MEET JEREMIAH

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 170, 20 October 1941, Page 5

MEET JEREMIAH

ALL OVER SHORTLY

LOCAL PROPHET OF GLOOM

He was lounging against a locaF counter reading the war news. Ai BEIAGQN representative happened to pass a chance remark about the progress of the conflict o-n the Russian front. He heaved himself mournful-' ly from the reading attitude. "Yeah, it'll all be over soon." "How do you mean?" ventured the scribe. "Well, look how they can't catcli Graham. Look how they can't clear up that young territorial mystery? How can they prove that Graham shot those two Home Guardsmen?"

"Its not the fault of the police," said the scribe. "They're doing their best. When you get a madman who is an expert with a rifle its pretty dangerous mixture."

"Yeah, a Territorial who came from there told me that Graham can shoot from his liip like a machine gun. No shoAv with a chap like him they'll never get him. What's it matter anyway?"

"They'll get him sooner or later. He can't last in the bush all his life."

"The sooner he cleans them up the better. We're all going to get it some time or other."

"Cut it out. I reckon they ought to send Hulme over to stalk him."

"Yeah, its all the same. Get stalked in Crete or here."

"Why don't you go over there and splash a few bullets about yourself. It'd be a darn sight better than spreading this depression, about? If we were all like you we'd take f* gun and finish the business off right now." "Probably would be the best thing" "Well, kick off boy. Set a §hining example and I'll carry the lillies." "What's the good of talking. There'll only be two jokers left in London in 1945. It's all going to be smashed to atoms. Nothing left." "Where is all this coming from. Got the ear of Destiny or something?" "Naw. It's all in the Bible. You can read it." "Well the Bible's been blamed for a good many dismal prophesies but this is a new one to me. Tell raq more. Where can you read it?" "Oh, I dunno. It's in there some* where. You can find it." "Well that's a pretty weak argument."

"I know it's there. A joker told me. But at any rate they'll never get Graham. And believe me there's more behind it than we know. Why did those neighbours heckle 1 him. Why did they annoy his cows. Why did the police argue with him. You can bet your life there's something there. Yeah."

The pressman began to move off. Neither time or inclination made for continuation of the argument. He smiled at the other who managed to screw, up a questionable grin and with a parting shot announced that "we wouldn't have long to wait now"

As the pen pusher hurried off he had an uncomfortable feeling that his interviewer had felt that he had scored a considerable victory with a. series of crushing arguments with, which he had successfully floored all the counter blows of the optimist. To his mind—-IT WAS in the Bible, Graham WOULD never be caught, we all WOULD get the bullet, and it WOULDN'T be long now.

'Oh Whakatane, 'what have you done to deserve the citizenship of such a specimen, or have E got the outlook all wrong. Well!