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Show Sam lothrop's Rnessellll phi Sam Ixvthrop's trim wns hitched under tho shed nt the Three Rivers grocery? i 'f J H nnd Pntn was In tho slore dlckeilng Thero wns no more mistaking the team! ilj.i'TM H thnn there wns Its owner, when onie sou hnd Been either, both were original nlM ,A H tho extreme. I'pon the dns In question the equipage consisted of a, straight.! friji 'M H high bicked sleigh and Sim 1 old 1 renin colored mare. Tho back of tho BlelghK''t',' ' H wob bo straight tint It seemed to pitch forward rather than btckward, nnd Ul'fUj&Jj H was so high that even S.1111 s fur rap did not come up to the top of the back when HjV ' H he was seited ln this ancient vehicle. If any ono remarked upon the perpendlc- M '! B tilir tendencs of the back Sam would bus. In his queer drawl. Gol durn It, L VI l flj hil wouhl sou hev, nnshow I don't want folks ter think I nm n-lyln' In n CtlrVl,j I be.1 when I go it rldln' out. Some uv these now tangled sleighs Is ns pitchy back ;" W IJ9 as a bed. AIIuh makes me sick ter my stomach ter rldo In um ' k H fj H " hit's the mitter with the old mire's tall?" some ono would say. tf"f'k. jl 8 "Wh, she la Beeh .1 durn nvvlft luiveler that tho hair all como out. It tried ,'lt ff H ter keep up for n Icing time, but It vvnrn't no um-It vvum't no use, an' bo It had ' ,f J H ter como out " I ' jfjUJ JH Coming to town wn quite an event In Sam's uneventful life, nnd also an In- 'l'! ' fH foresting time for tho grocer When thut worthy bhw- tho particular customer ,' (J . eonilng ho would purse up bis mouth, murk up his gooda and prepare tn dicker, t M"? ilfl Ilowds', hovvd), Mr Merilll," Ham would say by way ot pielude, "an' now ij 1 vfl much nil granulated sugar today? ' '&) "Pourteen iKiuiids for 11 dollir the grocer would rcpls'. tl flH 'Too denr, ton pesky sctirse, for that 'ore lllolles." WM "Well, Kam," the grocer w mil I sa, seeing It Is ou, I will mako It fifteen." ( t IX "To dtiin scurse," Bum would relternte, ' but sou make It sixteen un' I'll take HI some " 1 s t BUM "All tight, seeing It Is sou." Mr Merrill would rcpl)-, nnd n dolHr'a worth ot ' ",, Wi Btignr was weighed out Sim nlwass tiptoed up and peeked over the grocer's '891 alioul ler to sec that the we Ight was genuine-, und smnetlmca ho would take out a a hH little eugnr on the end of his llnror Unther coaise Brained, ruther course 'vHH grained," lio wottll sns, sliiklni; his held iloubttulls. ItIH "Doubls extra iclltiid. und Imported ull tho way from Porterlquc," the grocer ! r, M would repls, at whldi Hum was sillslleil I Ho on dnwn tliiough Sinn's etttlro list of ptirrhnsos they would go tho grocer . J defending nnd purrs Ing, and Ham striking and thrusting I W "It n more work ter trade with Hum than nil the other customers that 1 hnvo JH got," the grocer n.ild ono clay, whin Hint worths passed out through tho door i'Dfl with his nrms full of pure liases, "und the tunny p.nt of It Is that ho elon't know ) tho price of anything In Ota More, but he must hev nhout so much ut hla con- JllH surneil dltkerlng nn I aunvv It Is itior.. work than savvln' wood. It 'ml bo Just 8 jH the an ma If I offcied to glvo him Boiiitthlu' he would ktlll wunt mo tu throw oft I ' H n little" . ', The occasion of Ham'n great llnesse was n certain town meeting das', nearlj ! 1 1' . HH a Broto of sears ago, but the Btnry Is Ktlll told upon the town hall Btepa as ont I H on Ham. nnd 11 hnppeiilng Hint Is too good to bo e tally forgotten f ' u Um Upon thin partlciilir occasion Ham hid coma rullicr t-nrly to town, nnd had . f JJ tUW been lolling about tint store for an hour or more, but his coming had, ns usual, ' .bIs jH not been unannounced, for Iho double low of old-fashioned bells thnt went clear iJj :lH ut ootid the old nunc outside nf both shafts could be heaid half n mile nway. iJ'Jl H "That's 11 inlghty loud set uv bolls that sou hev got." luild bomo ono as Sam HMJlif JV came In. I ffi'lvilE in That'a what Ihey air," replied Ram "I don't mint ennybody ter think that 3c)PM BI I am going ter 11 funeral when I ro by, so I keep them bells on nil winter. I 1 '.UJjJ 9 wouldn't know how ter ride without 'um They nlr 11 henp of ronipnny down j.'SH'S ! through the mind a where It Is lonisome, nn' kinder akcery ut night -not thnt cPS "O there till etuis thing to be tifrtild uv, but (lie Ir Jnnglin' kinder theera a feller up." ' i4'j B "Ilowds-, Mr. Merrill, got etiny West Ingy molasses?" 't fljl 9K "Plenty uv It," replied the grocer with n wink nt Hqttlro Nubbins, who was ilTO IH seated by tho Btova reading a paper that ho had Just taken from tho ofllco. 