Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-04-02

meetin' Nick he come up ter me an says,
says he, Sis, I'm comm ovur ter yer
| house ter night knowd yer didn't want
him ter come, but | couldn't tell him
when thar wuZ so many folks er standn'
err round er gain an er gapin'."
"Could err done it ef yer'd been er mind
ter" said the old man. 81 know in rea-
SON"
"Pap," exclaimed the girl, springing to
her feet 81 hear Nick er comm down
! frail him if he comes into the yard, so
! please, sir, let me go an tell him not ter
come in"
"1.et her 90, lobe" said Mrs. Crabtree.
con, POUNDS - exclaimed the old man
turning sharply upon his wife. 81 do Der
lieve that yer air encouragin' nv ther
trllin' rascal. Let John 90 an tel him. -
81 amt got no truck with him." John
replied. 1t was now too dark to study
faces, otherwise the old man would have
seen the grateful look which the girl cast
upon her brother
"Wall, then" said old lobe, ego on an
tell him, but come right on back. Ef yer
stay over time I'll come an larrup the
whelp anyhow"
Sis hurried down the lane.
"Wy, eff here amt Their little oman
come ter meet me- said Nick MS he dis
cerned through the gloom. the graceful
figure of the girl. "llello, little"
an don't say er word till git through
Pap is awful mad at yer an sw 'ars that eff
ever yer come in the yard az in he Will
take er pole an frail YER
"Whut's he mad at me er bout -
81 don't know
"Nis yer don said Nick as he placed
one hand on the rail fence.
"Wall, he says yer amt no count
Got er right to say it, ! reckon. Let's
go an argy Their question with him.
EUR pity sake, Nick, yer don't know
whut yer're talkin' er bout. He'll frail
yer jes Ell soon Ell yer put yer foot in ther
yard"
"Wall, I ken stan outside an argy cross
the fence
"Oh, Nick, please 90 back. Eff yer love
me, don't come here no mo-"
OFF | love yer, how ken hep comm -
please don't talk thater way but 90
back an don't come no mo- tell pap says
yer mout. Please 90 away, Nick" she
implored, advancing and placing her hands
on his shoulders. EYER know / love
thar pap's calm me: Good bye, Nick.
No, don't foller me IF yer do IN never
speak ter yer ag'in as long as | live
"Ho, Sis ~ called the old man.
"rm er comm ~ she shouted; then
Selling Nick, she kissed him, and whis-
pered Il know yer amt no count, Nick,
but KANT hep lovin' yer. Goodbye"
John ~ said old lobe, a few days later
"ez Their groun' is too wet ter pillow an ez
er gin'l wet spell peers ter be comm on,
hits err good time ter raise Their barn.
You'd better git on yer boss an tell the
neighbo's that Wen want their hep
bright'n 'arly ter NOR mawnin'."
"All right, sir"
An say, John, be sho' an tell Nose
Sanders an Tai Smith that they mus
come whuther or no, fur | want 'em ter
take up Their corners"
The Crabtrees were astir at an early
hour the next morning. 81 don't see
whit anybody wants ter live this way
fur" Sis remarked to her mother "Thar's
allus som ethn' on hans ter drager body
outen bed"
Hush, Sis; hush. Yer pap's mad al
ready. Their haugs got In Their fiel' las
night an have rooted up mighty nigh
all NV whit little dab NV wheat we had"
''Wall, muir KANT help that. Must |
be drug outen bed ever time Their haugs
roots up anything -
isis, oh, Sis" called old lobe.
Vas, sir, I'm er comm eff yer jis' give
me time"
80 is Cbrismus er comm" the old man
Come on now an stir yer
stumps. You an yer motherll have er
pretty tight pull ter day. Hurry up, fur
some nv Their men air already in sight, an
it 'ud be er everlastin' shame fur 'em ter
find any NV us in bed. ~
Nose Sanders ana Tai Smith entered
the yard and were warmly welcomed.
and hair which looked like the dead silk
of an ear OF corn. He had never been es-
teemed on account OF intellectual activity,
but was noted for the deXterity with
which he could handle an AK. Tai Smith,
as his acquaintances said, struck a pretty
fair average in every way without being
remarkable in anything, excepting, how
ever, an appetite which denied cOmpeti-
ton, and which fingered long at table
before acknowledging satisfaction.
Mighty glad ter see yer, boys said
old lobe Come in. He won't bite yer
Git out !" he exclaimed, storming at a
dog. ''Walk right in"
The two men sat down. Sis entered the
room. The two men nodded their heads
at her.
she looks ez putty ez er pink this
said Smith
"Must be er thinkin' Nv her sweethot,"
Sanders suggested.
81 haven't been dom no SIGH NV er
thing Sis sharply retorted. 81 amt got
none"
"Uh hah yer KANT tell me that way"
said Sanders. Nearly ever young fellow
in Their neighborhood is cuttin' ther eyes
at yer"
"Wall, they nee'n GER"
"Gentlemen," said Old lobe, eff yer've
lldtl DItthluS yer II DtlltT COME on, lllr /
her Their other folks comm. | did wanter
git all Their logs put up ter day SOS | ken
kiver Their ruff at my lezhar."
Hearty collaboration makes hard work
easy, otherwise the building of an old
fashioned barn would be a tedious achieve
ment. The men went to work with rough
but good humOred badinage Every man
who had joke on any one else who was
present told it. Chips flew from the cor
ners where skillful aXemen made the logs
join, and strong arms with handspikes
and "skids" showed enormous timbers into
position.
"Wall, dog my cats !" exclaimed San
ders, standing erect on his corner and
shading his eyes with his hand "yander
comes Wuthless Nick. Whut bizness has
he got here, yer reckon Didn't think he
wanted ter rang roun' any place whar
work wuz goin' on"
"He amt got no bzness here, let me tell
you" said old lobe. I'm er greet mine
ter take saplin an larrup him often ther
place"
Don't tech him." someone rejoined
fur we sdOn't want no howlin round
here ~