The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1885-11-26
KEzIAH Thew.


Benjamin Thew was returning home
ward with long, heavy rifle ON his
shoulder when he heard of Basil
Bonyford's attentions to his daughter
Keziah. He met Ezra Lewis in the
road, which was little more than a
mountain path over the rugged eastern
spurs of the Alleghanys. Ezra stopped
in the road to admire the large, fat
buck thrown across the saddle of the
horse Thew was leading.
you're famous shot. Uncle Ben"
he said, "a famous shot" Benjamin
Thew was very proud of his skill as a
hunter, and of his daughter Keziah.
He turned his dust-colored, wrinkled
face toward the setting sun, and a
about the corners of his thin lips.
Then Ezra Lewis added, Il reckon
there amt your ekal in this part of
Virginny, oniess it be young Baz Boyn-
ford"
"Yes," Thew replied, II hear he can
shoot leetle at blazed tree, but L
never knew Wing Wit that had narve
for raj shootin'."
"Why, Uncle Ben, thought you an
Baz were great friends. I've been
hearing he is to be half of wedding
at your house, and your Kizzie tother
half"
At this the point of Thew's high,
thin nose, which was curved like the
beak of en- eagle, appeared to creep
down toward his short, struggling mus
tache. and he replied: "Him, Baz
Boynford, why his father in his time
was the rankest old Wing on the
mountain. What an idea! Who start
ed that lie?'
Il dino, Uncle Ben. / heard it,
IT'S all moonshine, Ez. No half
faced Wing can do any marrying with
Kiz whilst l live, nor after; red deer
don't mate with gray squirrel"
An hour later, utter Benjamin Thew
had carefully rubbed his rifle, probed
piece of buckskin into its nozzle and
laid it on the pegs near the broad
chimney in his kitchen, he turned to
Keziah and said: whats this 1 hear
about Baz Boynford ?"
Keziah looked up from the browning
corn bread in the Dutch oven, the lid
of which she had just removed, and re-
piled: Il don't know, pap, 1 didn't
carry your ears"
Il denied it, Kizzie, right fiat"
Keziah bent lower over the oven and
said: ayes, pap, what did you hear?"
II heerd that Baz Boynford had his
eyes set on you.
"Who told you that, pap?"
IL met Ez Lewis when / was coming
down the mountain and he told me-"
Hearing no response from his daught-
er, Thew asked: "What do you say to
that, KiZZie?'
"Oh, to that? I'm sure / think if Ez
Lewis used his hands more and his
tongue less he would be much better
off"
"Yes, that may be so; he is rather
shiftless critter, but you are not an
swering about Baz Boynford's eyes on
you"
"Oh, that? Well, Pm sure that
they are not very bad eyes, pap. I've
seen good many worse"
Thew stood beside his daughter, laid
one of his long bony hands on her
shoulder, and said: "Now, look here,
Kizzie, sence you have no mother nor
sister nor brother, I'm responsible for
you"
Keziah replied laughingly: "Of
course you are, papa, and am respon-
sible for you since you have no one else
to care for you, and you don't know
how it worries me sometimes"
"Yes, of course, Kizzie, and my duty
is to keep YOU from going wrong"
Keziah's face became very red ut this
and she exclaimed hotly: ME going
wrong, pap; did Ezra Lewis dare say
that, and did you hear it without
shooting him."
"He said there was talk of you and
Baz Boynford marrying"
ooh, that? Is that all ?"
what worse wrong can you do than
that, Lizzie?"
"Why. that's nothing, pap"
"Nothingl That nothingl Why, Kiz-
z-i-e, how you talk-Nothingl Moth
ingl and nina Whigp
ooh, indeed, is that so dreadful bad ?"
bad Why, what in the world can
be worse?"
what, to be Whig?" exclaimed
Keziah, with little laugh; "and wha,
are you. pap?'
aMe? mel Thank God Their amt nary
drop of Wing blood in my veins"
isn't there, pap? L didn't know.
Then after little pause Keziah added
"Tm sure my marrying Baz wouldn'i
add any Wing blood to rour veins
Would it, pap?'
Keziah turned the smoking corr
bread out of the Dutch oven and laid
il on the table while she was speaking