Ike Glidden in Maine a Story of Rural Life in a Yankee District

said Uriah Jones as he sat down among the loafers vhoh ad congregated on the Post Office steps to enjoy the eveiliilg air and discuss the latest pranks of the most stirring boy in town. 66 Yes, and Id make him smart fer it, responded one of the crowd. Here comes his father after the mail, and Id just pitch inter him and make him settle for that boys capers, earnestly said a prominent member of the gathering. Mr. Gliddeil drove up, alighted from the wagon and was ascending the steps, when Uriah Jones accosted him, blurting out in an emphatic manner, Be you a-goin7 ter pay fer that co v Farmer Glidden, whose gentle face bore lines of trouble, looked calmly into the enraged and distorted visage of his neighbor. The pain ancl humiliation caused by the tale unfolded to him by that irate individual deprived hiin for the moment of the poTver to express his thoughts. Then, in a kindly tone, he spolre. Tell ye what, neighbor Jones, if lny boy Ike did as ye say he did - tied Lamberts Inilk cans to your cows tail - and any harm comes of it, Ill make it right if I have to sell the best cow Ive got. But I haint so sure my boy Ikes to blame for half whats laid agin. Your boy Ike indignantly replied Jones. Yer boy Ikes a tender innocent, he is Oh, of course hes as innocent as a child It muznt your boy Ike who broke up prayer-meetin Wednesday night by puttin kyann pepper on the stove It wuznt your boy Ike who stuffed poor Charley Burrs chimney up and sn olied hini out on Christmas eve Oh 110, it couldnt be your boy Ike who put Billy IVilson in my orchard one night last fall and got lii111 to stuff his pant legs with nly apples till lie couldnt walk, auci then liollered fer nle, sot Id catch the VTidder Wilsons boy helpless Oh no, conrse not, it warnt your boy Ike who tied Lamberts cans to my cows tail Of course folks who san-tlie conr start like a crazy creeter wit11 the cans a-bangin ancl the milk flyin7 behind her and Ike elappin liis liands to liis bosoni and lafEn at the shorn, was mistalien It warnt your little ir nocent Ike that did all tllese things It as some other boy that looks so mucl1 like yonr pet Ike. Bnt then, the best cow Ive got went crazy mad into the woods yesterday wit11 a I undrecim en and boys tryin to find her. Tell yer what it is, , Toe Glidden, you pay er that cow 01. your boyll be taken care of till lie learns how to behave liisself. Ive stooti all of his tantrnms Im a-goin to. I haint n-goin ter loose any more property by him without pay fer it. Well, neiglilor Jones, ruther than ter have my boy disgraced by court proceedings, Ill pay yer thirty dollars fer tlier cow and take my chances of eyer finding her. But mind yer, I dont believe my boy Ike ever did it... --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.