The Raymer enterprise., 1919-04-10
FORCED TO own UP
MR.. PEAsLEE TELLS OF DOWN.
FALL OF STUBBORN MAN.
OF Course Jonas Might Have Thought
the Windcw Was Open, but II 10
Certain That the Shoe Came
Through II.

'That Jonas Ebbitt," observed Caleb
Peaslee as he leaned upon his hoe and
addressed Obed Quincy, sis the stub
bornest man In Dilmouth. wouldn't
be s'prised II 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, l Jest got to thinkin'," Mr.. Peas
lee replied. Last night Jone had a
chance to show how 'sot he could be,
and l 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,
'and 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 1t back on again, he took
'em both off. I d'know why. | pre-
sumo likely he done 1t 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 1t 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 d
trap.
"T guess ! know full's much bout
my shoes and feet as you do, Lem
Piper, he snapped out, and less II
makes some gret difference to you, I'm
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 twistln' he
managed to get the left shoe onto his
right foot, ard then he started on the
other one, and by the time he'd got
that one on ! don't b'lieve a days work
would have tired him more. His fore
head was all OF n sweat, and they must
have hurt him like time, but he never
showed a sign of changing 'em.
He sot there spell, to make 1t ap-
pear that he hadn't been doin' anything
out Of the common, and then he said
he'd got to lie gittin' long home.
my way laid along with his, so
started with him. | 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, AMI only grunted
when ] told him I'd bear him company.
Il mistrust that II l 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 a
foot than do that.
If half mile ever seemed long to
any man, that piece of road between
the post office and Etbitt's place must
have seemed long to him. 1t must
have bout killed him to walk 1t, but
he tried not to make any sign of 1t.
Once or twice he'd step on a stone
thatd roll, or on an oneven place
In the road and It'd fairly fetch a
groan out Of him; but he tried to turn
1t of that he was kind of singIn' or
hummIn' onder his breath.
I'VE hn'ly 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. wuikin'