The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1880-09-30
PORTLAND, OREGON, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 80,

do any responsible cOurting on his own account
and my story would have been spoiled right here
but for Titus Senior, who suggested to Fairy
Queen, after the years had rolled on and he knew
that she had saved few hundred dollars out of
her poultry and dairy business, that she should
avail herself of the right, granted by Congress to
every single man or woman above the age of
twenty-one years to file upon and improve a
homestead "as the law directs"
Fairy Queen was far too sensible girl to fail to
see the benefit of the senior Kings proposition;
she visited the Land Office and filed her notif
cation, and paid her fees, and built house, and
fenced field, and spent all of her poultry money
in such improvements, except the required sum of
5000, which she reserved to pay the preGmption
claim of the Government, with $50 added for
clerks fees. With this sum, when she was ready,
she entered the Land Office one day, and soon
emerged with receipts properly acknowledged and
cancelled, and enjoying all the independent happi-
ness Of a prosperous landlord.
Fairy Queen, like all good girls, was disposed TO
fall in love with somebody, and had often thought
seriously of getting married. whenever, as she
expressed it, she should De able to support hus
band handsomely And among all her suitors
none had ever pleased her fancy except Titus
King Junior, who seemed least disposed of any in
the lot to declare himself
But Titus Senior was equal to the emergency, if
Titus Junior was not He made the young man
write Glove letter." and with his own hands he
carried it over to Fairy Queens shingle-sided
cabin. He found the Fairy out among her chick
ems, engaged in stuiling black pepper-corns down
the throats of some tiny Brahmas afflicted with
peeps.
"Good-mornn'," >" said Titus King, Senior
"Good-moming" replied Fairy Queen.
l., rftf1 ha ipr
King.
'Middling," replied the Fairy Queen.
"Ain't You lonesome like ~ asked the modern
messenger from the new Miles Standsh.
"Sorter.r
Fairy Queen was not educated beyond the three
Rs "Readin', 'Ritn and 'Rithmetic"
"Wouldn't you like TO get married?'
The Fairy blushed and bent low over the peep
ING chickens, and piled them nervously with
added peppcr-coms. she was thinking of Tite.
80 was her visitor.
81 have a letter for We, honey. Tite wrote it
his-elL"
one Of the chickens choted on "a pepper-corn
and silently breathed its last.
Poor chickey." said Fairy Queen.
"Chckens will die once in a while honey.
Them that has, must lose. The egg wouldn't a
brought but three cents if you hadn't let it hatch
No use erievin' over split milk. Won't you read
Tite's letter? He's awfully i'm earnest"
$50 ann H. thought Fairy Queen.
she turned her back upon her waiting messen-
ger and sat down upon a hen-coop.
VIII yu hav mee
TITUS KING.
That was all.
The world spun round aud round for little
while before my herone's swimming eyes, and
then took on "a radiant glow that she had never
seen before, while her heart beat a wild tattoo
against the alder splints i'm her homemade corset
Dear Titew ~ she whispered while her ruddy
face shrunk involuntarly behind the friendly
shade Of her great sunbonuet, that, like wagon
cover much too big for its load, overshadowed hel
eyes.
''What shall I tell him, honey" asked the
senior King, advancing toward her and taking
her hands, of which grasped the letter and tn,
other the dead chicken and the pepper-corns.
''Tell him to come here like a man and ask hi.
own questions shan't bite him ~
Titus King, Senior, was encouraged He had
Jared even better than he had dared to hope. He
returned to his waiting son bearing glad tidings
'You've a fortune in the gal, Titus-a reg Ian
fortune There amt better quarter-sectOn o
land than hern on Hogs Back, nor no prettiel
mill-site OF all Currant Creek than the nat raj one
on the corner o. her claim. An the cream o. the
joke is, the pre6mption moneys paid-fee and al
every cent of it. Sich gal as she is, too, with
chickens! You'll be better off when you git hel
than if you'd hired man an gamisheed his
wages for a hull lifetime"
wasn't there when young Titus went, 'like a
man." to see Fairy Queen, but | know she kept
her word, for he never gave evidence that she had
so changed her mind to bite him. But you
will think that she was bitten when you hear the
sequel to this true tale-that Fairy Queen, when
married. being known no longer among mortals
as Fairy Queen, and having ceased to exist as an