Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1884-02-14
YOURS TRULY.

"What iur. mother?"
"Why amt Mr.. Van Vleet been t.
see YOU twice't runnin' lately? He
axed We, s'pose. to hev him?"
"An' guy him the mitten."
"Sho! You wouldn't be half SO silly
Why, he's with do zen ornirary men
You mought go further and fare wuss.
"Jest what I'm goin' to dew"
"Did yew tell him sop
"No. writ; now, mother. let me be
/ ain't goin' to marry no man the
thinks m umpin' ct the chance. II
heap ruther be an old maid
There was nothing said for some time
then the widow asked:
"When did yew write, 'Mazin?"
"A day or so past
"Where did you git penn"
81 borrered one. Mebbe you'd Tx
to know what said tew him.
you've guessed rite" said tn.
widow eagerly.
1T amt nuthin' to nobody but us
mother, s'long cs l didn't have him.
said the girl CURLY, and no more wa.
said, but the widow sighed heavily ant
held her hand TO her LETT de.
Amazin knew that it meant her heart
for she had been brought up to respec
that organ as an intimidating power
This time she did not relent, but won
dered why she could not like that bic
good-looking Van Vleet well enough Il
ma nv him, for they were poor, poor a.
that historic church mouse, and he wa.
well of.
But they were not mercenary. People
called them simple folks; perhaps be-
cause they lacked education, and be-
lieved everything that was told them
But they We're good as gold. The
widows face and form. lank and un
calmly, were fami lar in every sicl
room. They rendered unto Caesar the
things that were Caesars. They OWED
no man anything, though they worked
early and late to accomplish It, The,
were good to everybody and everything
and Amazin Grace-her mother haC
named her after the hymn beginning
Amazing Grace, how sweet, the
sound'-was really pretty. So though,
big, hulking, shame-faced Van Vleet
when he came a counting her. with hi.
trousers tucked into cowhide boots and
a coon-sk n cap tied down over his ears
She was the only girl he was afraid of
and he wasn't afraid of her, come RICH,
down to it.
He was an honest, decent chap, with
a fist Ike s.cdge-hammer and heart
like child's. He wanted Amazin
Grace, and he couldn't imagine any
reason why he should not have her.
When he got her simple little letter of
refusal, written out W tn infinite diff.
Guilty and spelled on a new plan oil
phonetics, he read it over and over.
smoked his cob pipe, read the letter
again, grinned good bit, then folded
it reverently, and put it in the pocket
nearest his heart.
That's all rite, my GIRL" he
chuckled
A couple of months passed away.
One peculiarly OF time is that it treats
all peop.c alike. 1t does not fly from
some and stand still with others. 1t was
spring at the Van Vleet farm. which
was one mass OF apple and cherry bios
SONS, and it was spring at the Widow
Pilsbury's little lean-to house, without
shrub or blossom. The widow looked
out of the window and sighed. She had
never heard the Song of the Shirt, "
but she had sung it ali her life. 1t was
her bread and butter.
There Van Vleet" she exclaimed,
looking up from her lap-board. well,
/ declare! What brin.s him here??''
''P'raps he's comm to ask view to
hev him, mother" said Amazin Grace,
laughing, while a sweet flush of pink
stained her round cheeks.
II wish he wouldr' said the widow,
devoutly; "Ishould consider it wus tly.
in in the face of Providence not to
marry such a man-if he asked me-
But Mr.. Van Vleet stalked in with a
brief ''goodday," threw an armful OF
blossoms into the lap OF Amazin Grace,
and said:
I'm ready for weddin'."
did you get my letter." asked the
girl.
"Yep! 1t warn't, to say. lovin'. but
took yer meanin'. i've fenced in the
hull north lot, and furbushed the house
up. so yer wouldn't know it, an kal.
culate eff We kin git married next week
it won't interfere with my spring work
-hey?"
Amazin Grace sat back and looked
the picture of surprise. The widow
thought she heard the cat in the pantry
and discreetly Withdrew. As the dooi
closed Farmer Van Vleet took two little
red hands in his, and bending forward
gave Amazin Grace an awful smack.
That seals the bargain, he said. bu,
the indignant girl jumped up and or
dcred him out Of the house. To her as
constituent he didn't bulge step.
'.Not mulch! l reckin I've a RICH,
to kiss yer now" he said, boldly-ther
he stepped to the door aud called, loud
": Mother! kun here!''
The widow must have been conven.
iently near, for she almost fell into the
room at bis first word, and be bestowed
another sounding smack on her.
Its all rite, be said. '.me an Amaz
in Grace is goin' to be married. anc
you kin dance 1t the weddin'."
"But-but the letter." gasped thu
girl. ''You amt understood q word Of
It."
1.-The fact is" said Farmer Van Vleet
Il amt had no eddication tn speak of
been too busy grubbin' land all my life
Ididn't rally read the letter to sense it