The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1889-04-06

whilst q tender expression stole into
his face, "over thar on the Preston
farm.
Her pap, Jim House, had jist come
over tho mountain from Fannin', and
was one o the Preston renters. l
went thar fur the purpose O. buyin' a
poke o. seed corn of a special variety
which had been the talk considerable
fur its bearin qualities, an which he
had fetched from Fannin.
II fust went to his shack, pore
enough cabin it was, too, fur sich
agreeable folks to live in, but it was
the best they could git as it was late in
year when they moved, an good, com
Portable houses was as sca'ce as hens
teeth them times.
His wife was busy a-cookin' dinner
at the chimbley, was a-pattin' q batch
o meal dough in oven as ] come up.
She had II neat look, an Willie she was
a-diroctin' me whar to find Jim, l cast
my eyes bit on the inside.
''Td seed as many cabins as the next
un, but that was the most homo like
un I'd seed in many day.
"Tho flat rocks o the hearth was rs
clean as new straw, not even spock
o ashes. An the shelves, agin the
logs, wGs kivered ith papers cut not
chity on aigc. Everything was as
bright as pin.
Il found jim an his daughter Mary
down in ten acre field in the creek
bottom. lLe was q layin' off corn rows
with bay nag in first rate order; she
was a drappin' the seed, an her brother,
young strip of boy, was kiverin it
18th hoe.
"Shc come up, ketchcd up 18th the
plow, while me an her pa was tallsin'.
/ thought on my soul had never seed
another sich. Her face, which | seed
when she showed back her bonnet, was
the purtticst I'd over put eyes on. |
didn't hear half what House had to say
recommendin' o. the seed, which he
was powerful partial to, Ease had my
mind on her.
He tol Mary to go back 18th me to
the house an Gil my poke with the
corn; an when | aXed i'm how much
the damage was he shuck his head an
said: Never mind about that-that he
b'lievod in bcin' ncighborly.'
mo words passed 'twiXt me an her
on the way. She was so powerful shy.
Is afeard almost to draw my breath,
much less to strike up conversation.
Her motions couldn't a-beon beat on
earth.
when we riched the crib, nothin'
'cept q pen o pine poles, she riched in
an filed the poke. tol' her l was
very much obleeged fur the 'commo-
dation.
Not at all, she said, 'thout lookin'
up, en- left me thar.
Il stopped behind clumpo o bushes
in the big road an watched her on the
way back to the field. | never was
much Of han to take on over wo
men; in fact, no end O people was of
the opinion at I'd live an die ole
batch, but just thar | firmly believe /
tuck a turn-leastwiso | knowed
hadn't seed the last o that gal.
THE fust step | tuck after that was
to find out whar they went to meetin'.
The mectin' house was two mile
iurder'n the one I'd been goin' to, but
hat didn't mex no Odds 1t was all |
could do to wait till Sunday, l was so
sot on scein' her agin.
You are agoin' to j'ine our side,
Die Beasley said, agrinnin' l,nowin'
ike. when ] overtuck i'm on the
neetin' house road. You may have
ny ole hat ef 'tain't Jim Houses gal
ats fetchin' so many o you fcllers
rom t'othcr side the river. You got |
up an fed fore day, I'll bound you.
The parsonll have to have the meetin'
mousse made bigger to 'commodatc the
Thar's powerful sight
} intrust abcin' tuck lately in the
word O the Lord.
II never said nothin'; it wasn't no
Use. jest whipped my mule to make
i'm keep up 18th his loss, an we went
IN to the mectin' house.
II hitched an went in.
Thar they sot, Mary an her mother
ide by side on the women's side, and
louise an his son Oh t'other
Il didn't pay overly much attention
o what tho parson had to say. fur ]
couldn't keep my mind off'n Mary.
lowsomever, when it was ended an
le began to cxhort mourners to come
lp to the mourners' bench, an Mary
liz, so digniled, an went for'ard, l
uck a triile int'rust myself an went
Up with a passle o men feiiers to be
prayed fur.
AFTER meetin' l j'ined House out
ide; l felt just as BACKYARD bout goin'
Ugh his daughter as before. AS ex-
'ected, lie aXed me to dinner an |
vent long. There were three or four
Oilers, mostly from our settlement, the
asst one of 'em a-hankerin' arter Mary,
ist lack so many bees a-buzzin' around
fresh flower.
II said nothin' to her nor them
other. | was layin' low-some'n'
oi me that when it come 70 stretch
wouldn't be no furder behind an any
he rest. The other fe!lers went on
head 18th the two women an shuilled
ny deck o cyards with the ole man
on fellers II see how the game was
layed out.
Purity soon Mrs. House she drop
ed back with us, said she couldn't
tam Their foolish chatterin'. Then !
roceeded to git better acquainted
nth her. | talked to her about the
reachin' an sich matters as women
her age most generally keer fur.