Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-03-21

AAAo VIC LID hA6SA v u
in sense are y? Better come down hyur.
Mr.. John Baker, he just came by an he
sed he seed them young yaller turkeys
er's, an that ornery Bills boy out with
agun!"
Polly's rich, rolling voice sent these
words up the stairs into Miss Martha's
cool room, where she was sewing one
hot August afternoon.
"What!" exclaimed Miss Martha.
"Well, I'll Just have to go straight off
and see to them, or they Ill every last
n be killed"
Quickly on with, bonnet and gloves,
she was off down the cleaning white
road. like that famous war-horse who
shifted the battle from afar.
She soon beheld her enemy sitting on
the fence beneath q tree at the roadside;
q slim, sallow lad, bare-footed, straw
hat, dirty unbleached muslin shirt, blue
o%veralls, "galluses," which drew the
wasitband Of the same up under his
arms.
"Jack Bills" began Miss Martha,
"what in the name Of sense are you do
in with that gunp"
"Paw's," said he.
"Well, he ID no business to let you
have it. Been shootin' turkeys?"
No, ma'am."
"Seen any?"
mo, ma'am."
Il know better"
"Who told you SOP"
Miss Martha was unguarded enough
to answer.
"Mr. John Baker"
"Ho! Humph! Hello, Mr.. John Ba-
kerr"
turkeys?"'
down yam way" with a nod.
"What did you do to them?"
"Never done nothin'."
"Don't tell me What did you do?"
"Nothin'; only but fire a stone at one
of 'em. Didn't INTELLECTUALLY.
"Oh, Heavens! You wretch! Where
did they go to-"
"Nowhere; only down the road"
Stiff1y marched Miss Martha away.
Cried her enemy:
"May be Mr.. John Baker d help you
drive 'em home"
No reply from the irate bonnet, set
steadfastly toward the turkeys.
Her flock homeward turned, she was
slowly progressing when she heard bug
| gy wheels, and a voice called out:
"Miss Marthy !-Whoa" othc horse.
''Miss Marthy STAND up here!-I'm
going up the country a ways here to get
some seed wheat. Won't you go long,
for a ridep'
81 can't, possibly. Mr.. John. I've
rnt RI rot fboco tI,rEovo horon "=
80, let them 90 by themselves, and
I'd like to have company"
"lWhy didn't you ask your mother?"
"What did you sayp oh, well, she
was busy"
$50 am l."
"No, you amt. Do you know, Miss
Marthy, Isometimes think I'll kill every
turkey you've got.
why, John Baker! What do you
mean"
"Well, you give 'em all your time.
Say, now, come on; won't your"
'What! Go riding in a s%un-bonnet
and buckskin gloves?'
Yes; what difference does that
make?'
Miss Martha smiled.
"Oh, no, l can't. My turkeys. Good
day"-and she was gone.
Il wouldn't care N Jake Bills ID
shoot EN- ALL" thought John.
"Good %evenin', Polly. Is Miss Mar
thy IMP"
Twas John Baker who asked it, and
Polly replied:
.'Yes 'ah. But she's down in the
edge of the orchard shutting up her tur-
keys"
"All right. Guess I'll just walk
around that way"
The sun had set, but the violet west
ern clouds, dashed and lined with rud-
dy light, still shed a pure, clear glow
over the landscape; the vivid green of
the corn, now toned by the fuzzy white
of its ~tassels, the dull yellow of the
fields of cut wheat. and the soft brown
of mown meadows, presented a calm,
restful scene.
Coming up through the red, fragra ut
clover OF the orchard was a slim figure,
with frizzy black hair blown about over
its head, whitish skirts festoned over its
arms. an apron, full of soft something,
gathered up in front. John Baker has
tened to join it.
Good even, Miss Marthy. Can't I
! help you7'
those turkeys in front of YOU"
John sad nothing aloud for a few
moments, but walked on by her side,
pulling clover blossoms as he went.
"When do you reckon you'll cutyour
second growth, Miss Marthy?"