PAINTED ROCK
been conveyed, he went on with the interrupted history.
"Now, as a tender-foot," said the moral Pillsbury, "you have a remarkable objec' lesson in the misuse of drink and guns and language in this late lamentable breakin' out of young Gedge. Young Gedge hears that some gent has been lettin' on that he don't play fair with his father. That's the first sad step to disaster. Young Gedge chews on this, and findin' it remarkable dry chewin', washes it down with liquor. Without slanderin' them that sells liquor, I may go so far as to state tolerable free that all liquor sold in Painted Rock doesn't soothe the irritated child of nature like soothin' syrup. So young Gedge gets his gun and goes huntin' for the loose-lipped gent wot said he did his father over money matters; and carrying a gun thataway is dry work, and it was obvious to me when the boy come in and talked very free that in less than nineteen minutes and three-quarters by the clock over Bailey's store he would opine the first man he saw was good enough to shoot at. I took counsel with myself and
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