Newspaper Page Text
Thursday, January 20, 1949
A Short-Short Story
ANOTHER CHANCE
By Maud McCurdy Welch
Zack Johnson came in the
country store, lit his pipe and
folded his gangling boy into a
cane-bottom chair. The moment
Bill Sanders, the young store
clerk saw the smug expression
on Zack’s mischievous and bat
tered- face, he knew the old
mountaineer was plotting some
new deviltry.
Bill was 35, affectionately
known as “Professor Bill” in this
small farming community in the
foothills of the Ozarks. During
the fall and winter months Bill
taught school in the little stone
school-house in the valley. In
the summers he clerked in the
store. He was a sincere young
man, with a real understanding
and compassion for the weak
ness of his fellow-men, but the
devilish tricks of Zack Johnson
and his twin brother Zeke, was
a problem no one in the com
munity had as yet been able to
solve.
Zack put his big feet up on
the counter and announced that
he had come to wait for the
meat truck, which was due from
town.
Bill went on with his job of
sacking potatoes and paid little
or no attention to Zack, but he
was busy thinking just the same.
Later when a stranger came
in, Bill’s sensitive young face
tightened. He was beginning to
have an idea now of what Zack
had been up to. It was one of
his oldest tricks.
The stranger fixed his mild
blue eyes on Zack. “I'm lookin’
for my cow,” he began, “been
wonderin’ if anybody around
here has seen her—a black and
white Jersey?”
Zack took his corn cob-pipe out
of his mouth and said with elab
orate innocence, “Nope, guess
she wandered off lookin’ for
grass.”
“She’s never done that be
fore,” the stranger argued mild
ly.
Biil kept silent, but he was still
BurSsETpfei
1. What animal has the keenest eyesight? (a) eagle, (b) owl,
<e) cat, (d) bat.
2. Os 188,500,000 tons of wood cut in the United States annually,
what percent is wasted or burned for fuel, (a) 37 percent, <b) 47 per
cent, (c) 57 percent, (d) 67 percent.— ,
3. —Benda,*, process was invented in 1880 by Benjamin Day. It is a
(a) chemical process, (b) engraving process, (c) method of making
steel, (d) method of food processing.
4. Families of workers in large cities are paying how much more
for food today than they did in 1939? (a) 25, (b) 50, (c) 75, (d) 100
per cent
5. General Eisenhower will soon become president of Columbia
university. His brother Dr. Milton E. Eisenhower is president of what
college or university? (a) Kansas State College, (b) University of Kan
sas, (c) University of Missouri, (d) lowa State College.
ANSWERS
1. ( a ) The eagle has the keenest eyesight of any living creature.
2. (c) 57 per cent.
3. (b) Process used in engraving.
4. (d) They are now paying 100 per cent more than thev did in 1939.
5. (a) Kansas State College.
CROSSWORD PUZZLE
Horizonal
1 High
mountain
4 Band of
leather
9 Female swine
12 Through
13 Goddess
of peace
14 Pastry
15 Likewise
16 Tower on a
flying field
to indicate
the course
17 Music: high
18 Kind of
lettuce
20 Scandinavian
literary works
22 Sod
24 Unit
25 To discharge
28 Tierra del
Fuego Indian
29 Shack
30 Face
downward
31 Ait
33 River in
Scotland
34 Perfume
obtained from
flowers
35 Demure
36 Samoan
mudworm
38 To check
39 Short watch
chain
40 Plays a part
41 Haile
Selassie’s
title
43 Sheep’s cry
44 Ocean
46 To ascend
48 Limb
’k, V, 51 Skill
* ' o7? Relating
ter sound
53 Strong
akalir.ie
solution
M Team>ster’s
cry
55 To set
upright
M Still
■ doing a lot of thinking. There
must be some way to stop all
. the deviltry of Zack and Zeke.
, He’d prayed over it, reasoned
■ with the two men, even threat
i ened to have them handled by
the law, but all to no avail.
Sam Blount, the fat store-keep-
■ er, waddled up from the back of
the store. “Your name’s Barnes,
■ ain’t it?”
The stranger nodded. “Jud
’ Barnes. Just moved up on the
. highway ’bout 10 days ago.” •
“Well, Mister Barnes,” Sam
‘ said in his rumbling voice, “I’m
' sorry to tell you that the only
, way you can get your cow back
is to put up a reward. But it
’. won’t be that way much longer
can promise you that,” he
, finished, his voice growing more
' hoarse with anger.
. “How much reward?” Jud
’ faltered uneasily.
( “Five dollars,” Sam began
firmly only to be interrupted by
Zack’s drawling voice, “Better
1 make it ten, stranger, if this
' here cow is a Jersey, like you
' say.”
