Wichita eagle., 1888-03-09

seed a smarter chance for the maxim o. fine
oman than hers wus. Every country chap
IN the whole settlement wus a-dyin' ter set
up ter her, but she didn't keer q snap fer eny
uf EN- She knowed a thousan' times moren
they did 1t jest looked ter my like she wus
too good fer envy Nv them
when she went ter meetin' with her pap
an nam, an they sot so gentle like, always
On Their same bench in the amen corner, We
all felt kinder proud Nv en-
She begun a-calliRme Uncle Joe at ther
fust. Almost every day she went to Chatta-
noocy a-foot to fetch Their papers an letters
fer her pap. 1t was right peart trip fer
her, but she made it req lar, and seemed to
get fat at it, for she got purifier an purifier.
$50 I've already TOT ye, she couldn't stan
the sight Nv eny o ther neighbor young fell
lers: but it wus with her finally like it IS
with most all desarvin' wimen; thars gen.
zr-Ifv some Teller that takes their eye, an
whuther he's as rick as a banker, as full O
bug juice as a billed owl, or as pore as q
starvin' razor back shote; they'll stick to 'em
like sick cat TO a hot rock.
One evenin', when wus a-sproutin' over
thar in thet OF wheat field, what it looks like
Their sassyfack1 take the Ian bodac,ously,
SSod some one LicI Lie uSl u
know how to tell ye.
Il he'd Jest gouged out'n the ground a root
purity nigh as big as my thigh, an was
a-puftin like smoke, a-restin' fer breathin
spell on my grubbin' hoe handle, when /
heerd somebody a-talkin'; an peepin
through the beach tree limbs, which wus
a-langin' betwi1t NE an the trail a-goin' to
town, cotch sight o Stella, as red in Their
face as a rose, a-talkin' to a town chap
dressed as fine as fiddle Frum whar was
he looked like powerful good lookin' feller.
He was a-leanin ag'in a oak saplin'
again at her, as lowed, with genuine love
streamin' out o his eyes, an actin fer the
world, ike he could eat her alive. I'd seed
him before, an kuowed him; he wus rich,
prOmisin' young lawyer in Chattanoogy. He
wusn'u moren thirty er so, but al ther people
in the country thought power ov him, an
was atalkin' nightly about putin him up
ter run fer congress, so herd at ther court
house, one day, whar he made as fine speech
on the slavery question as he'd ever been
herd thar.
He he'd black hair an eyes, wus a-wearin
gor rings an chain, an dimuuts WIS
a-sparklin' blue an yaller in the sun, on his
white shirt.
When | seed EN- out thar. kinder dove
like a-sparkin', IL made me think powerful
strong o my young days, when me an Mandy
fust begun to take on Mandy was good
'nough lookin' fer me in them times, but then
she wusn't nigh as purity as Stella
when l fust cotch ther two together
thare, l felt mighty curtis aboutn Their heart
ter find her a-likin' 0 him; but tried to rec
L. in tIar Ia'- ~
Teller ter match her, an 50, 'cordln'ly, i
sneeked away without a bit o disturbance
'ceptin few sticks a-crackin' under nv feet
tibet they never hesrd, so busy was they
a-taIkIn', an then went on home through the
pastur, across Their spring branch by Their OF
OAK foot log SO as not ter pass EN-
Il know'd tibet she'd be on directly, so /
couldn't hardly wait for her, fer l never
dreamed but thet she'd tell me the fust thing.
for she'd aiays toll me everything about
herself
Purity soon I heerd her a-singir' an
a-skippin' along the gravel trail. II was
a-growin' dark. but she observed HE as l was
a-pilin' passle' o green corn stalks over Their
lot fence to Their cows. | made out | was
mighty intent an consumed about Their cows
eatin' an never SO much IS looked up as she
come nigh NE; l wanted her to tell it all
herself
''She commenced a-inquirin' about Mandy,
an how l WIS a-rnakin' Nv it, but marry
whisper regardin' Nv Their strange Teller; an
Their fust thing | knowed she WIS of, a-pUt-
tin out fer home as fast as her feet would
take her, an wus left a-standin' a-lookiII'
st my OF brindley a-chawin' the fodder off-n
Their stalks, an a-feelin' fer the world as ef
III swaIlerd a pocket O shot. Then WIS
about the fUst time that begun ter think
wimnin wus curi'ser than men
Il didn't say thing ter Mandy Nv what
I'd seed, but | rolled an tumbled tibet blessed
night long without wink o sleep. l have
aIays believed since tibet It wus good spe-
reit a-urgin' me to De a-lookin' arter thet
pore gal
1T went on afterwards, an I seed EN-
a-walkin' an a-ta.kin' with one another
mighty nigh every evenin' as she'd be aeon
in back from town.
lone day made a pint ter pass EN- kinder
accidental like, while they's a-lesuln' asin
Their fence, whar he giner'ly left her, an
turned back She looked up kinder surprised
Ike and little furried, but smiled as usual
an said;
- 'uowiE, Uncle JoeT
Ter tell We the truth, Is kinder lookin' for
ard ter meetin' Nv i'm, fsr Is sartin tibet
bein' as Stella thought SIGH power o me
tket he'd be pleased ter see me; but thars
whar l drapped my candy, as Their sayin is;
onstead o tibet, he turned his face away an
looked down Their river without so much as a
nod o Their head Thars whar | larned what
kind o stuff he was made out'n, Ter | cotch
look ov his face, an eff it he'd O been OF
Nick's kisself, it couldn't a-heen more ike a
sheep KILN houn's an his wus.
1T all come over ME IL a minnit; l seed il
all as day in his face. | seed then, ike a
flash. why he'd been so ALFRED trech'rous
about not gwine on all Their way ter Their
house with her.
II was bling, madier'n drove Of hornets
with busted hest, as / went on down the
trail a-cutchin' nv ak handle, a-trembling
from head to foot and as cold as ice around
the heart. I'd about him so quick it would
a-made yer head swim, and could a-stomped
the life out Of his sueakIng fine face as freely
as | would a snake; but l considered spell.
and a-knowin' that she loved him, knowed
it'd a-made her more unhappy; so concluded
Jest TO wait, and to talk 20 her with the bark
on the fust chance got.
Il caught glim of her now an then AFTER
that but she always ducked her purity waller
head, Shamed like, and passed NE like a
streak.
Il kept sharp lockout from that time on
He had quit comm out home with her all a.
once, and her purity fat cheeks began pinchin'
sorter: the red was leavin' them mighty fast,
and l never heard her voice singing and
humming, as was her way; the smile that
made her white face so angel-hke l never
seed agin.
Il stopped her one evening at the bars:
stepped out OF a clump of elder sprouts pint