Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-09-14
ten minutes presented him the foon,;,.
draught. " 'Ae efea'


tankard. He took it down At ono e
draught. e eiesa'
All, that's good" he said sand ro
minds me Of the little inn NV noront,
used US to keep on the English coast
nat $ where l was born, nigh forty
years ago. Ny real name is peter
Stiles. 40 e'ei
Up till I was 1e, I was no larger
tnan ordinary boys. My father prem
1iced me to carpenter in village.
little way inland, and was SO fond Of
the trade and so handy with the TOOLS
'hat managed to buy my time when
was 10.
when was 10; then, remem-
oer, was six feet three, and still grow
ing. Twas big every way, except in
weight; I never got we'll filled out. AZ
you see me now, till I was 80. But
at IS 1 was long-limbed, had lots of
muscle, and was strong as horse.
That was the time my love-scrape
began. Annie, little rosy-cheeked
lass, not high enough to get a good hold
on my arm, was bar-naid at her fathers
Inn. L used to go there O. nights, after
hard days work, for drink of ale ;
and when some of the loungers would
banter me to show how strong I was,
would take up three or four Of them in
bunch under each arm, and walk of
with them.
"This kind of thing seemed to please
the bar-maid; and when her old father,
whose skin was always full of his own
ale, would say, 'Ah, Annie, he's the
man for thee, lass! she would blush
and pout, and go upstairs.
Before I was twenty-one, we were en-
gagged. I was then six feet eight, and
so strong and active I felt that 1 was
sure that 1 hadn't done growing yet.
"Well, there was about year when
was as loye-sick chap as you'd wish to
see. I saw Annie two evenings a week,
and went with her to the Dissenter's
Chapel on Sunday. I suppose it looked
odd to see that little mite going along
by such chap as I was. and often
saw folks smiling and laughing be-
hind our backs. But for long time
Annie didn't seem to mind it,
and I was sure didn't-not even when
the saucy boys would shout after us
%, Goliah where you goin' with that
child?'
Zone night I told her about the little
house was going to build with my own
hands for us, and asked her to set the
wedding-day about six weeks off. She
looked serious, and I saw there was
trouble brewing. 1t came out while we
talked. She said her mother had been
talking to her. Her mother was con-
tent with me as was then; but she in
sisted on our waiting year, to see if
got any bigger.
"'What do you mean?' says I, in g
huff. Cant you love bigger man
than I amp
so, Idon't care, Peter, how big, yor
get, said the girl, between laughing and
crying. But mother gives me nc
peace, saying it'll never do to have a
giant in the family, and you'll make us
all ridiculous. don't mind it.
'Good-by to you, then, Miss Annie
MAXWELL I said, in heat. If you OF
your mother think you can't stand q
foot more of me, we'd better part now.
II went away in anger. That night
old Maxwell came over to ask me tc
think better of it, and told me he had
scolded his wife for meddling hussy
But it was too late. I had considerable
big-boy pride in those days, and I held
out stubborn. I threw over the Max
wells, and accepted one of the many
offers that had reached me, to show
through the United Kingdom.
cts just as WE'LL" the General medi
tatively added Il might have married
Annie, and been happy with her
though I never should have seen any
more of the world than that seacoas
corner OF England. But her mother
all, that was different affair! Let MI
advise you, my young fellow" and thu
Generals eye became droll, "if yo'
ever get to be giant, you don't want
mother-in-law."
did you never see Annie again?"
, inquired.
20, yes; only three years ago. Ate
I had showed many years across tn
ocean, came over here, and began t
lay up money to buy plac
, for the old folks. I did it; the
are living on it now in Con
necticut. Along with them came Ami
: and her husband and seven children
: They were all in the tent when showe'
, at New Haven And such man a
+ Annie had married! A little five-foot
, six chap, looking as if he hardly ha'
sunnk enough to say his soul was nj