
Old Baumgartner had tremendous
aplomb.
Meier mind-nefer mind. Mebby
he won't sink OF that"-though he
knew the store clerk would be certain
10 think OF it.
Upon a sudden thought the old man
leaped up.
and where was sam7 sayl When
you woke up?"
Il don't know"
"But-he wasn't there-at Sally's7"
NO" said Sefry hopelessly.
His father clutched his shoulder and
set him on his feet.
"Well-you dam little idjiot-aha-
ha-ha-don't you see that you did set
him out-say! Why, you're a winner
Seffy! I'm proud OF youl"
Seffy started and looked little les,
inert. His father laughed hugely.
Il knowed you'd do IT. Aha-ha-ha!
Nobody ken beat a Baumgartnei
counting a gal! What's sleeping--ii
you stayed! Huh! You stayed tell
daylight! Sef-rm laughing! Why,
used to sleep when set UP wiss you
nanny efery time another Teller wai
there. ] done It a-purpose! And she'd
wake me up when the other Teller wai
gone and IL came time for me to 20
Why-say-I stayed and slept all
night-tell broad daylight and go home
wiss the cows in the morning-many
a time! Yassir! Chust like you, Sef!
Sef. you're all right. Goshens. but
you had a narrow excape, though,
Chust suppose you'd "a woke up and
forgot what you was up to-you do that
sometimes, Sef. when you're dreamy
and gone home before you remember
ed that you was out-setting him!
He'd "a had you dead, Seffy, dead and
buried In the family lot. But you got
him, Seffy, OIL boy-and Sally, too, be
goshensl Shall we get at the fence
today" Seffy did not respond. AND
his father knew better than most oil
us where suggestion should stop.
All right. We bose busy to-day
Mebby We better let It be tell to-mor
row."
or course Old Baumgartner was well
aware that his logic would not beai
the least scrutiny. And he regarded
Seffy anxiously as he raced through
1t. But dull happy Seffy saw no flaws
In 1t. He agreed with his father tina,
he had out-sat Sam. And. IL It had not
been too plainly accidental. he woulc
have adopted the fancy that he had
had a heroic purpose in it-so con
vincing was his fathers logic to his
little mind.
The old man ratified on. Seffy must
not think much.
And snoring! Hah! Messing
Messing at all! / could gife you les
sons in snoring. And you nanny
use to say that she liked It. 1t wasn't
so lonely and she knowed I was or
deck and alife. SnoringI Aha-ha-ha!
What's that-if you are sure Of the
gall"
Seffy ahemmed several times and
looked less like a condemned male
factor-though still far from suborned
That dam molasses-tapper-he
got to be licked-and IL got to do Il
myself-though / amt much OF lick
er. The whole countyll know about
that-to-to-" he turned away tc
smile-"tombstone. / bet he's got II
hanging up in the store now! We got
TO let EN- know that you set him out
Sef! Yas-stayed tell daylight, Woke
up and stayed! Sleeping was chust 70
ketch him! You was awake all the
time! Lie a little. hah?"
His father was proud OF this last
As they drew apart he called back:
IF she don't like snoring. Sef, wear
q clothes-pin when you set up wiss
her-one Of them wlss a spring-notf
Aha-ha-ha!" And then: You all
right. Sef-yassir! you all right-you
the conquering hero comes! Go right
back-mebby to-night-you entitled 20
do IT,"
"Begoshens. will" said Sefy In
bis fathers own slogan.
sehy would have pressed his suit
even without this. thlnk-because OF
those moments I'm the dark partor