The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-11-09


on!' Lookin' up we seed Kildee. When
Bill seed her his eye begun to shine
(mine too, speks, ledge, said the old
man, laughing). Me an Bill both
liked Kildee like she were our sister;
it were Their only thing me and him
was like in. ledge, yer bet we three
had Their biggest time round this yer
ole settlement you ever hearn OF. We'd
play like we wuz growed up an 'ud
keep house an all SIGH things. Course
Kildee 'ud be Their ole oman an keep
house. Me an Bill did Their huntin'
and she'd do Their skinnin' an cookin',
'ceptin' oncet in ar while when we
didn't kill enough to suit her. she'd
grab the ole flint rife, go in Their woods,
an when it banged somethin' allus
drapped. WAL, yer bet she could shoot.
Things went on this way fer ar long
long time; playin' like, yer know. But
'twan't SO many years afore we begun
to think bout sure 'nough.' That
same kim of somethin' what tells lettle
bars they amt cubs no longer begun
to tell us. yer got ter stop yer playin'
like
Zone mawnin', fer Their first time,
we got to talkin' bout the matter.
Bill wuz allus ready to talk bout Kill
dee, so we set an talked ar long time
bout which OF us should have Kildee
for his ole oman. 'Twouldn't have
been Bill if he hadn't wanted ter give
her to me, cause he were jes that good
hearted; but, yer know, ledge, l
couldn't, | wouldn't let him do that
But we couldn't, agree on nuthin'; so
we said we'd leave Their whole thing
ter kildee fer ter fix. an we'd do jes'
like she said, didn't make no difference
what it were. So mex day when all
three of we-uns were in Big Bar Cave
ups and SEE:
"'Kildee, me an Bill air in trouble
An when we tell yer what it's we air
afraid you will just holler, an will
make all sorts Of fun outen us, but we
ain a-carin'. It's jes this, we-uns hev
been cubs long enough, an now it's
time we be gittin' growed up. An we
amt perticuler smart, but we is got
gumption 'nough ter know two fellers
can't hev the same gal fer his ole
oman. You hain't never showed no
differuns in yer likin' of us. Kildee,
but you must fix some kinder way fer
one of us ter git yer. Now the one
which gifts left he'll hev ter go over
an work on Squire Carter's gal.
Course, Kildee, don't nuther one of us
want ter hev ter leave yer (and, ledge,
when l sed that my eyes begun to
get watery), but it's better fer one ter
git left than both. Now, whatever you
say we'll do without ar word; say yer
say. Kildee.'
Every thing war so still yer could
heer deer tread. We know'd she
were ez peart an bright ez ar cricket
an would do right. She stopped,
thought ar leetle, then, raisin' her head,
with them eyes ar shinin', sed:
".No, fellers, ther amt nuthin' bout
that ter laugh over. / he'd been
a-thinkin' bout that, too. don't like
Bill no better than yer, and yer no
better than Bill, but it's like yer SEE;
so III jes' do this:
=" Ole Squire Pearson has been talk
in lots to Dad an Nam bout cities an
larnin'. | dunno no more bout Their
things than ar squirrel does bout pot
Ticker, but they pears mighty nice.
Now Their one of yer that ull fin out
bout them fust, I'll slap this here ole
han right PUNK in hisun.'
"Jedge, when she sed that, seq ter
myself, Bill. she's yourn.' Bill he
stood still an wuz thoughtful like. l
knowed he wuz so glad ter git her, but
then he wanted me to hev her too. The
sweat begun ter run down my face, but
| didn't say ar word. We'd sed we'd
do jes' like she sed. She didn't hev no
idea who she was trottin' down ter
Squire Carriers, but knowed.
.'Ar few days arter that. ar hard
lookin' mounting chap left hyar with
all his belongings swung on his back.
He had begged and begged me ter go
too, but sed no, I'd stay an take ker
of Their ole folks an keep my eye on
Kildee fer him. He didn't hev no min
as ter whar he war goin', but sed he
wuz goin' till he found ar city. When
we sed good-by, we couldn't tell why.
but ther tears begun to sprout in our
eyes. Bill sed: Ike, keep good keer
of Kildee till l come back. We may be
growed up then, but we-uns will still
be Their same ole Ike an Bill
After he left, me an Kildee KEEP up
our frolics, but 'twarn't like it ulster
be. When we'd think bout Bill the
tears 'ud bergin to come to Kildee's
eyes, but she'd pull up the corner of
her apron, wipe them erway an say:
Never min, he'll come back afore
many years an then we'll be so happy
again"
"'Bout ar year arter. there come
past here some men what called them
selves surveyors. They went up to
Squire Smiths an asked to put up ar
few weeks.
'Kildee war bout eighteen then,
nigh as 1 recall. an a pulitzer or pear
ter gal never slapped foot on the ole
m