The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1883-09-05

degeneracy Of tn boys; an used e
think If he looked down on us that ar
way he'd kinder think I weren't &c e
hev Polly an fur a fac 1 weren't,
nor no other man ever wer'."
"Now, JIM" said Aunt Polly, warn
ingly.
"All right, my dear Tn fac air,
boys, Polly never w'u'd gree T. that
statement. I've allus thought she
kinder hankered arter Pete Bartons'
the sto'keeper, and sorter GREETED she
didn't take him."
And Uncle Jim laughed until we
all laughed, out of pure sympathy,
Aunt Polly as loudly as any one.s
"Wa'al," said the old man, wiping
his eyes, "I used to go t. tn Beck
mans ez much ez c'u'd an cot
toned up T. Polly monstrous strong
but somehow I never c'u'd tell her
how / keered fur her. 1 wer' kinder
scared-like, an used TO hope ez she'd
sorter make the fust move. Mind you,
Polly wer' lovin' meth hull time, but
she never let on, an l hadn't the
savez of mewl in tn matter. l used
t. sit thar an talk bout tn weather,
an tn crops, an shootin', an then
go outside an blame myself fur fool,
cause l hadn't said nothin' special T.
her. / used t. make up talks fur e say
but bless ye, when l got long of Polly
1 disremembered 'em totally.
Zone day wer' n the wood, long
with father, an tn two of us wer'
cuttin' trees. Felln' small saplin',
it broke sudden, an fallin' hit me on
the shoulder. I wer' considerably
bruised-like, ez you may think, an ]
went to bed when I got home, an
stayed thar. 1t wer' my left shoulder
ez wer' hurt, an it swelled up mon
strous.
"The second day-In never forgit
that time as long ez 1 live--a man
came inter our house on his way t. tn
fort-op Fort Benton. He told, arter
supper, bout rumors ez tn Blackfeet
wer' on tn war-path, an said he
weT goin' to warn tn people.
"Arter they all went to sleep lay
, thar, an l c'u'd'nt get tn story outer
my head. s'pose IL wer' th' pain of
! my shoulder ez much ez anythin', but
didn't seem to sleep. Finally l
dropped off, an i dreamed ez how tn
redskins wer' takin' Polly's cabin. 1
woke up all of start, an in a cold
sweat. That dream fixed me.
II got up an stole out quiet, not
wakin' any one, to tn stable. Thar l
saddled my critter, an rode out into
th' moonlight. Ez you may think,
, beaded straight fur old Beekman's
J place, an ez my hoss wer' a good one
, | did't spare spur ridin'. Now you
b'lieve that ar ride hurt nay arm.
, Why, boys, declar thought I'd faint
, afore got thar"
And Uncle Jim rubbed his shoulder.
When he put his hand down Aunt
Polly bent and kissed it.
"When 1 reached tn house it wer'
bout 6 o'clock n tn morning, an
thar n tn. front yard l seen Polly
feedin' chickens. Eff you,nb'lieve me,
when / got thar / got kinder 'shamed,
, an eff ! c'u'd have gone back 1 w'u'd.
1t seemed sorter foolish fur t come
that way, an with story that didn't
: really mount to much ez it stood.
"S'pose ther' weren't no raid, what
w'u'd 1 have said, frightenin' them
people into fits? However, Polly seen
me an hailed me, so c'u'dn't go back
+ then.
"I rode up an got off. The fust
thing hearn wer' that tn old man an
his wife had gone to Brownville, leav-
in Polly an the four young uns t. keep
: house. l had some breakfast, an then
l l sat down to smoke.
"Poly found out somehow bout my
arm, an she took on drefful; rally
hearin' her, didn't think it hurt halt
3 so much. She sisted on my sittin
I still an lettin' Tom Beekman, heI
! brother-a slip bout ten-feed my
{ hoss, which Tom, who had a kind OF
admiration fur me, wer' willin' enough
< to do.
l 81 didn't let on bout tn Blackfeet,
but / sorter warned Tom to keep nigh
the house, an I kept him by tellin
z stories.
"Ez the day wore on, / got mo- an
: mo- narvous, till bout o'clock uE
an telled Polly the hull story. She
+ got kinder white bout tn cheeks
:, didn't ye, OF ladyP-an' her eyes got
: big like.
"But she didn't finch, not mite
:, l reckon loved her better then nor
d did before. She asked what to do, an
S L told her honest ther' wer' nothin' t
/ do 'cept wait, an mebbe the red
n wu'dn't come, an mebbe her dad 'uC
/ get back.
l "The house wer' a log-cahin, fus
/ rate fur fghtin' in, cause old Beekmal
, wer' too old a borderman not to max
It his house regler fort. That nigh
> Polly an the young uns went to bed
e an sat up.
le "Now, mind ye, hadn't said
le word to Polly yet. but things wei
h pettin' kinder easier. eZ it Wer',