The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1870-03-30
BOOTS UNDER THE BED.
Miss Lydia White had two lover.

Miss Lydia White had two lover
! Tom Green and Willie Jones. r.
! Both were good looking, wellrto-dc
young mechanics, and both loved heI
ldevotediy, if their own vehement as
scrtionsI could be credited. Lydia
=. was in something of a dilemma con
corning them: Hi "a Lsatsr.i ,;.g-, a.
She had no particular preference
p! for either of them, but she wanted to
be married sometime, and Mr.. White
was opposed TO long courtships. and
Aunt Jane kept assuring her that her
b d aud table linen would get yellow
with being packed away in the bu-
reau, so lorg and she also took fire.
/ auent1 opportunities of rpmarking
that '"none or her girls ever was sin
gle after they had reached the age
Of eighteenAno, not d ninit!"tt. %
Aid: as Lydia counted her years
four more than eighteen, of course
this if5t 5insinuatfon fs ual' Of Aunt James cut
+ lydia turned fhe. matter over se
riotlssIy in her mind, and argued It
with herself, pro and con, which she
should take. Green or, Jones. 81 >
! She was in some degree romantic.
and sue had ipdnlged in gorgeous
dreams OF marrying second Napole1
on las -, courage; ! in fact, if there
was any quality. that she especially
admired in 6mapr il was bravery. III q,
When she said anything about.
this in the hearing of Tom orr Willie
eybeggeddher to put them TO the
test--tiIey would jeyfullH die for her
if she stood in need of any such sac
rifiee; the assured her ever and over
again. .II7qk 10 sjdl ,:
One Sunday eEe"ing, as indeed was
frequently the case, Jones and Gaeen
happened TO caii at Eydiass aboht the
same timsN3yl hoT2HiHSAH
J Lydia went out of the room about
nine o'clock; onaehe pretense of bring
ing abook aof dengtayings, but she
shortly returnd in great pertarbatlon.
, - What is itf What IS the matter
cried the two lovers in eager chorus
.Oh dear mep Sighed Lydia, such
a dreadful thing! Who would have
thought it in our peae fiji, community
Oh, Mr.. James, Mr.. Greea,i Yon
can't think how ,gIad-how relieved I
nm that you are here. l should be-
frightened 10 death were it otherwise
and she chung first to one and then to;
the. other with q confidence perfectly
intatuatina 5fs5s; .y4sges,7wer -4rcl
: .'Tellus what it is Y cried Green
, tEnlighten us as to the I cause Of
this emotion = said Jones, who had
been to the Chicken Valley Academy
two quarters, and used some large
wordson .3'b sd .!iid gn.naGt eGs ii
oh you are both 50 brapei,ecrietl
Lydia admiringly-I feel as if / were
protected by an army.ps;cu rs
! Green drew, himself up to; his foil
heights which was Just. FIVE feet, ana
At mr.. minis. be confessed that beside the
Jones, he looked Ike q ban;
tam rooster beside a shanghai, s,- 60 :,
, Command me said Green only
let me do your bidding. .!i,,is-.z.,,sL s,.,.,.
ask. my existence, =, faiddd Jones,
'.'and it shall be given free as Streams
give to the sounding ocean,
] sqIus sh u cried L Sdia, don't speak
soa loud - He may hear youand take
the alarin,, and kilh az all before you
have s.halee TO capture him.so5i on |!
! He 2iogwhd7 ssshatTo demanded
Jones, In d tragic Whispers al 9dj q
j sHuslr! f6Fs pity sake, said )11yd =.
is; shes up stairs in the spare rooms,
iundefithe 6edl Father had q iohundbs
red dollars paid h m yesterday for "a
COW, and thisis a plan toi rob tho
house. .ba4 sawihis uboett saiekingsvout'
from uuder Acknowledgements
Good heayens,!' CRIED Green, set
ting behind Jones. -; -
And such big boots TOO q 81 said
Lydi3Ttwelyes, ]: am sure a. -. - -
Jupiter what giant he p fmqst fst1 be sIrf :
III fo@ s9aso Oh WINE protect ssatsstH me s4L
cried Lydia pathetically,- and they
both protested that they would shield 1
her with the last drop Of their blood;
Then 60 up and seize the villain vlla ri /
You had better .stts goolIfirst,, 8 said Jones' a
IEdop't know the way, IL - .,r;,uCi5l nj M
Nor T., said Green, ttand you're
the biggest it belongs to fsls yPa to q lead ID
4 VIII show You u the ] way said Ly:
dia. - ~ - a.;.:..'...-
,And the two gallant young men re |
followed her upstairs. She
opened the door Of the spare chamber
softly, and, they. saw the boois very
): a most extremely dirty
pair of eowhides,,- which. looked as
though their owner had tramped
through twenty miles of swamp and
made no acquaintance, with rug or
scrape aftefWard. .a--.,.I.s. -
"A mighty big man he must be !
with such pair OF feet,'f said Jones.
Hadn't we better call your father
and Mr. Berry, the hired man r. !
4 think we ,hsd, >, said Green timid.
Il don't said. Lydia, decidedly
ItsSee!bfI believe the boots are
.1iOh goodness me
And as she screamed. Jones and
Green, simultaneously made rush
for tha door. Jones stumbled over
wash stand and went headlong to the
toot Of the stairs. ,wash7stand and all !
And Lydia, by 7clipging to, the skirts
IF Mr, Green's ceat, kept him him. from
following his, rival, or - ~ ss,r.yl
Z What in the deuce is TO pay here?
asked Jack Barry, appearing. on the
scene in his shirt and trowsers, and
MS curly. light hair standing out all
over his head like the bristlesr on a
amp chimney brush. had I'd odvI