The Osceola times., 1880-10-02

ship, an, second, because / want you to
help me by takin' care o. Jed Billings
while / 2it away with the gal. He
watches us like weasel, and might
kick up fuss. II he tries TO foller all
you've got TO do is to pick up muss
with him SOS TO give us a chance"
81 don't see how that's a-goin' to pay
me-" said Charley.
"If marry her tonight" said Sam,
solemnly, 81 shall take her to Boston to
live, an you'll step into my practice
here"
So Charley said agreed, and so forth.
blt he knew Sam was deep, an kep'
askin' himself why should Sam be afraid
OF Jed if he was really engaged to Jen.
away, anyhow. So he KEEP on puzzlin'
but couldn't git it out.
Jest leetle, Jonas, this time, thankee
make it hot.
Well, as soon as it got dark, Sam
hitched up an took Charley down near
Jed's farm to keen watch on him, an
then turned round an took the back
road up to Jennie's.
The girl was considerably surprised
for Sam TO ask her out ridin' on dark
night, an no party or dancin' to go to;
but she warn't afraid o. nothin' an was
allus fully o. live curiosity about fun.
So she made up her mind to see it
out, most perfectly rs her cunnin' old
aunt made believe she didn't want her
TO go.
Then the way Sam Parker put that
old plug o. his through to Eatonville was
caution. What was said on the
way amt known, but it's tolera-
BILE certain that marryin' warn't spoken
of till the two got to work eatin' supper.
Then Sam said how he loved her, an
how this was an elopement, an the par.
son was ready an all that Then he
goes down on his knees an pulls out
the ring. But, in pullin' out the ring,
out come long lock of hair, the same
that Sam had been playin' of on Charley
for hern.
"Oh, you dreadful, dreadful airt," hol-
lers Jennie, maxim b'leeve mad, and
then she bursts out into Just the TALES,
lafiin' that's been heard in the Adams
House for forty years.
Then Sam pitches in an gifts wild as
to what he'll do to her or say about her
if she don't marry him, an then the door
opens sudden, an who should bounce in
hlt Charleyl
You see, Charley had got tired awatch-
in Jed; so he concluded to hire a hoss
and jest foler Sam an Jennie up, TO see
for himself how things was. He'd been
a listenin' at the door till Sam got ugly
on Jennie, and then he see his chance
an bounced in.
"My prcserver! my preservcrl''
screached out Jennie, an she goes over
to Charley an he gets out with the gal
before Sam--who is u kind OF sneak
anyway--recovered from his surprise.
Well, they took the road to Starboro'
a flyin'; but it wasn't ten minutes be-
fore they hears wheels behind 'em an
Charley cries:
That's that rascal, Sam Parker"
So he puts on the cad an goes tearin'
over the road wuss than ever till he
brings up at the minister's house in
Starboro. with the horse all a-foamin'
an nigh dead.
Then they both got out of the wagon,
an Jennie all of sudden begins to cry.
You see, she enjoyed the fun all along
like everything; but at last it began to
look serious even to gal with her
nerve. 1t was mighty late at night, an
there she was standin' afore the minist-
er's house in Starboro', fifteen miles
from home, an with no more idea OF
marryin' Charley Clifford than you or |
hev this mint of marryin' Queen Vie
torh.
But Charley put on steam an talked
away to her al a tremendous rate on ac-
count of Sans bein' behind 'em. Then
the gal got all broken up again in the
wringin' her hands, the other wagon
drew up.
But the man that jumped out wasn't
Sam Parker 1t was Jed Bllings-Jed
Billings, gentlemen as good fclier as
ever met an the best man with a pitch
fork in the two counties,
Then the gal Strengthened up an went
right into Jed's arm, as straight as
chipmonk slips into holler tree.
OF course this was war, an after
lovin' embrace, Jed lets her down on
the ministers steps, an prepares to 60
for Charley.
I'll teach you. you young pettfog-
ger" said he, "to play tricks like these"
an he was a-haulin' off in that dynamite
style of his, when Jennie Jest stepped
up atwixt them.
Now, gentlemen, like the famale ele-
ment myself, as | suppose the hull on
ye does, an appreciate 'em as angels
and peace-makers an all that; but it
must be allowed that Jennie did spilc
what would hev been the go jambdest
fight that ever took place in Squigg
mt hA OF he
$40 900. an Charley had good deal of
standby in him, if he was fortune
hunter an as for jed, everybody knows
he's got hogsheadful o pluck aIlus on
hand. It's a shame, gentlemen, the
mil didn't come off; for, to this day,
whenever man gets a little hard cider
in him about here he wrastles his
tongue with somebody as 10 which
would hev licked. But Jed an Charley
only laifs about it nov, an wouldn't
muss for anything.
Only a drop or two, Jonas-there,
that's about right. Where was n Oh,
yes. Well, Jennie stepped atwixt 'em
an says
at was all my fault, Jed-it was all
my fault, an ! only did it to see If you'd
be jealous. Pm cruel, hateful, wicked
girl, an il you won't fight, dear jed, III
20 into the minister's with you now,
provided you'll get me home before my
aunts up in the mornin', an then III
marry in church as soon ms | kin git
ready proper. love you, Jed, an you
love me you won't want to do anythin'
to hey this business talked about till
afterwards"
You can see, gentlemen, she was a
level-hcaded gal arter all.
Then she turns, as cool as a cowCum-
ber, to Charley. an she says:
81 know why you an your friend