The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-01-28
was gveriastinly a-smilin', a-laughin', an

a-ein1tn'.
"She wus then jes' a-reachin' 'oE,anhood;
ulster feel powerful sad when I'd think the'
she wus no likely, sprightly an purity, an
he'd SIGH pore chance to enjoy herself lk'
most AZ Young gals an wus obleeged to stay
with two OF folks tibet wus mighty perticu
lar an always s-watchin' NV her.
"She'j read out'n books ter Inc nm Mandy,
AM il was more like hearin' o ther voice o q
angel than . human bein's.
.'Shs was s-gwine on ter II, an l never
s.ei q smarter chance for the maxim o n fine
oman than hers wus. Every country chap
In tho whole settlement WIS a-dyin' ter set
up ter her, but she didn't keer u snap fer eny
uf EN- She knowed thousan' times more
they did 1t jest looked ter my like she wus
too good fer eny Nv them.
"When she went ter meetin with her pap
an nam, m they BOT 30 gentle like, always
on Their same bench in the amen corner, we
oil felt kinder proud Nv EN-,
She berun calm me Uncle Joe at Their
fust. Almost every day she went TO Chatta-
noogy foot 10 fetch ther papers an letters
fer her pap. IL was right pcart trip Ter
her, but she made it reg lar, and seemed TO
get fat at il, for she got purifier an purifier
$50 I've already toll ye, she couldn't stan
the sight NV eny o Their neighbor young lei
Iers; but it wus with her finally ike IT Is
with most all desarvin wimen; tharS gem
er'lly some Teller that takes their eye, an
whuthcr he's as rich us n banker, as fun o
bug Juice as billed owl, or as pore as
starvin' razor back shote; they'll stick to EN-
like a sick cat to n hot rock.
"One evenin', when wus a-sproutin' over
thar in tibet OF wheat field, what it looks like
ther sassyfackl take the Ian bodaclously, L
seed some ono tibet surprised me moren
know how to tell we.
81 he'd jest gouged out'n the ground root
purity nigh as big as my thigh, an was
a-pufin' like smoke, a-restin' fer breathln'
spell or my grubbin' hoe handle, when
herd somebody a-talkin'; an peepln'
through the beach tree limbs, which wus
a-hangin' betwixt me an tho trail a-goin' to
town, cotch sight O. Stella, as red in Their
face as rose, n-talkin' to town chap
dressed as fine US fiddle Frum whar was
he looked like powerful good lookin' Teller.
"He was a-leanin' ag'in oak saplin
a-gazin' at her, us l lowed, with genuine love
streamin' out o. ais eyes, an actin fer the
world like he could eat her alive I'd seed
Kim before, an knowed him; he WIS rich,
promisin' young lawyer in Chattanoogy. lie
wusn't moren thirty er so, but all Their people
in the country thought power ov him, an
was a-talkin' nightly about putin him up
ter run fer congr IS, 50 heerd at Their court
house, ono day, whar he mace as fine speech
on the slavery question as he'd ever been
herd thar.
"He he'd black hair an eyes, wus a-wearin'
RoP rings an a chain, an diinunts wus
e.sparklin' blue an yalle- in the sun, on his
white shirt.
"When | seed era out thar. kinder dove
like asparkin', it made me think powerful
strong O. my young days, when me an Mandy
fust begun to tale on. Mandy was good
nough loolsin fer me in them times but then
she wllsn't nigh as purity as Stello,
"When ! fust cotch Their two together
tharo fclt mighty curtis aboutn ther heart
ter find her aliEin' o him; but tried to rec
once myself, Greflectn' that he's Jest the
Teller ter match fer an so, 'ccrdin'ly,
shocked away without bit o disturbance
captin few sticks a-crackin' under my feet
tibet they never heerd, so busy was they
a-taikiu', an then went on home through the
pastur', across Their spring branch by Their OF
OAK foot log 50 as not ter pass EN-.
81 know'd tibet she'd be on directly, so
couldn't hardly wait for her, fer ! never
dreamed but thet shed tell me the fust thing,
for she'd alays toll me everything about
herself.
Purity soon ] heerd her a-singin' an
askippin' along the gravel trail. 1t was
la-growin' dark but she ohsarved me as l was
arpilin' passe' o green corn stalks over Their
LOT fence 90 Their COWS. l made out was
mighty intent ar Consarned about Their COWS
oatin' on reyer 50 much % looked up rs she
come nigh me; / waited her to tell it ell
herself.
"She commenced a-!nquirin' about Mandy,
an how l was a-Lalrin' Nv IL, but merry
whisper -e gardin' NV ther strange Teller; an
tber fust thng ! knowed she Hus OF, a-put-
tin out fsr home rs fest as her feet would
take her, en- WIS left n-standin' a-lookin'
at my 81 brindley a-chawin' the fodder otl'n
cher stPlks m a-feelin' Ter the world rs CT
I'd swaller'd G. pccket o shot Then wps
about ths tlst tire that | begun Ter think
wimnin wus cUri'ser than men.
~ diGn', say n thing ter Mandy Nv what
I'd seed, but roIleS an tumoled thet blessed
nigpU long without wink o. sleep. i have
al'ays believed since thet It wus Is good spe-
.pit a-,,rgir' me to 90 s-looiin' arter tibet
pore gal.
''It went o. arterr ards, en- / sscd EN-
awaken rn' e-talkin' with one another
mighty nigh every evenin' as she'd be a COM
in back frcm Town.
"Cue day | made a pirt :er pass EN- kinder
accidental like, while 5hoy's a-leann' agin
ther fence, whac ne giner'ly left her, an
turned back. She looked up kinder surprised
like ord little flurried but smiled as usual
an said;
"'aowdy, Uncle JoeF
"Ter Hsil 70 tho ruth, rs kinder lookin' for
AID te: meet.n' Nv I'm, fer Is sartin tibet
Ssin' &c STEELE thought SIGH a power o me
thet bed DO Pleased ter see me; but thar's
whar drappod my candy, rs tier Sayin is;
osAstaad . thet 10 .ucned his face away an
looked d0vn ther liver without so much as
noe O. .le' 4eGd Thar's 'yhar larned what
| kind = Strf, he was made out'n, fer cotch q
/ ,ook oy aia face, an Of it he'd o been OF
/ EicG's hissoif, u couldn~ n-been more like q
rasap i..ilir' holns'Gu MS WIS.
| ~ I'll >or,s over ne in a minnit; seed it
Ell ~ Gay n IS fRce. : SGD then, ike a
| lisa, nay hs'C seen 50 alfred trech'rous
nhor5 lot gw,ra on {, II .her say ter ther
| t.cusa With her.
~ 'g5l SIipg, ,Oed1er'n q drove of hornets