| Show HI GAVE TIp HW LAST But notUntil He IiaAI Grievously Suffered JTWAS DOWN IN TENNESSEE How theOpposition of an Obdurate Parent tothe Marriage of His Daughter was Overcome For TnE SUNDAY HEKALD Copyrighted Colonel Ilithers was fat but very game I dont inow why flesh should be taken into consideration when we speak of physical courage unless it is because we always regard 4 gard a game man as a sort of hero and are quite unable in our fancy to clothe a heroin hero-in a superabundance of flesh Rithers may not have bee an ideal hero but he was game It is said that ho once slapped Ben Thompsons jaws while that great hero of the shooters was trying to break up a show In Texas and a man in whoso word I have absolute truth told me that tho colonel colo-nel once pulled a Bowies ears Yet the I old fellow was fat and still worse was so short that he waddled along like a duck He had but one pride a lovely daughter He looked upon her with the deep love of a devoted father and with tho admiring e of an artist Indeedhe was something of an artist having once painted a picture of a Tennessee river sunset but unfortunately had to shoot a man who innocently asked if it did not represent a brush pile on fire Whenever Lucio Rithers went into society soci-ety the old man went with her He had compelled her to promise that she would never be married and he had faith in her avowal still he did not like to see her thrown in the way of temptation Once a handsome commercial traveler took brazen occasion to smile at her but he left the community the next day carryingwith him a note which read something like this I l should like to meet you early tomorrow 4rI I THE COLONEL STOOD UNDER A TREn morning with a view to shooting an ordinary or-dinary size hole through your head I should have obliged myself by doing so today to-day but this being Sunday and our law imposing a fine for firing a gun on the Sabbath Sab-bath refrained Do not let any business engagement prevent our meeting for J I assure you that I shall detain you but a few moments II One bright morning while a chipmunk was sitting on a stump rythmically nodding nod-ding his head to the song of a cat bird the colonel stood under a tree communing with nature and wondering how he was going to get the steers out of the com field He had just decided to waddle into the field and 4 curse them out when a young man rode up to the fence dismounted gracefully and approached ap-proached Is this Colonel Rithers the young man askedYes Yes sab What can I do for you The young fellow without replying took out two pistols and as he politely extended ex-tended their handles toward ths colonel saidTake Take your choice What for the colonel asked I havent the time nor the inclination to explain Take one and step off about thirty stepsYoung man said the colonel I am not acquainted with you but I must say that I like your methods and therefore am compelled com-pelled to accommodate you The colonel measured off thirty steps and at a signal mutually agreed upon both men fired The colonel caught a projectile in the fleshy part of his right shoulder Good morning said the young man Good morning sah rejoined tho colonel col-onel as he leaned against a tree Tho young man gracefully mounted his horse and rode away and the colonel went home and lay down Several months passed The cat bird was gone and tho chipmunk was hidden away under the snow The colonel stood in tho country road watching the wild geese fly over A young man came riding along at an easy canter and seeing the colonel dismounted tied his horse and ap prachcd Good morning said tho young man How are you sah tho colonel re spqndcd Rather a bright but chilly day Yes but I dont think this snow will last long No 1 think not The wind is shifting round to the south By the way colonel are you busy this morning No not particularly I havent Ted the pigs yet but I can let them go for a while Is there anything I can do for you Yes I think so the young man answered an-swered drawing two pistols and telling tho colonel tp take his choice Look here young fellow as I told you some time ago I do not know you Of course I am thankful for the attentions which you are showing me but it has generally gen-erally been my rule not to accept courtesies from a stranger Thats all right step off thirty yards Ill have to go you although I havent fed the pigs yet The distance was measured and again they fired at each other This time the colonel was slightly wounded in the lea Tho young man bade him a polite good morning and rode away When the colonel went to tho house his daughter seeing that something was the matter with him said Pap I do wish you would take better care of yourself It 1 I I HE PRODUCEI TWO PISTOLS BUT I DOS1 KNOW YOU seems to me the that older you grow the more careless you become What has hurt you this UnaJ 1 i UOh nothing only that infernal spotted sow snapped me when I climbed over into the pen Well but you should not expose your self so If you should die what would booms bo-oms of mel I Oh youd marry I suppose But you have told me that I shall never marry You shant so lone as I live Months passed The plow hands wore in the field and tho scent of burning grass pervaded the murky atmosphere The catbird cat-bird had come back to look for her song and the chipmunk timidly peeped from his hole The colonel stood under a budding alder bush a young man climbed over the fence enceWhy good morning colonel There has been a slight change in the weather since we last met Yes as I predicted tho snow is all gone Are you busy this morning Not excessively The young man produced two pistols Look hero said the fat man I told you sometime ago tnatfwe were not acquainted and now I positively refuse to associate with you until we have been introduced Ah the young man said I hope you vili pardon my seeming lack of good breeding breed-ing I am John Piller Well llr Piller I suppose I must accommodate ac-commodate you I This time the young man was slightly wounded but he bowed gracefully and smiled as he rode away The season had undergone another change The gray squirrel ran along the top rail of the fence with a brown nut in his mouth the cat bird was teaching her young ones to fly and the chipmunk slyly FEc SEE ALWAYS WENT INTO SOCIETY WITH HIM stole through the dying grass The colonel walked in the orchard where the red apples gleamed in tho Indian summer haze Suddenly Sud-denly he discovered that John Piller was standing near him Abeautiful and dreamy day colonel Yes nature seems to be humming a sleepy tune And you are surely not busy at such a timeNo No I cant say that I am And you cannot say that you are not acquainted with me Oh no for the last time we met you were polit enough to introduce yourself Your memory is good Hero are our friends the pistols Look here young fellow I am getting tired of your little flirtations I never had a man pester me so in my life You are positively annoying sah What the deuce do you mean anyway I mean that I want to marry your daughter Lucie Well Igad sah go and marry her and for tho Lords sake let me alone I wish I may die dead if I ever had a man to worry me so Go on and tell her that I say she must marry you I gad sah There was a happy wedding the next day and when the few invited guests sat down to dinner tile colonel said Lucie did he threaten to shoot you unless un-less you married him 2 unh nn J ahn oTOPPtlv answered Wo have been engaged d fora long time and have been only waiting for your consent Well blast my extensive hide he went about it in a queer way Trying to kill a man is a funny way to gain his goodwill Oh I was not trying to kill you1 the bridegroom answered Tho pistols were loaded with peas The old fellow snorted and said something some-thing about blasting his extensive hide OPIE P READ |
