Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1865-02-03
steve Conant,s CourlshIp.

! once called on my friend Steve Co
nant, and while there the conversation
tarned on eourtahip; and at my request,
the old gentleman told me an incident
IN his own love affairs, which give 10
bis own words.
"Wall, seeing its you, | don't MUD
telling about scrape that happened TO
me when was counting Naney here
That is something | never tell anybody I
But You shall hear il"
mo, dou't Steve, broka in the old /
woman; II should think you would be
ashamed Of yourself, telling love serapes |
10 everybody.
'.If you cant bear to hear H. you may
20 out doors--so here goes When |
was nigh about twenty-one I came up
here all alone and built me cabin. 4
hadn't a naber nearer than Eve miles, so
you see, ! didn't quarrel much, but "a
i grew to be winter, got kinder lone
some, and begun TO think thai ] ought
10 have a woman to keep mr. company;
so one morning | started down to Lem
way, 90 take look at the giFls, TO see If
could hud one TO suit me. When | rot
down TO the settlement | asked a young
chap II he knew OF girl that wanted 10
gos marriea, aud he told me that be
guessed Nancy Knox did, and II want
cd wife, | had better try aud hitch on
with her, and he said II II was agreea-
BILE, he would 60 to Deacon knoss aud
make me acquainted with Nancy, and lie
was as good as bis word, and 'twasn at
hour before Nancy and l were on the
best Of terms. Atore night | hired out
with the Deacon for ten dollars mouth,
half the pay TO be taken IN produce, and
the rest in clear cash, aud Twas to work
all winter
Wall, for about two months felt as
mouse in a new cheese. | eourted
Nancy every Sunday night, and | was
determined before another week to pop
the question, and / hadnlt bit of doubt
but what Nancy would be overioyed at
becoming my bosom companion Wall,
about this time there came fellow from
one of the lower towns Co keep school,
and he hadn't been there more n week
afore found out be had material han.
kering after Nancy; and worst of all, The
old Deacon, who seemed pleased at the
thoughts of my counting bis gal, begun
TO kinder cool of, as If be would like
the sehoeImaster better for son.in-law,
and 1t made me feel kinder down in the
lip, can tell you.
Wall, on one Sunday night Bill
Smith, for that was the pesky little crit
ter name, came in Just at dusk, and
and when the clock struck nine he didn't
seen TO want togo Mrs Knox and tie
yoang uns all went to bed, and there
we're none left but the old Deacon, Bah,
Nancy, and ], and kept specdng every
minute that be would show Bill to bed,
but be did no such thing; bat jest as the
clock struck ten he ris up, and says he:
Steve, let's 60 TO bed, for we must
be up bright and airly to have them ere
logs to the river.
Wasn't that a hint, Ell looked
At Nancy, but she turned away her head,
and 81 this | up the ladder to bed Il
was boiling over mad with all creation
Bill, Nancy and the old Deacon in par
ticular got into bed aud kivered nv.
sef up, but I fell so bad / couldn't 90 to
sleep Like as not the sehoolmaster
vas huggiug aud kissing Nancy down
in the kitchen, and couldn't shet nv
eyes for the life OF me. Wall, all a,
once il occurred TO me that there were
some big cracks in the door over tbs
kitchen, and | could watch and see AL
that was going on below; so out of oeG
got, aud crawled along on all tours
and. finding big crack, / looked down
81 through it Bill and Nancy we're sitting
= about two feet apart, though every nov
and then he would hitch his chair httls
nearer TO her. How could have chokat
that mani | watched them for about 4
quarter Of an hour, and by that time
was near about froze, as It was al
awful cold night, and | hadn't q
rag on except nv two shirts. By ant
hy Bill hitehed his chair hstle closer
and I could see that he had made up hit
mind and was Just going TO kiss her
How il riled mel But / was bound 4
see it through, so moved little neare
II. 10 get better view, and at that momen
the plank tipped up and down | went
9 kerchunk, aud landing between Bill AM
Nancy Bill thought for once that oil
fog Nick had come, and streaked it out 0
doors; and as for Nancy, she gave on
look and then covered up her face witt
81 her apron. | started out of the kitchen
as quick IS yon could say scoot, and a
was going up the ladder, l heard oil
MIRA Knox boiler:
Nancy, scoot the cat down, or shsl
break every dish on the drsssarf'
Tbs next morning, when abs wen