Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-02-18

takes every thing for granted; then,
too, the squire had so much fore.
thought and principle. Why, will
you believe it, couldn't get him, no
way in the world, to set his foot in.
side my house. I asked him lime
and again to come over and play
casino with me of evenings; but,
no stree, hid seen more of the world
than I had, and he knowd young
girl livin' alone would be talked
about if her lover made free visit
in. Yes, as noble-hearted man as
ever walked was Squire Simpson,
in them days, and, Louisa, 'twixt
you and me, I'd q bin his lovin' wife
and helpmate to-day, and he'd bin
happier and better looking man
than he is, if it hadn't bin for Belle
Butterfeld and that old satan of q
billy-goat. But, there now, don't
ask me any questions, just be patient
nd you shall hear it all if it kills me
to tell it.
You see it was about the first of
September that the new school
teacher, Belle Butterfield, come out
from town and took charge of our
little school, and it struck me that if
l could git her come and board and
lodge at my house, the squire
wouldn't need to feel SO delicate
about calm on me of evsnin's.
She was a regular town hieh-hyer,
and | know'd the squire wouldn't
take to her at all, but then that was
all the better for me.
Well, l lost no tine, and in two
days had q new boarder. didn't
like her a bit, with her pink cheeks
and her shiny black eyes; besides all
her cityfed crimps, curls, bustles,
bows an -foolery; but, will you
believe it, fore she'd bin with me u
week I received my first call from
Squire Simpson. That was all the
dear fellow had bin waitin' for; just
for somebody to be Propriety-aint
that what you call it?
"Gracious how the time did seem
to fly after that-never An evenin'
but what the squire was at my house,
and if it hadn't just been for one
thing I'd been just as happy as u
lamb in white clover; but, Louisa,
you mark my words, the stream of
true love never does run, smooth,
and the 'squire's stream and mine
couldn't mingle and run smooth,
just for one impediment; and that
impediment was Belle Butterfeld.
She, the conceited, artful mink, got
it into her silly head that the squire
was visitin' her, and just because he
used to walk home from the school
house with her of evenin's for sort
Of blind for the neishbors, you
know, why, she took to propriatin'
in a way that was downright bold,
and riled me to the center of my be-
in. Of course the squire couldn't
get rid of her, bein' quiet, back
ward man like he was, and things
Just went on that, way, till they
come to such pass that l couldn't
stand i. no longer. One evenin' she
met him at the gate, and had the
brazen impudence to drag him off a
strollin' through the shrubbery, and
never let him come near the house,
though il she'd had good sense she
must know'd that he was yaarn-
in to be with ME. When she came
in at last, after two mortal hours,
her cheeks wero blazin and her eyes
CLOWN like spunk wood, and when
[ found she'd sent the poor fellow
home without lettin' him come in to
see me for minute, than when l
told her that he came to see me and
it was downright mean for her to
mernopolize his cumpany, she sot
down and laughed as if it was the
funniest thing she ever hered, and
then 1 told her she'd got to pack
her duds and leave my house fore an
other sun went down, she never let
on she heard me, but just kept on a
laushin', and 1 went to bed and left
her to laugh it out.
"Tho next day was regular soft,
yellow October day; but, Louisa, it
was Friday, and if you ever get a
love letter-a regular proposin' let
ter, you know-on Friday, you
jist lay your hands on your bosom
and don't let your heart get too full
of joy, for it'll all vanish fore scrub
bin time on Saturday.
81 got letter that day, regular
honest love letter as thought it was
then, but I stamped it into flinders
and burnt it next day. 1t was ;ist
signed "S. s." and of course l
know'd that stood for Samuel Simp-
son, and all that day long 1 was
just as happy as any June bug. He
said he set store by me, but he
couldn't never get chance to speak
to me alone, and SO he was jist twixt
hawk and buzzard to know whether
l cared for him or not; and he wound