1 Jud’s gentle blue eyes looked
stricken. He put his hand in the
■ pocket of his much-washed blue
: jeans, drew out a lot of small
■ coins and three crumpled bills.
• i “Ten dollars is just about all
; I’ve got, but I hafta get my cow
; back, because my little grand
> baby’s poorly and has to have
: good, rich milk.” He put the
' money in Sam’s hand, one five,
two one dollar bills and the rest
I of the change made up the
’ amount, and walked out with a
i slow, dejected step.
I Bill moved toward Zack, his
I eyes stern. “One of these days
your sins are going to find you
; out, Zack Johnson. God is some
times slow in bringing a man to
; judgment and sometimes He’s
■ quick. I’ve been praying for you
and Zeke to repent. It’s going
• to be too late if you don’t watch
■ out.”
Zack unfolded his long body
[ and stood up. “Save your prayin’
Solution in Next Issue.
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No. 42
Vertical 33 Small, plump 42 Means of
horse ingress
1 Likely 34 Land measure 43 Zone
2 Constellation 35 Trigonometri- 44 To droop
3 To postpone cal function 45 Before
4 Tastes 37 Bone 47 Pouch
5 Attempt 39 Rage 49 Head organ
6To yield 40 Molten lava 50 To acquire
7 Positive pole
8 To hang Answer to Puzzle Number 41
9 By fits and i_r— — —————
starts £.£.l QUAILI—
-10 To lubricate
11 Moist 11 £2Z£ £ eMc i_
19 Belonging to 0 N I 0_ N
21 Unsubstantial HER oRFe D. D. AME R _G
22 Toward |E[R A S. eMe a. S.: -
23 To coalesce LAM eHr e i n
24 Not at home i AIB M R I L lMa L I kTe
26 y” 51 ? 11 . 6 ! S. 0 oMt ea rme l. l s
27 Symbol for j o g|cMv I A jj? a
n UUr,Um I Tl|3 P A R T A I?HX T1
29 Pronoun CHALET ED I|T|o r]
30 ax at nffis Idri®
32 Narrow way s « ri „
for the women-folks,” he scoffed,
but he cast an uneasy glance at
Sam Blount, whose heavy face
was almost purple now with an
ger. “This was a peaceful com
munity until you and Zeke came
up here and started all your
devilments. But you’ll get what’s
coming to you sooner or later,
and don’t forget,” Sam went on,
shaking his fist vigorously in
Zack’s face, “that the wages of
sin is DEATH!”
At that moment Zeke came
in, his raveled straw hat full of
mushrooms. He was as long and
gangling as Zack, but he had a
pathetic, rather foolish face.
“Better be careful about send
ing Zeke for mushrooms,” Bill
warned Zack. “You kr.ow what
happened to Tildy Simpkins.”
“Yeah, she et toadstools and
turned up her toes—so what?
Didn’t have sense enough to
know ’em from mushrooms.”
Zack’s voice was mocking, but
a look of fright had come into
Zeke’s usually vacant face. Zack
laughed at him coarsely, and
gave him a shove toward the
front. Telling Sam to bring out a
steak when he came past his
home on his way to dinner, Zack
gave Zeke another shove and
they left. Zack was in a hurry
now to go and get Jud Barnes’
cow from where he had her tied
up, so he could claim the reward.
Sam’s black eyes met Bill’s
with angry determination. “It’s
just about time to have a couple
of neck-tie parties. We’ve had
enough of those gangstres . . .
that’s all they are!”
Bill shook his head. “No. Sam,
that’s not the way. We mustn’t
have any violence.”
“It’s the only way I see. You
can’t reason with a couple of
rattlesnakes, and your praying
is not doing any good.”
The arrival of the meat truck
from town brought the argu
ment to an end. Sometime later,
Sam got into his rickety car
and started home for dinner.
Since he lived on the cut-off
road and had to pass the John
son shack, it wasn’t any trouble
to deliver the steak.
Sam had been gone about an
hour when Jud Barnes came
back to the store and timidly
asked if he could have a sack
of tobacco and pay for it to
morrow. Bill gave it to him at
once.
“My cow showed up mighty
quick after reward was put up,”
he said, his blue eyes puzzled.
“Zack and Zeke had her tied
up . . . one of their rackets,”
Bill told him reluctantly.
“So they have rackets in the
country too?” Jud said thought
fully. “Looks like an honest man
ain’t got no chance anywhere,”
he said dolefully as he went out
with his tobacco in his hand.
Bill was wondering what was
delaying Sam. He’d been gone
much longer than usual. Bill
walked to the door and peered
down the highway. Instead of
seeing Sam’s rickety Ford, he
saw Zack and Zeke running like
mad toward the store, their un
tidy, ill-fitting clothes flapping
in the wind.
