Judge — July 24, 1915 — page 6: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

SOCIETY NOTE—WRITING UP A LITTLE BRIDGE a reg'lar census of all the deer and bobcats and mink and skunks and hedgehogs in the township, along with the legal and tax- payin’ residence of every dummed one of *em—Jehosophat!"" Andy paled under his tan. Moses!"* he groaned. Mr. Wrenham winked a third time at his grinning audience and resumed his stroll. Mr. Bowles sat in thought, which seemed to have a melancholy tinge. The idlers drifted away, until only one was left. He edged over to the assessor. “*Say, what you goin’ to do?"’ he queried. Andy raised a face in which were new lines. ‘‘I gotta do my duty, ain't 1? Took an oath, didn’t I, to obey the law? And you heard Cy tellin’ what the new law is, didn’t you?’’ “*Yep—I_ heard,"’ said the idler dryly. **And so you're goin’ to obey the law, eh? Huh!" “*I swore to,"’ Andy told him drearily. “‘Umph!"" growled the idler. He walked to the end of the porch, wheeled, came back. “See here, Andy! You got to begin this menagerie round-up somewhere. Why don’t you start in with Cy Wrenham’s swamp? If Cy’s so all-fired sot on folks payia’ on their wild cats, he oughter be tickled to Start the payin’.’” Andy raised his head. ‘*By gum, that’s sense!'’ he cried explosively. For a week the tax assessor was missing from his accustomed haunts. The ingen- ious idler, who had written a letter after his talk with Andy and received a reply bearing the capital postmark, decided finally to look him up. There was a certain atmos- phere of confusion about the Bowles prem- ises—an atmosphere permeated also by that **Ho-holy pungent odor which is least esteemed of all the smells of the countryside. The visitor sniffed dubiously. Then he saw Bowles and started violzntly. The assessor was scarred and m.rred; his clothes were ripped. There were strips of court-plaster on his face; nis left hand was bandaged; he limp.d nfully, “I've been sorter gettin’ ’em together— Cy'’s wild animals,"’ he explained. ‘*Got to show 'em to him, or he'd kick on my count. So I'm storin’ ’em in my barn, temporary-like."" The other man’s eyes bulged. ‘Gosh from the way you look, you must ‘a’ been playin’ with the big cats. And from the way you smell, you must ‘a’ been corralin’ the black and white kitties."* Andy nodded weariedly, yet with a de. gree of pride. ‘*I got one bouncer—old he "un —forty-pounder. Then there's four hedgehogs and ten woodchucks, besides the bouquet chorus. And they're all out 9° Cy’s swamp. But it’s been a drefful job luggin’ ‘em in.’” The other man swore. Then he took out a letter. ‘*Andy, it's a doggone shame, the game Cy rigged on you! Look here! I've an uncle in the State senate. I wrote and asked him about that plaguey bill. He sends back word it was a plan to get taxes out o’ the fellows who're startin’ silver fox farms up north, but it never got nowhere, And it never was meant to hit critters run- nin’ loose in the woods. And Cy knowed that all the while!’’ Andy stared at hiscounselor. Very slowly two red spots began to show in his cheeks, He was a patient man, but there are limits! At last he spoke grimly. “So I hain’t got no lien, eh, on Cy's rovin’ live stock? Then there's jest one thing to do—return the lot to him." The idler caught the fire of purpose. “Say, I'll go ‘long with you and help. That is,’ he added more cautiously, ‘‘that is, if you'll lend me an old suit 0’ clothes no- body’ll have no further use for."” Cy Wrenham was at dinner when a cov- ered wagon drove into his yard and backed A WARNING Cavalry sergeant sa never to approach a horse from the rear without speaking to him. First thing you know they'll kick you in the bead, and we'll have a bunch of lame horses on our hands