The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1886-09-29
A Romance ia Trousers.


Among the old mountain farmers who
come 10 Hageretown, Md, every court
dav Is Joe Simmons. When he came
down last week be brought with hun an
odd-looking couple TO be married Joe
paid the half-doIIar for the license, and
after the ceremony by the judge that
joined Lucy banning and Daniel Frcme
together for life. the couple took ice cream
at Joe's expense, and a. he gazed on them
admiringly from his seat on barrel out
side the refreshment saloon, he told the
little crowd around him the novel story
of Michael and Lney's courtship-
Lucy is % years old. She i about the
average height, well shaped, with d sun
bronzed face, large hands, black, spark
ling eyes. and short, dark-brown hair
Michael is a nephew of Simmons. He Is
tall, raw-boned, typical mountaineer.
The novelty about Lucy Is the fact that
she only recently appeared in public as a
woman, having always before worn the
breeches, and been known as Luke Dan
ming
She had only been wearing dresses four
months when she was married. Luke
Il geod-looking young fellow. came to
Simmons place about a year ago and
asked for work He said he had a Wild
owed mother to support ON the south side
of Sonth Mountain
Bring your mother over, boy" said
Simmons. ~and YOU can build hut and
work at wood-ehopping when don't
want you ON the farm
Luke was industrious and daring. He
was a splendid rider and good hunter
Last winter he killed seven deer and
eleven bears.
There WIS always kind Of shyness
about the fellow, however, that / couldn't
understand" +" said Joe He never went
to any of the hoe-downs with the young
folks, but after work always returned
home 10 his mother. He never associa-
ted with any Of the men, excepting Mi
chael, and he seemed 10 take very kindly
to him. They often went hunting TO-
gether. 1t was on one Of these trips that,
Michael Frone was startled with the dis
covery that his companion was wo-
man.
This was in last April Luke's dog
had treed a young squirrel in an old tree
that overhung steep cliff. The hunters
had met with poor luck that day. and
determined to get that squirrel at all haz-
ards. Luke raised his gun and banged
away. Down dropped the squirrel into
the rtvine II landed On ledge about
fifteen feet down the almost perpendicu-
lar side Of the rocks.
Luke, with his customary daring.
dropped his gun. grabbed hold Of the
roots of tree, and swung himself over
He stepped on protrlding boulder in
his descent. which slipped, and he fell.
He turned over, his head striking a rock
on the ledge, knocking him senseless
He had his eiasp-knife in his hand, hay-
ing just used it to cut away some bushes
that impeded his descent His arm doub-
led under him, and the sharp knife cut
him severely in the breast
Frome succeeded in making the lie
scent to his injured companion. He has
tily tore his companions ehirt open, and
while restoring Luke 70 consciousness and /
stopping the flow Of blood from the I
wounds, Frome discovered the sex Of the I.
young hunter
Well, my wife went over and Mrs. I
banning the widow then told how Lucy 4
for that was Lakes real name-had put 4
on boys clothes when she was l6 wears 4
old and her father died, and told her 4
mother that she was young and strong /
and could easily pass as a boy Her sex
was suspected on the other side of the
mountain, where she had previously been
working, and she vas compelled to seek
elsewhere.
Michael had thought 4 good deal Of
Luke, and Of course he thought more ~ .
Lucy When he saw her in -kirts his
friendship turned to love, and Lnc- can-
fessed to Michael that she loved hin. bong
before he knew she was a woman