The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1888-11-14


whose cleaning breadths, seen at inter
walls through the oyerhanging willows,
together with the long sweep of green
aud brown and gold bunch grass that
bowed its tasselcd heads as the breeze
passed over it, waving like many
colored sea, away TO the dark mountains
with their snowy tops, formed picture
almost sublime IN its perfect lovelness.
THAT there grass is cen Almost ready
TO cut" remarked old Dick. 81 guess
I'll borry the Bishops hay rick to-
morrer, an' 20 after q load o. hay, an
you young tiers kin come along an help
stamp it, Of you want to-
The children set up joyful shout for
this was a treat to them, as it would be
to any one, TO tumble about in the long
grass, to fish for minnows in the cool,
gurgling creek, to wade into it knee-deep
for watercress, to pick tart, wild straw
berries. and to eat all these delicaces
with the sweet home made bread and
country butter. And after this delight
ful day, how plcasantit was to roll in the
sweet-smeling hay, with the breeles
cooling their sun-burned cheeks during
the long ride home
The wagon drewup at last in front of
the village store, and the girl marshalcd
the children into the scoop" with q
good deal of forcble persuasion.
"How de do, Sister johnson" " said the
storekeeper, who was also the Mormon
Bishop; ''well, Caddie, see you're as
fat and sarsy as you ever was"
Caddie stared at him scOrnfully, not
because she was offended at his free Ian
guage, she was quite used to that but
this uncouth creature had as much nat
ural coquetry as any other 1j-year old
girl.
GLOW much be you pain fer tip top
butter now" she asked; 'Ill let you
hev' this here, ef you'll giy'.me six bits
a roll fer it"
ooh, come now," he said, you don't
want to do me out of all my profits like
that. Seein' it's you, I'll let yc hev two
bits pound fer it, aud that's more'n I'd
do fer anybody else. "
"Well," said the girl, 81 guess I'H
Jest look at some shoes, and if | kin see
par | like, I'll Jest take 'em for the
butter"
Caddies mother had gone with her
numerous offspring to visit friend, and
Caddie was lett alone to do her trading.
Her elderly admirer took advantage of
this fact to plead his case with the hand,
some girl.
you've got a purity face fer a gal of
your size, " he said, as she tried on pair
OF calfskiu shoes, declining all help
from him.
"Huhr' said the lady, too engrossed
with her task to notice the compliment; :;
"these here shoes fits kinder slick, but
l don't b'licye they'll hold water when
the snow comes"
ooh, they'll hold water fast enough, +"
he answered; "but they amt half lice
enough fer such handsome gal. Now
here's par O. kid shoes Pm savin' fer
my vie"
"Well," asked Caddie, sharply, "then
why don't you give um to her? She
needs um bad enuff."
"Now look here, Cad," he said,
"that's m-foolishness, an you know
it; Mirandy don't want fer nothin', an
she don't care about tineries, but most
girls does, an tell you what, my Sec
ond'll hev the incest duds o. any woman
in town"
Caldie had put on her shoes again by
this time, and she d d not propose to
listen to IN any longer. 1t would not
be wise to quarrel with the Bishop. but
she had no desire "to play second fiddle
in no kind o music" and she told him
so.
"Haw, haw, haw," he laughed, 81
guess not. | kin Jest see the way my
ole woman I'll hev to step around when
you air Mrs. Burns. See here, Caddie, ~
he added, as she turned to go, al want
to talk to you, an you might lest as
well listen now as emmy other time You
know your pa went prospectin' last year,
am | furnished the grub fer the trip.
Well, he found putty good claim, an
now an eastern company's sent an expert
out here to look at it, an like MS not
they'll bay it. Well, one night yer pa
got purity full here in town, and l got
him to sign bill o. sale of the mIne.
Now he don't know nothin' bout the
company, an he don't know thet the
paper he signed wuz a bill o. sale. I've
got grubbiu' on the mine, ennyway, an
I've got mines o. my own an money, too,
an | wouldn't mind givin' this bill o.
sale to you if yon'd be sensible an marry
me, like your pa wants you to-"
81 don't b'lieve you've got no bill O.
sale, said the girl quietly; ''show me
the paper"
Her face was dark with anger. She
looked very pretty as she sat there in
the dingy little store on long packing
box; her glorious brown hair had been
blown loose by the wind, her ragged
sunbonnet hung by its strings around her
neck, her blue eyes were bright with ex-
citement, and her brown checks glowed.
The Bishop looked at her admiringly as
he returned with the paper She rose
10 her feet, and her slight, round figure
showed, even through the clumsy pink
calico, its graceful curves. She moved
round between him and the open door
of the stove, in which a wood fire burned,
for the evenings are cold in these noun
tain vii ages, aud then, as he read aloud,
she suddenly snatched the paper and
threw it into the stove. lie sprang for
ward with an oath. but it was too late,
and when he turned to look for the girl
she was gone.
The next day Dick johnson rode up to
the saloon, and gravely announced to
the loungers there that he meant to
shoot old Burns on sight, and that the
said Burns had better have his gun
handy. Then the injured man began to
tortily himself with whisky for the ap-
preaching duel.
whats the matter with Burns Z"
asked one OF the crowd Il allus thought
that you wuz on the best kind o. terms
with the Bishop"