The Red Cloud chief., 1884-08-22

JRANDPA'S COURTSHIP.
Il exsn't so very long ago-'bous forty year.
1Aat / first went ACQUIRING Deacon BodkA
dsrfer Bees.
Or. ieasiways. Betsey was her nansT but tina
Amt here nor there
She vas an awful purity g><with yailow-or
burn hair,
An checks as round an rosy as any temp,ln
Tint makes a fssef smack lis lips because ii
out o rcscn.
Hit ws- down in ole Missouri. an was kecpin
bach.
When me an Deacon Bodkin's gal first though
about a match.
! lad a little cabin. an q good chunk OF
soss.
In Back erik bottom. side the erik. The Dea
On 'tosher si1e a mile or two: an when tn.
erik WAS low
I usst % ford Ct every day. to see my ga. go,
know.
The Dcacon-wal I reckon nor that he wa,
purity SQUARE: z
No letter an no wusscr then other people aS
Hut the" he want no favorae with me;
Twas cause he couldn't see the pint o. fne
acourtin Bess.
And wbeB he found that m an her was Sant-
Bic rarcd and lore. and ordered me TO Jttsi 81,
APP an hast.
the reason why he got so mai az ne is easy
told
twas 'carFe my breocbe .pockets ~asn't clut-
He 'osei ,aar ! hal better emf and go Jest
His d %%srs 'h HaSfS hev man as pore a.
ne.ro ssas is; r. r ss' ssnsyr chap. a arover.
He ha S' risSt s@sr, o r$ney. say a thousand
more or less
bat be was mortal humlSs ana awk'ard as a
And Eets declared she wan " goln' to hov no
An whea the deacon rared IA tore. an or
dered me away,
SHE up an vowed. emphatic lie, tha, she
wonid never stay
To marry any drover that ever wore a hat,
An what tie itcacon's dartcr said Site meant.
an that was Hat.
The Dra~on's wicc-Aunt Janc-shc so.A O
favored inc.
An alus made me we come, when Le WASH
thar u see: \
Bat when the Deacon rarei an swCre THO
Bcs- should marry s.
EThe drov"rs name was SI'us-j "or he'd hiOg
The TeIs1u TIH."
Aunt Jane. she sided long 81 Bcss. ani-wai,
im free TO say.
%e got cur plans all ready. fur we owed t.
run away.
80 Tess, she .yaihered up her close. an me,
49,
me in the lane,
An brung two cups an sassers. that was yjs,
her by Aunt Jane:
Then she cIumb up behind me, for nv boss
would carry two,
An OF we struck TO ,rard the erik, &c highest
distance through.
Fur ! lowed that we could ford Il. bein' Tom,
my boss was stout,
Ia. when We reached ti, ford, ! see my rpck.
oning Wa out.
Fur ihc erik had riz that very day, and got so
mortal high.
, sec we couldn't forl il. an IL want no use to
Try.
An fur a IN mute | Jest thought our cake had
turned 10 dough,
An Jest tsat very minute. while we was stand
ing still.
We hecrd the sound of horses hoofs. a-tearin'
down the hill.
An Bess, she give a little scream. and lii right
of her boss,
For twas her pa acomin', with the drover,
Silas Cross.
An'-wali, had ~toc'lect my thoughts, and that
most thundcrin quick,
An so ! made "a grab fur Bess, and jumped
right In the erik.
The ~h,cr billed around us, but I struck out
fur the shore,
An I swum as / don't reckin 1 he'd ever swum
tcfore:
Bu: we goa across. an there we stood, a.drip-
pin, wet. and cod,
An Bcss' hair hung down her back, just like a
shower of gold.
But We were saTed. and purity soon we found
some friends of Bcss.
An / went fur the preacher while they helped
her change her dress;
There want no license needed then, an
twasn't long tell we
Mas man an wife, an started home. as happy
"a could he.
An who should be there waitin' at the bars
hut Tom my hossr
j knowed I was safe 10 leave him, fur he'd
folier me across.
An the bunch of else that Bess had brung
was there all safe and dry,
A-hangIn' To the pummel where we left en-
her and l..
An-wal, there haint much more 10 tell; but
III about Il week
9he Deacon come a-walkin' i'm. a-lookin' pow
erfiil meek;
An after shakin' hands with both, he SAYS:
Would you believe
That orncrr, ticivin' 81. he stole my boss an
tuck French leave,
He d!d-tie finest boss | madam lit riaht out,
the cuss;
But ef he Il got my iarter, too, t would been
a blamed sight wGss.
An ever sencc you swuni that erik, I've
thought that YOU ana me
Would make good pandncrs. after al: so let's
IA itch up acn gee:
Fur Jane he : wantin' powerful bad to see
you both agin.
An though you stole my darter, 1 reckon
Fur toe n that you saved her from that thieyiu'
rascal S,
III any body WAS TO blame, / guess I was
only l."
An SO the neacon tuck us home to live with
hma an Jane,
An neither of EN- wouldn't hear TO let us go
again.
An SO we've lived here ever Sence, me an
| your grandma, Bess.
In tins one house fur forty year, / reckin,
more or less.
Wal. children. that's the story I've bin prom
Using 10 you,
An you kin ask your grandma il 7 hay'n nj old
it true.
-Helsn Whitney Clark, in Continent.