Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1886-05-12
"BILL HEDDEN'S GAL"
A Tale, Roughly Told, of How She
Broke a Mans Heart.

n 1eioj IeOuB MY iOiS,, VI I1OW one
Broke Mans Heart.
Thar amt no use talkin', fur it's
jist as plain as the nose on your face
that Nance Joyce. is the best-lookin'
gal in Riley County. | amt much of
iightin' man, and | don't want to
make no onplcasantncss now, but I'm
willin' to back Nance fur all she's
worth agin the whole female popyla-
ton"
Tho speaker, n tall, raw-boncd and
rather handsome young man dressed
in a blue flannel shirt, and in trousers
that looked as though they might at one
time have been of any color of the rain
DOW, but that now were of whatever
neutral tint the observer might choose
to call them. leaned against the counter
of the saloon" and with a glass of
whisky in his hand glanced defiantly
around the room. Finally, as ht was
finishing his speech, his eyes rested on
a man, apparently tcamstcr, for he
had whip in his hand, such as was
used at the time-twenty-iive years ago
by the drivers of the Government
wagons. Evidently he was in no cheer
iul mood, for while all the others in the
room were laughing and talking over
their liquor, he sat, not drinking as
they were, but looking at the floor as
though intently engaged in studying
the cracks and stains and knot-holes
with which it aboundcd, while his fin
gers were neryously twisting and un-
twisting the lash of his whip. Seem
ingly he paid no attention to the chal-
lenge in behalf of the claims of Nance
Joyce to be the handsomest girl in
Riley County, though close observer
might have noticed that as the last
words were spoken he put additional
energy into his twisting and untwisting
processes ut though to get rid in that
way OF a superabundance of nervous
energy.
You'd better mind how you talk,
Dave Milligan, said man a good deal
older, to Judge by his gray beard and
STOPPING figure, than anyone else pres
ent; "thar's them present, or least
wise one" glancing toward the quiet
teamster as he spoke, "who ain t goin'
TO allow as Nance Joyce is purifier nor
Bill Hedden's gal. Not as it's any
o. my business, but they do say, least
wise the women do down on the Blue
that Bills gals bespoke, and the man
as is got her amt so burned fur from
this saloon neither"
But even this rather pointed refer
enc9 failed to arouse the alleged lover
of "Bill Hedden's GAL" though, as be-
fore, he played more energctically-al-
most spasmodically with his whplash.
He did not, however. raise his eyes
from the floor, though he certainly
must have heard the low laugh that
ran through the crowd at the remarks
of the two speakers. With a wink that
was intended to be significant to all
present of determination to push
matters still further, the first speaker
Dave Milligan, as the old man called
him-made another attempt TO rouse
the silent teamster.
''Its all well enough" he said, fur
old man Strykcr to talk jist for the sake
o. talkin' fur that's about what he's
dom when he kinder allows as Bill
Hedden's gals took up with n MULE
driver. Bills gal has notions higher
nor any kite as ever sailed above this
airtb. Didn't Bill send her to the
States for her schoolin' and didn't she
come back spcakin' half dozen furrin
LIMOGES and playin' the pianny like that
Taliani as was up at Leavenworth last
Christmasp Didn't she skip over the
perairy as if she war an antelope, firt-
ing her real silk dress as Bill give her,
jist as If it war the star-spangled ban
ner, Tutoring in harrycaneP SIGH
likes as her amt goin' in fur mule
drivers if they knows themselves, and
they ginerally does. Bits gals layin'
her lines for officer up at the Fort
and Bill hissclf is a-backin her, tooth
and nail. That's the sort of game as
is up, and mule-drivers is goin' to be
nowhar."
A loud laugh greeted this speech.
and Dave Milligan, evidently thinking
that he had said enough to pro-
woke fight, and that he had a
right to look for this result, straight
encd himself up and, giving his trousers
hitch, awaited any assault that might
be made.
But still the teamster made no re-
spouse, either by word or deed. Dave
walked up and down the floor, winking
and chuckling over his easy victory,
till, finally encouraged by the jecrs that
his remarks called forth from his COM
panions, he struttcd across to where
tho tcamster sat fumbling with his
whip, and, standing in front of him,
with his hands rammed far down into
his trousers pockets and his legs wide
apart, looked at the object of his attack
with half plying. half contcmptuous
look on his face.
Let him alone, Daver' cried man
from the far end Of the room. Thar
amt no spunk in him. The idce o.
Bill Hcddcn's gal takin' on with a
milksop like him is enough to make a
coyote laugh. She's rs spirited as a
buffalo calf when it's had its first meal
o. grass, and she don't want no lab
borGafts about her."