Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1916-05-25
Mr.. PeasIee On showing Off.

manded Caleb Peasee curiously, have
you been doin' 10 get yourself het up that
way ? declare, never see anyone look
more uncoU fcrtable. You look bout
ready 10 meltl'
Cooper removed his broad "haying hat
and famed himself energeticallY.
"'TwaS mother and them two women
folks that's boardin' with us this summer, y
he explained with a conscious air.
"Mother lei on that nowadays meniolSS
couldn't work same'S they used 10, and
more special they couldn't pitch hay
havin' hOSS forks and all them things,
she claimed theY'd got nut OF the hang OF
it. SO Jest undertook 10 show 'em. and
guess made out, too" he concluded
with a touch OF bravsdO.
Mr.. PeaSlge regarded the young man
amuSedly. - Bout done y'rSeIi up
dom Of ii. too. didn'tye ?" he demand
ed. "lt YOU aia't careful, tust thing you
know you'll have reputation as hard as
Martin Brands TO live up 10"
led looked interested but puzzled.
"You never heard OF Martin Brand.
probably" Mr.. Peaslee went on. lie
lived over tolher side Of Waltham Ridge,
and his reputation. sech as it was, was
strictly local He always had name Ter
bein' accom- datin', but what putt cap
sheaf on il was happenin' I'm goin' TO
tell you bout.
"There was a stone quarry over back
OF the ridge" Mr. Peaslee continued,
"that hadn't been worked for years.
Why the folks that owned il hadn't fenced
il Oft, d know. But, anyway, they
hadn't done il, and there twas, open tor
anyone TO wander into and like 'nough
break their neck. Folks round there
knew bout il, but strangers passin' long
at night took their own chance.
"By common luck, nobody got hurt
for years, but iin'ly one dark night a
tramp got 10 blunderin' round there, and
in the mornin' some menfolks psSSin by
heard groanin' down in the quarry, and
when they looked over, there he was,
with leg busted and his features all
messed up. They got him out and into
house near by, and in no lime, Scufcely,
the whole town was there, telIn' what
ought 10 be done and blamln' everyone
but themselveS-you know how folks
are"
led nodded understandiugly.
wal" Mr.. Peaslee went on, Martin
Brand was there, Of course, and 'mongst
others there was passe OF womenioIks
from the city, tha'was boardln' al Deacon
Benefits, and ti,, Ayp' hangin round
Martin, wantin' TO know this, and that,
and all about il. and Martin was takin' all
the pains IN the world 10 show 'em all he
could. Finally one OF 'em says, cant
you show us just where he went over,
Mr.. Brand ? and Martin said he would,
and started off as brash as could be.
whether the grass was slippery, or
whether he got going too brisk and could
not stop in time" Mr.. Peaslee eonIec-
tured, 81 d. know, but he slipped, and
tried 10 ketch himself, and didn't do It,
and then of he went. jest where The
tramp did, plunk 10 the bottom
oval" Caleb hastened 10 go on, "iour-
five OF us got down where he was as
quick's we could, and got him straight
ened out, and found he would be all right
in a few weeks, and then says:
"'What in tunket, says !, was your
idea in goIn' so near as that TO the aldge 2
Martin tried 10 straighten out his leg, and
groaned so you could have heard him a
quarter of mile.
"'Twas them women, he says be-
tween groans. They wanted me TO kind
OF show EN- how ithappened, and hated
TO refuse EN-. And anyway says he,
4 don't want 'em TO feel had He look
ed up at me kind Of pitiul, and tired 10
grin. q don't want 'em 10 think, he
says, that I'm man that would begretch
any trouble necessary 10 teach and en-
tertain ladyp
"And now, comm TO your own case,
Jeddie-" but Jed merely blushed redder
and famed the harder.