Zack reached Bill first and
thrust a large round tobacco can
into the astonished man’s hands.
“It’s full of money.” Zack pant
ed. “Hurry up and get it back
where it come from —you know
where. Hurry,” he urged breath
lessly.
Zeke was there by now, his
poor vacant face white with
terror. “Hurry up and start
prayin’, Professor Bill,” he
whimpered, "for as shure as
shooting, we’re both agoin’ to
die.”
Bill was doing some quick
thinking. Could it be possible
that Sam was out stirring up a
mob and was going to carry out
his threat of hanging these two
reprobates? Bill came to a quick
decision, “Look, Zack, you and
Zeke hurry down to the school
house, lock all the doors and
windows. I’ll be there just as
soon as Sam gets back.”
Zack and Zeke were gone in a
flash. The next minute Sam’s
car rattled up. He got out laugh
ing all over himself, his enorm
ous stomach rising and falling
with each guffaw. “Just saw
Zack and Zeke running like two
scared jack-rabbits toward the
school-house.”
“This is no laughing matter,
Sam. If you’ve been out getting
a mob together, I’m going to call
the police from town. Zack and
Zeke are going to have another
chance . . . one more anyway.”
Sam sat down, mopping his
perspiring face. He’d been down
to his lower pasture to see a sick
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THE SUMMERVILLE NEWS
cow, that was why he was late,
he explained; then he started
laughing again. “Nothing the
matter with Zack and Zeke ex
i cept they’re scared out of their
wits about the mushrooms.
When I started back and passed
their shack, Zack called me. Zeke
had been whimpering because
he was afraid of the mushrooms
after what you’d said about
Tildy. Zack cooked them with
■the steak; decided to try them
on the dog first. Well, the dog
wasn’t hurt, so Zack and Zeke
finished them up.” Sam mopped
his brow again.
“What’s the matter with them
then?”
“Later, they found the dog
dead —right at the edge of their
; place.”
Bill looked thoughtful. “I’d
better get over to the school-
I house right away.”
“Why not let ’em sweat
! awhile? They brought the money
back they’d stolen—this is the
very thing they need, a good
scare.”
Bill said slowly, “I think I’d
better go. They may need me.”
“All right, go ahead then,”
Sam agreed, “but be sure not to
tell them that I accidentally ran
over the poor, consarned critter.”
WILL YOU SMILE
But Not Voting
A Scottish clergyman had a
parishioner who was a rabid po
litician with distinct democratic
leanings. One day when the par
son called, he wafe told of a
new litter of kittens.
“And do you think they’ll be
interested in politics?”
"Deed, yes, sir. They’re Con
servatives.”
The parson w r as surprised, and
even more so on his next visit,
for he was informed they were
Liberals.
“Ouch,” said the old fellow,
with a wink. “They’ve had their
eves open since you were here
last.”
Reward
Mrs. Noowedd Now, dear,
what’ll I get if I cook a dinner
like that for you every day for
the rest of this life?
Noowedd —My life insurance,
I believe.
Bigamy!
Hornpuff—When I marry I shall
lead a pretty girl and a wonder
ful cook to the alter.
Miss Flatt—-Heavens! That
would be bigamy.
JITTER By Arthur Pointer
THAT y (9 TO DO YOU BUY HIM MONKEY ? . THATS RICH' X GAME WARDEN’)'
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NANCY By Ernie Bushmiiler
IB’ THANKS' FOR INVIW'HWf OH/' W' «¥-•-WHY DID YOU <| I AL .^. S JJKE ’
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AU God’s Chilian
Little Gloria had been put to
bed in the upper berth, with
mother and daddy below. In her
shrill voice she kept asking.
“Mother, are you there?” then
“Daddy, are you there?”
Finally mother said. “Now,
Gloria, mother and daddy are
both here. Go to sleep or God
won’t like you!” But after a few
minutes the question came
again.
A gruff voice nearby growled:
“Mother’s here, daddy’s here,
aunty’s here, uncle’s here, we’re
all here, now keep quiet!”
A short deep silence, then the
little voice:
“Mother, was that God?”
On Time, Perhaps
Husband —I’ve got a surprise
for you —two tickets for the
theater.
Wife—Fine, I’ll start dressing
at once.
Husband—Yes. do my dear.
The tickets are for tomorrow
night.
Responsive
“That singer has his voice well
under control.”
“I cannot agree—every time
anyobdy asks him, he sings.”
ITS AMAZING!
'win'd SHoCS
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THRU IH£ ROOF AMO OUT [j >
QF7ME OH MME'S ! WhiTII /
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In apamsville, Rhode island, TAILS 3 T~!f\SES
* a THE LENGTH of THEIR
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BASEBALL ORTTAKE BUGS FOR PICKS A EIGHT EVERY TIME
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