Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1917-01-26
FORCED TO OWN Up
Mr.. PEASLEE TELLS OF DOWN.
FALL OF STUBBORN MAN.
Of Course Jonas Might Have Thought
the Window Was Open, but 1t Is
Certain That the Shoe Came
Through 1t.

THAT Jonas Ebbitt," observed Caleb
Peaslee as he leaned upon his hoe and
addressed Obed Quincy, sis the stub
bornest man in Dilmouth. l wouldn't
be s'prised if he was the stubbornest
one IN Maine"
Mr.. Quincy nodded his head in con-
firmation. "Ebbitt is sot," he conceded
mildly, 'but what fetched him into
your mind right at this minute?"
"Oh jest got to thinkin'," Mr.. Peas
lee replied. LAST night Jone had q
chance to show how 'sot' he could be,
and T happened to be there when he
done it,
"Jest what shape did his sotness
take?" Mr.. Quincy wanted to know
and Caleb chuckled.
He'd come down to the post office
by way of the beach road" he began,
sand he'd got gravel into both of his
shoes. Stead of takin' off one shoe
and dumpin' the gravel out of that and
then putin it back on again, he took
'em both off. L d'know why. l pre-
sumo likely he done it to be different
when he went to put 'em on again
he took up the left shoe fust and tried
to put it onto his right foot. Mebbe
he'd have shifted it to the other foot if:
Lem Piper'd KEEP his mouth shut; but
Lem amt gifted that way.
"'That's the wrong shoe you're tryin,
to put on that foot, Ebbitt,' Lem says,
and Jones mouth came together like a
| trap.
"T guess know fulls much bout
my shoes and feet as you do, Lem
Piper he snapped out, and less it
makes some gret diff to you, Tn.
goin' to put these shoes on to suit my
self! So Lem, knowing that talkin'
wouldn't change him, jest watched him,
and so did the rest of u.s.
"Well, by workin' and twistin' he
managed to get the left shoe onto his
right foot, and then he started on the
other one, and by the time he'd got
that one on don't b'lieve days work
would have tired him more. His fore
head was all of q sweat, and they must
have hurt him like time, but he never
| showed sign of changing Fem.
He sot there spell, to make it ap-
pear that he. hadn't been doin' anything
out of the common, and then he said
he'd got to be gittin' long home.
"My way laid along with his, so 1
started with him. l wanted to get
home, of course, and besides that I
cripple home with them shoes on the
wrong feet. He didn't act very tickled
to have me along, and only gruRted
when told him I'd bear him company
81 mistrust that if hadn't been with
him them shoes would have come .off
bout as soon as he got round the fust
turn; but with me there he couldn't
wrong, and 1 guess he'd ruther lose a
foot than do that.
eff half mile ever seemed long to
any man, that piece Of road between
the post Office and Ebbitt's place must
have seemed long to him. 1t must
have bout killed him to walk it, but
he tried not to make any sign of it
Once or twice he'd step on stone
that'd roll or on an oneyen place
, in the road, and it'd fairly fetch 6
groan out of him; but he tried to turr
, it off that he was kind of singin' Oh
hummin' onder his breath.
eve fn'ly fetched up at his place
and Jone didn't waste any time il
, sayin' good night to me. He jest hob
bled up that path to his door, walkin
, on the sides of his feet and groanin
, every time he sot foot on hubble. 81,
fairly fell into the door, and for wha
, took place afterwards-well, / dessa,
| Jonas thought the winder was Open"
> Winder was open'?" repeated MI
: Quincy, wonderingly, and Caleb nod
. ded.
: II hadn't taken more'n a dozel
steps," he explained, when I hear
the sound of glass breakin', and some
. thing struck within ten feet of me i
the road. 1 took pains to go and pic
it up, and it was q shoe-'bout such
= shoe as I'd seen Jonas put on to wea
home.
"And from the way it come ou
through the winder there so spiteful,
: Mr.. Peaslee concluded dryly 81. though
9 that Jonas had sort Of give in for one
that he was wrong.'''-Youth's Con
panion.