The Great Falls leader. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1888-1890, 1888-09-01

boundin' away to'ard Lost Grow Barren,
She were gone fer u couple hours, an then
she kim boundin' back ag1n an fetched
with her nice fat lamb!
"Hatnt this painter actin a leetlo
queerF says ''Or is this the way they
do wen they hev companyT'
II didn't stop to argy, but in less time
TIM kin tell it. squire, them woods was
bein' scented with their fust sniff O. roast
lamb. The paint er KEEP glaucin' at me
outen corner Of her eye She stayed by
me oil day, an fore night she'd got over
her b.shfulness. an were settin' right
long side o me. lookin' inter my face e.,
gentle ez fawn. All purrin like u cat
on the h'arth, only twenty times louder.
ITO cut this contribution to nat'ral
hist'ry short. squire. afore night the mex
day the 'stoundin' truth busted in on me,
an | felt like tearil,' my hair all thumpln'
my head agin the rocks
"'1've scaped FIN Suse an the gals O
Sugar Swamp. says l. I skinned away,
b'gosh. I'm their love in the clearins. an
were tindin' peace in the wildernest. says
l, an now wat do strike? A paint 'er,
says !. "A female painter sees me. an
arter seein' me. says l. goes all falls
heels over head and dead in love with me!
Goshtl-mighty!' says; 'Hain't none O.
the sex proof agin me?'
When the truth dropped on me were
braidin' snare to ketch some big trout
had seen in a brook nigh the cave Havin'
no string, l had chopped with my jack
knife lock o hair often my head to braid
an twist inter piece long an strong
Tough to make the snare The loose
lock I had put in fiat tin t'backer box
th't giuer'ly carried by buckskin string
round my neck, SOS l couldn't lose it.,
t'backer bein' sca'ce an high, The dis.
kivery o the painters hankerin' fer me
knocked all hankerin' fer trout outen me-,
IN limped away to think it over, leavin'
the box whar it laid.
'Tmorrow night, says l, lame ez l
be. I'll give the painter the slip!"
''That night she showed by her nosin' at
me, an her giner'l bearin', that she'd like
to see me in her cave. lit a big pine
knot, carried it inside, and stood it in one
corner. The torch was trifle fickerin'
but it made the cave light all over sot
down on rock. Bimeby the painter
went over to the pine knot an scratched
an paved at the light till she put it all
out but little flicker at the top Then
she kinder edged to'ards me, bashful and
shy. but pooty soon plunked herself
squar' in my lap an laid her head on my
shoulder!
"'Gosh t'lmightyl' says I, If she hahn t
gone an turned down tho light an wants
20 set up an spark jest like real galr
II sprung right up an went out. not
carin' durn w'ether hurt her feelin's or
not. Mex mornin', my leg bein better,
felt cheered up, an SO says I'd hev that
mess O. trout fore run away I'm the
love sick painter anyhow, but couldn't
find my t'backer box an hair. The paint
'er d gone on her reg'lar mornin's mark.
etin', an were 'spectin' her back ev'ry
minute. Vile I were loolxin' fer my
t'backer box see her comm down the
ridge. She were carryin' sumpin' in her
mouth th't looked queer were wonder.
in wit wat it could be, wen she bounced
inter the openin' an laid her ,narketin' on
the ground. give one look at it an kim
nigh jumpin' plumb outen my skin. fer
thar laid little Dominic Ripper, havin'
been lugged in by the paint'r FIN some.
whar by the seat of his buckskin breechesl
| Topped the Dominic over an soon
fetched him to. helped him up on his
feet, an he looked round with his eyes
hangin' out like the big eend of a banty
hens egg The painter kim up to me
an put her paws on my chist. an shs
never looked so durn lovin' at me afore
Vile she were lookin' tn kim a report
like small clap O thunder. an my
painter fell dead at my feet The little
Dominic stood on t'other side O. her with
pistol nigh foot long, an he had sent
all th't it held clean through the painters
brain: looked down at her ez she lay
thar dead, an sumpin shiny on her breast
ketched my eye stopped down. Lay
in plumb over her heart, an fastend
round her neck by the buckskin string,
were my tin t'backer box, with tn lock O.
hair in It!
esquire, that were tetchin' sight, an, ',
b'gosh, had to blubberl
II toll the Dominic the story O. the
painters love, an he tol' me how he'd
been waylaid by her an yanked in afore
he could say boo.
But wat in under the blue cannerpy
did she want to fetch you in fory says.
Did she think had tooth fer Dominic
an buckskin breeches?
"'No,' said the little Dominic. Cant
ye see?' says he She'd sot her heart on
havin you. says he, an fetched me in to
do the marryin', ez sure ez my name is
Dominic Ripperr
Esquire"
But the squire was moving toward the
door. and he went out without word,
leaving the old settler to muse alone on
the q'leer things nature used to do i'll the
olden time.-Ed Mott in Chicago Herald.
Tho Princes Pewter Mug.
About year ago Prince George Of
Wales was sent to his ship after vaca:
tion wherein he became greatly involved
in debt) quite penniless, and with warn
ing lecture from his father. Shortly after
the christening Of the Battenburg baby
occurred, and presents were sent to the
infant in great quantities, and of value
commensurate to his exalted rank Prince
George duly and dutifully sent his offer
ing-a pewter mug with tag attached,
on which was written: ITO my beloved
nephew, with the hope that when his
nephew Is christened he will be able to