The Parker post., 1917-06-09
FORCED TO own "
Mr.. PEASLEE TELLS OF DOWN.
FALL OF STUBBORN MAN.
OF Course Jonas Might Have Thought
the Window Was Open, but 1t 10
Certain That the Shoe Came
Through il.

"That Jonas Ebbitt," observed Caleb
Peaslee as he leaned upon his hoe and
addressed Obed Quincy, ''is 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-
flrmation. "Ebbitt is sot, he conceded
mildly, "but what fetched him into
your mind right at this minuteW
"Oh, jest got to thinkin'," Mr.. Peas
lee replied. Last night Jone had a
chance to show how 'sot' he could be,
and 1 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
land 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. T. d'know why. / 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 1t 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 I know full's much bout
Piper he snapped out, and less ii
makes some gret difference to you, Pm
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 US.
swell, 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 sweat, and they must
have hurt him like time, but he never
showed sign of changing 'em.
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
started with him. I wanted to get
home, Of course and besides that /
wanted to see how he'd make out to
cripple home with them shoes ON the
wrong feet. He didn't act very tickled
to have me along, and only grunted
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
shift 'em without givin' in that he was
wrong, and / guess he'd ruther lose
foot than do that.
IF half mile ever seemed long to
any man, that piece Of road between
the post office and Ebbitts place must
have seemed long to him. 1t must
have bout killed him to walk 1t, but
he tried not to .,lake any sign Of it,
Once or twice he'd step on a stone
that'd roll, or on an oneven place
in the road, and it'd fairly fetch q
groan out Of him; but he tried to turn
1t off that he was kind Of singin' or
hummin' onder his breath.
I'VE f1n'ly fetched up at his place
and Jone didn't waste any time III
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 a hubble. He
fairly fell into the door, and for what
took place afterwards-well, l dessay
Jonas thought the winder was open."
'Winder was open'?" repeated Mr..
Quincy, wOnderingly and Caleb nod
ded.
II hadn't taken more'n a dozen
steps," he explained, "when / heard
the sound of glass breakin, and some
thing struck within ten feet of me In
the road. l took pains to go and pick
1t up and 1t was a shoe-'bout such a
shoe as I'd seen Jonas put on to wear
home.
"And from the way it come out
through the winder there so spiteful,"
Mr.. Peaslee concluded dryly, II thought
that Jonas had sort of give in for once
that he was wrong"-Youth's Com
paniOn.
Thieves Insurance Plan.