The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1915-12-30
Cure For
Starnrnerlng
BY M. QUAD
Copyright. 1915. by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.

ave years OLD. Inc only thing about
him that differed from a hundred men
around him was the fact that he STAN
mered. 1t was only when he was ex-
cited, however, and a great many per-
sons had never heard him stammer.
Josiah stammered when he asked his
first wife to marry him. He had been
e0urting a girl for a year and was
pretty certain that she would say
Yes" but when the crucial moment
came-when he took her hand in his,
when he looked his love into her eyes
hts courage received a chill.
Mary" he said. will you be-be-
be-
He stopped there and could not go
ahead. He was looking for his hat to
leave the house when Mary. who was
q good girl and understood the situa-
ton, gave his hand a squeeze and re-
piled:
Yes, Josiah, | will marry you and
make you good wife. We will be mar
ried in about two weeks If you want
to-
IL Josiah was driving to town or hoe
could talk about the weather. politics,
religion or anything else without a
stammer, but let something happen to
excite him and he was off his perch
at once. This was not to be laid up
against him; it was simply inconven-
lent for him. One day when he was in
his potato field he saw q blacksnake
about five feet long. The snake was
probably more excited than the man,
but Josiah gave a shout and ran a mile
and a half to ring the fire bell. When
the crowd which came out in response
asked him where the fire was he could
only gasp out:
"There is no fire. It's the gol darn
dest, biggest. savagest whopper of a
ack-black-black"-
And 1t took ten minutes for him to
explain, and by that time the snake
had had time to get into the next
county.
When Josiah Snider was introduced
to the widow Oliver it did not take
him two minutes to make up his mind
that she should be his second wife.
One night in going home from the
Widows at rather late hour he
caught sight Of a man in her garden.
He was surprised, but he did not in
vestigate. The same thing happened
three times in a week, but yet he said
nothing about it to the widow for fear
of frightening her. He would investi-
gate for himself. 1t was very likely
some one who was stealing her vege-
tables.
Meanwhile the widow had caught on
to the fact that she was the victim of
thief. She went to blacksmith
shop and asked the smith If he had
such a thing as a bear trap. He re
piled that he had. The teeth were cut
out, and the good natured smith not
only carried the trap home for her
but set 1t on the spot she designated.
The night passed away without ar
alarm. The widow was an early riser
and she was up this morning betimes
As she had heard nothing. great was
her surprise when she looked out into
her garden to find a man in the trap
He was sitting down, but he did no
look very comfortable. He had a ia
miliar look to her as she stood in tht
door, and on going closer she wai
forced to gasp out:
"Why, Mr.. Snider, this can't be your
Eyes. 1t is me-" he replied. with {
sickly grin on his face.
Slut set this trap for thiefr'
Yes. widow. l was going to tell yol
that had seen man in your garden.
"But why-why-why"-
'You mean why did your trap catcl
me instead of him? It's because h
didn't show up and did. l was wait
ing for him.
"How long have you been hereT
"About five hours, guess"
"I'll run for the blacksmith and hav
him let you loose in jiffy. oh, MI
Enider. why ON earth didn't you no
ier?"
Josiah stopped her going. He ha
been caught in trap, and he realize
that the gossip about it would neve
end. With the help of bean pole an
the widow he managed to pry open til
Jaws of the trap far enough to get hi
leg out. Then while leaning his weigh
on the woman he was helped into th
house. His leg was badly swollen an
needed attention at once. His trouseI
leg was cut off and the limb battle
and rubbed and nursed for two Ion
hours before he thought he could max
his way home across the fields. 1t WE
while the severed trousers leg was b.
ing basted on to hide his shank viii
going home that he found himself sa.
ing to the widow:
81 know you didn't set out to ira
me, but l am caught Just the sam
VIII you be my wife?"
why Josiah, you never stammered
softly exclaimed the widow.
$50 you expected me tor" he asked
81 don't know whether did or nc
but had heard
"Never mind what you had heard
ne interrupted. ~ have asked you
question"