The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-01-26
FORCED TO OWN UP
MR.. PEAsLEE TELLS or DOWN
FALL or STUBBORN aAN.
OF Course Jonas Might Have Thought
the Window Was open. but II 10
Certain That the Shoe Came
Through H.

"That Jonas Ebbitt," observed Caleb
Peaslee as he leaned upon his hoe and
addressed Obed Quincy, "Is the stub
bornest man In DilmOuth. / wouldn't
be s'prlsed II he was the stubbOrnest
one In Maine"
Mr.. Quincy nodded his head in con-
firmatlon. "Ebbltt Is sot," he conceded
mildly, "but what fetched him into
/ your mind right at this minute?"
"Oh, 5est got to thinkIn'," Mr. Peas
lee replied Last night Jone had
chance 10 show how sot' he could be.
and | happened TO be there when he
done H."
"Jest what shape did his sotness
take7" Mr.. Quincy wanted TO know;
and Caleb chuckled.
He'd come down TO the post office
by way Of the beach road" he began,
"and he'd got gravel into both Of his
shoes. Stead OF taSin' Off one shoe
and dumpln' the gravel out Of that and
then putin II back on again, he took
'em both Off. + d'knOw why. | pre-
sumo likely he done II 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 II to the other foot II
Lem Plper'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
trap.
"T guess I know full's much bout
my shoes and feet as you do, Lem
Piper he snapped out, and less It
makes some gret difference to you, I'm
goln' to put these shoes on to suit my
selfr So Lem, knowing that talkin'
wouldn't change him, jest watched him,
and so did the rest of us.
"Well, by workin' and twistln' 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 l don't blieve a days work
would have tired him more. His fore
head was all of a sweat, and they must
have hurt him ike time, but he never
showed a sign Of changing 'em.
"He sot there spell, to make it APP
pear that he hadn't been doin' anything
out Of the common, and then he said
he'd got TO be gtttin long home.
"My way laid along with his, so
started with him. l wanted to get
home Of course and besides that l
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.
Il mistrust that II 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 l guess he'd ruther lose a.
foot than do that.
'If half a 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. It 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 a stone |
that'd roll, or on an oneven place
in the road, and it'd fairly fetch a
groan out of him; but he tried to turn
it off that he was kind of singin' or
hummin' onder his breath.
I'VE fnly fetched up at his place,
and Jone didn't waste any time in
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 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..
iunney, wonderingly, and Caleb nod.
led.
81 hadn't taken more'n a dozen
steps" he explained, when 1 heard
he sound Of glass breakin and some
hing struck within ten feet of me in
he road. took pains to go and pick
t up, and it was a shoe-'bout such a
hoe as I'd seen Jonas put on to wear
lome.
"And from the way it come out
through the winder there so spiteful,"
ir. Peaslee concluded dryly, 81 thought
hat Jonas had sort of give in for once
hat he was wrong. Com.
aniOn.