'ir MH "An' how much nlr sou 11 glttln' for It nowudnya?" fi. 'Iflj 'Sixty cents, Ham. Molasses ban rla terribly Intely," K ' InM "(lo long," replied Ham, "I don't bellevo It, but 111 gin sou SO. cf you will P(i''jffB warrant that thero hain't been nn nlggcra u wadln' round In It, I wuz rendln' 1 p, jlH tho other day how nlggeia wnded round In West Ingy molassca until It vvnrn't , ffi )UH lit for n whlto man ter cat no more'n nothln'." 1 18 !'JiHB "Beems ter me It looka klndor nlggrry," anld Hum ns ho stood watching tho J ,!-S l3H mnlnsses trickle Into the gallon incasuio that the grocer had placed under the "'i!9IHI faucet1 f- t4!fiwH "An" how much do you happen to be given' for mnplc attgnr?" asked Bam In XWf ,l(fl an abstiutled way, us though thu iihswtr iiiudu no dltteiciitu 111 Iho world to . ir'ii'.lTaiHB him. w'SliHl Ten cents, Sam," said the merchant, "ten rentB In trade nnd nine In ensh." " IE, 3 iMJ "Wni, I ruther gitesn I won't bo a horln' holes Inter my tiees and 11 lettln' out ,1'tHff 1JH their life blood for enny sech llguro na that, not this sear," And Hani stalked i,)ft$! Jul nut ot the store In feigned wrath, but presently hn returned with it largo box of iwij nj maple sugar nud set It down upon tho counter for Mr, Merrill's Inspection. RHdK IH "llrenk off a hunk nn' taste on It," ho said to the grocer cnrdlnlly. "New (wit HI aap pan, buckets nit pnlnted this senr, an' nverslhug us clian na u whlstlo, suu . jfw tflj don't get sech sugar uh Hint ev'ry das It air genuine, no atora Btignr In It" i'i Mh tfl "Tluil'n very good sugar. Htm," anld Iho groter, "I'll glvo sou 10 tents ln - n K? HJ trade fur It." 'M ftffi IH "No you won't," ho rt piled, "I'll feed It ter tho hogs fust, but you give 1110 13 Hf jjjgf fl an" It nlr yotif", box nn' ull." -- 1, r r lAw Si ''Welt, seeing It Is sou, nn' good sugar, I'll do It," said Mr. Merrill, winking; "'(J tflj at the squire ngnln. Bo tho sugar wan weighed out, tho bnlinco struck between JW piffl Ml the purchasei nnd tlio prlto ut tho augur, and Ham, bundles In hand, marched i It Ml out of tho store. f 8 1 S J WT Hut no sooner wns ho outside than n chnngn came ovor his whole person, his E ?, Wj stern set features relaxed Into n broad nrln, and ho began pounding himself upon ; hi (H the leg, nnd dancing nround In n most ridiculous in-inner After putting hla S D bundles Into tho old sleigh, ho Bnt dnwn upon .1 dry goods box In tho shed nnd i H 3 gno himself up to it paroxysm of mirth. Ilo put both nrmn across his cheat and t .' JJM Bwnsed back nud forth ln convulsions nf merriment. 1 , ' f lH Ho was still swaying when tho squire etiine nut to get his own team, nnd I '!'' JflH happened around Just In time lo hear the squire aay: "What In tho world la the ! '. ' fiaB mitter with sou, Ham? Have j nil got n 111?" I 13H "Ottess I hev n Binnll un," nnd Hum wan off ngnln. u j ISf "You come over here," he said, na noon na Jte could spenk In hla ordinary f, . jmH tone, "an' I'll glvo you n tip nhout It, but 1 don't want niithlii' snld nhout It nt " ' ' flvH pieiont, for It nlr loo hnrd on hlm ter gin It nway, nfter soikln' It to hlm bo, but i (' itgiB It won't do no harm ter Jest ln sou 11 tip." il.tpj iWi The Bqulrn waa curious and bo ho approached Snm, who whispered n few s p j JHp words ot explanation to that olllclul, pausing ntiiiHlonally to punttuute hla story U ' ''JHl with n slap upon the squire's buck, Ij. ' : lllu I watched tho squire's face At llrst ho looked doubtful, then amused, nnd F ' 'AjXt flnnlly he, ton, sat down upon the box and shook with laughter. ,'S91 1 Pretty good, Hani! pretty good," ho said nt list, ' hut I wouldn't say much j i cJB about It to tho boss. It would be too hard on hlm, It'a bad enough as It la." Ji 'fljlH tOh, III be easy on hlm. you needn't worry nbout that," said Ham, as ho 'jlfM backed nut the old mnio nud stnrted for home, "but I um afcored I cun't keep ijj lr'anj from tellln' once In a while, (lee-lung." ' ijnjn ln nnnwer to thin Inst Injtinttlon, which wns nddressed to the marc, nnd not !' rnSJ to us, that faithful nnlmal Bhnmbled off, and tho fantastic cqulpago and Its more '1 . tfl3H peculiar driver were out of sight. i Hfl "What In tho world haa got Into Ham?" I asked, when ho had gotten fairly if J HHH out of hearing. f 'J WEL "Ho sayn that Mr. Merrill has been cheating him on groceries for more than j j if .fKJ a yeur, and hn laid nut tn get oven with hlm. lie hud Just Bold Merrill sugar r tan that he boss was adulterated, for when ho wna boiling down tho Bap ho put In ' ji ug more thnn n hogshead of water, nnd Mr. Merrill didn't oven notice It when ho. I 'E rtWlJ tasted It!" Clntenco llnwkes In Hprlnglltld Hepuhllcnn. l m lief |