The Russellville Democrat., 1880-10-21
THE CHANGERS STORY.
Or Three Elopements in One Sight.


 She was young, gentlemen, an she was sassy, an jest as full of solid sense as she was of fun an she was full of fun within prescribed limits, as an egg is full of meat.
 She knew her mind too, an could love like woman when she was sot to it, as the story shows. There was no better nor likelier gal in this country, which she proved since, an the way she did up them two city lawyer stugents was fun, gentlemen, fun - thankee = femme hey mine with just touch of lemon.
 Yes, she's the gal that eloped with three fcllers in one night, an as respect able gal as you'll find in the State to- day.
 Was she well behaved? Well, you jest bet your life she was. Lively an bright, when she was woke up she was most thundeln' smart girl when it came to takin' business charge of herself
 She was as pretty as a pIctur' that's jest ready to walk ont of its frame. Her har seemed to flat all around her head, an' when the wind blowed through it an the sun frightened 1t up, it looked like a u. She was a fresh, wholesome lookin' gal as ever was, with bright eye that went through man like buzz saw through a pine log, an she had figger as round as a huckleberry, an sweet as a butternut,
 Why, knowed her when she was only so high; she was born an raised in this very town. an her money, a sf nI I.Tt 1,,yA grandmother in trust with old Judge Willes. an he looked out for it, too.
 The gal lived with her grandmother till she was IS, aa' when the old lady died she went over to her Aunt Hilton's for three years till she get married. an they say she made it lively for tlem two women; in her own demure-like an innocent sort O style, of course.
 Thankee; yes, smoke evenin's some times.
 The way it commenced was something like this You see, gentlemen, I got partickler here and partickler there till I got the whole thing:
 Jennie-her name was Jennie Thomas then he'd heda kind O sneak1ng regard for Jed Billings, a smart young farmer, iairish of, but not over well-to-do at that time.
 They'd went to school together, an Jed, one day, he'd hauled her outer the mill. pond. She'd fell into it in one of her wild scrapes tryin' to walk across the dam on four-inch edge, an, from what heered at the time, I guess that was the way the affair began between 'em.
 But somehow, she was kind O offish to Jed, yet that young farmer he'd a good ddicashun-first-rate and was known to be square-that is, square as sxuare goes nowadays, when the golden rule. appears to be to do unto others as others would do unto you, if they got the chance.
 But whether it was that Jennie wanted to hev her little foolIn' afore sne tied up, or whether she wanted to see if Jed really loved her, or whether she wanted to fool him an SOW her female wild oats or what not, land only knows.
 As said afore, howsumever she was otiish, an wouldn't make no regular engagement, and right in the nick of the worry them two lawyer stugents from the city arrived among our midst.
 You see, old Judge Parker had his son sam an his nevvy Charley Clifford
  for lawyears, jest as if we warn't over stocked with them chaps, same as we be with army-worms; an yit, gentlemen, we're scarce on good hay-makers an farmin' help generally, as you know.
 The nevvy, Charley Clifford, was prime good teller, as everybody's aware of today. But sam Parker was per ticklarly curious cuss an bid fair to turn out jest such mean, cross-cut lightnin' calculator as his father was-which most of you know'd well enough, partickly when you had any affidavys to be done an the old man wanted his 20 cents in advance.
 Well, as soon as them young sharps gradiwated an come home they both sot their eyes on Miss Jennie.
 I4or' bless you, in the mornin' you'd see Sam a drivin' her out to the pond in Parker's old gig, an in the afternoon Charley d be a takin' her up Garden Drive in the same shaky but respectable winnicle. It looked a good deal like a dead race for Jennie's S10,000,
 Now Jennie's aunt was dead down on Jed Billings, because he was only aiarm- CT, though even then, gentlemen, he looked a blamed sight more likely to make big farmer than either o' them other fellers did to make big lawyer. Anyhow, Jennie's aunt didn't care much which of the lawyers got her as long as Jed was kep' out. But the cunnin' old lady rather preferred Sam Parker, be- cause he was sure to hev his fathers practice, while Charley might hey to whistle good while tor client. Then, too Sam he'd way of fatterin' her up in city style, an Charley was too open and oh-handed with her.
 It's most generally the rascals that gets all the advantages; but not in the long run, boys, not in the long run.
 Yes, Jonas, same as before, thankee.
 Well, sam an the old lady got atalk- in one day an fixed things up between 'em.
 Jennie don't know her own mind, said her aunty, ian it's my opinion that whichever gifts away with her first will git the prize, an, sam, you'd better do it. She's 8 giddy young thing, an Fl stick by the one as goes for her the heaviest She's morautic, an won't marry in church noway; them kind never does till arter they gets married in a wagon by moonlight.
 You sce, gentlemen, she didn't size Jennie up jest right
 Thing- begun to thicken up pretty good an one day Sam Parker, the law yrrs's soa, thought it was about time to ptt up ls Lttle job on Charley and Jed agleF his own style, as agreed on with