Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-10-11

in the cool, gurgling creek, to wade
into it knee-deep for water-cress, to
pick tart, wild strawberries and to eat
all these delicacies with the sweet
homemade bread and country butter.
And after this delightful day, how
pleasant it was to roll in the sweet
Smelling hay, with the breezes cooling
their sun-burnt cheeks during the long
ride home.
The wagon drew up at last in front
of the village store, and the girl mar
shaled the children into the Coop"
with a good deal of forcible persua-
sion.
..How de do, Sister Johnson" said
the store keeper, who was also the
Mormon bishop; ''well, Caddie, l see
you're as fat and sarsy as you ever
| was"
Caddie stared at him scornfully, not
because she was offended at his free
language, she was quite used to that;
but this uncouth creature had as much
natural coquetry as any other fifteen
year-old girl.
"How much beyou payin' fer tip-top
butter now?" she asked; I'll let you
hev this here, eff you'll give me six bits
a roll fer it.
'.Oh, come now" he said, s'you
don't want to do me out o all my pro-
fits like that. Seem, it's you, PIl let
We hev two bits q pound fer it, an
that's more'n I'd do fer ennybody
else"
"Wel," said the girl, Il guess I'll
Jest look at some shoes, an if | kin see
T 20 e., he Int
ter"
Caddie's mother had gone with her
numerous offsprings to visit friend,
and Caddie was left alone to do her
trading. Her elderly admirer took ad-
vantage of this fact to plead his cause
with the handsome girl.
You've got a purity foot, fer a gal O.
your size" he said as she tried on pair
of calfskin shoes, declining all help
from him.
"Huh?" said the lady, too engrossed
with her task to notice the compli-
ment; ''yas, these here shoes fits kinder
slick, but don't b'lieve they's hold
water when the snow comes"
''Oh, they'll hold water fast
enough" he answered.; ''but they amt
half nice enough fer sech a hansum
foot as yourn. Now here's q pair o.
kid shoes I'm a-savin' fer my wife"
"Well,'t asked Caddie, sharply,
''then why don't you give UNI to her?
| Lord knows she needs UNI bad enuff."
Now look a-here, Cad" he said;
''thets tomfoolishness, an you know
it; Mirandy don't want fer nothin', and
she don't care about tineries, but most
girls does, an l tell you what, my
second'll hev the incest buds O any
woman in town."
Caddie had put her shoes on again
| by this time, and she did not propose
to listen to him 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, Il
guess not. [ kin jest see the way my
| ole woman IL hev to step around when
YOU air Mrs Burns. See here, Caddie,"
he added, as she turned to 90, Il want
to talk to you, an you might jest as
well listen now as emmy other time.
You know your pa went prospectin'
| last year, an | furnished the gubb fer
the trip. Well he found a purity good
claim, an now an Eastern company's
| sent an expert out here to look at it,
an like as not they'll buy it. Well,
one night yer pa got purity full here in
town, and | got him to sign bill O
sale of the mine. Now he don't know
nothin' bout the company. an he don't
know tibet the paper he signed wuz a
bill O sale to you, if you'd be sensible
and marry me, like your pa wants
you to-"
II 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 pack
ing box; her glorious brown hair had
| been blown loose by the wind, her rag
ged sun-bonnet hung by its strings
around her neck, her blue eyes were
bright with excitement, and her brown
cheeks glowed. The bishop looked at
her admiringly as he returned with the
paper. She rose to 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 villages, and then as he read aloud,
she suddenly snatched the paper and
threw it into the stove. He sprang
forward with an oath, but it was too
late, and when he turned to look fol-
the girl she was gone.
The next day Dick Johnson rode up
/ :,
to the loungers there that he meant to
said Burns had better have his gun
handy. Then the injured man began
to fortify himself with whisky for the
approaching duel.
whats the matter with Burns?'
asked one of the crowd; 81 allus
thought that you wuz on the best kind
O. terms with the bishop"
ooh, he's lived long enough, that's
ALL" answered old Dick; can my arms
air a-gittin' rusty fer want o use"
His enemy had been warned, Dick
was drunk enough to be dangerous,
and so he thought there was no reason
for waiting any longer, and, rising, he
slipped quietly out of the saloon, and
walked over to the Scoop"
Arriving there, he stood near the
door, watching the proprietor, until
the latter turned, when the hands Of
both men flew to their ready pistols,
and the shots rang out. The bishop
fell, and Dick, who was dead shot,
stood calmly looking at his victim.
The murdered mans wife ran in from
her rooms behind the store and flung
herself down beside the body, with a
heart-rending shrek. Then the men
l from I'll O 50 loon 1.11S cd in and stnnd