Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1889-11-28
New Series, Vol. 20, No 49


proffered hand "Tobe Singletree OF
fered ter bet me the biggest one won
weigh over four hundred, but L knOV
better. Betten's er fools argument, bu
| tole him I'd put my hoss ergin hisl
that it 'ud pull within twenty-five u
five hundred, either way. I'll kill e
passel Nv 'em on Thahksgiyin' Eve, e
the weather's favorable Tobe's goin
ter marry Cinthy mex Christmas time e
he ken make the necessary arrangement.
with her, an l think he kin-so Ireckin
eff 1 do lose er gal I'll win er boss. THAI
goes er man l wanter see" And ht
tumbled from his seat and waddleC
briskly away.
The news about Cinthy made Burton
paler than usual. He loved her, and il
may have been unmanly, but he did it
went into his office and cried.
The weather was clear and cold On
the spring branch in two-acre pen, the
hogs were "cOrralled." Tobe Singletree
was there, a pert, quick-spoken young
man, with deep-set eyes and a sandy
goatee; Zed Cants was there, mildewed
youth of nineteen, dressed in high
water suit of red jeans, on which fingered
a distressing flavor of turpentine whisky.
Old Nath. was there.
The prize barrow was the last to be
inundated. "Now, Zed," said Nath.,
''you say you're good shot, an ez kilt
the others, spOsen you fotch this un
down."
"Al rite"
He fired. The hog threw up his head
and snorted.
in house." said Tobe.
"The fack is" protested Zed, 81
coulnd't hit the groun' with my hat las
mite, an I'm sorter shaky ter-day."
sect outen the way" said Tobe, san
see me drap i'm"
At the flash of the rifle the hog squeal-
ed and ran limping to the farthest corner
of the pen.
Old Nath. was furious. "Er man." he
rallied, 'who couldn't hit er hog ez big
ez that 'un order be made shoot er pop
gun the ballunce Nv his days. P'rhaps,
ez you bet ergin its weight, you're will
ing now ter swear it won't pull twenty
pounds? Gimme the gun"
"Hold on, Colonel" said a man who
had walked up to the fence and with his
arms across the top rail stood quietly
enjoying the fun. 'Let me kill it.
"Whut with?" sneered Tobe, ser club?"
"You could shoot better with one, |
see," replied Burton-it was he.
ser lawyer shoots better with his
MOUTH responded Tobe.
"In the courthouse, yes. But here
his favorite weapon is the rifle"
He took the gun like one used to it
and neatly 'dropt" the hog.
'Say, young feller, never knowed
you could shoot" exclaimed Nath |
Thought you wuz erfeered NV er gun"
1--WE all think wrong sometimes, Col
onel''
The hog was cleaned and drawn
"Now," said old Nath. "Tobe bets it
won't pull over four hundred. say it'll
fetch five hundred, one side or tother,
not further'n twenty five pounds. What
you say, Mr.. Burton?"
''I wOu1d estimate it at four hundred I
and eighty.
1t weighed four hundred and ninety
"Say, young feller, you've got more
sense than l give you credit fur. l
thought you never knowed nothin' but
law" said old Nath., effusively.
"We all think wrong sometimes, Mr..
Doyle. This morning Miss Cinthy and
L thought to get married without your
consent. But we concluded it would be
a poor Thanksgiving to treat you to to-
so we came down tC see you
about it. There she stands by the big
beech tree"
"Cinthy, come here" the old man
called.
She came. "What's this mean?" he
asked.
"Didn't Mr.. Burton tell you, pappy?"
"Yes, but confOun' it, what-what
will your nanny say?"
"She has already said yes" was the
answer.
"Waal, when er mans wife's ergin
i'm, reck'n he'd better knock under.
But Tobe-"
"Tobe's bizness lays rollin'," said that
gentleman, moving away.
"Tobe," called the Colonel, don't
want yer hoss."
II don't, nuther. Nor my gun, nuth-
er l don't want nothin' erbout me ter
make me think NV this day." and he dis
appeared in the hazel thicket.
x ,
Fatty bread and sausage are not good ,
for the digestion of a man whose habits
Ire sedentary. But when he marries on
Day, the woman he loves {
and who loves him, the wedding feast is :
If snail concern to him. So it was with
Burton. :
"Walter," said the Colonel, solemnly, '
With one hand on his son-in-law's shoul- g
Ter and the other on side of the prize i
log, as they stood in the smoke-hOuse t
hat night after an inspection of the con- 1
ents, ''at the very minnit you spoke er- l
bout my fine hogs in the Caney range, :
" you did that mornin', 1 felt my grip \
IN Cinthy er loosenin' an your'n er d
ightenin' But | wuz too stubborn ter b
yive up then. Won't you take er dram L
,efo' goin' ter bed? But you don't S
lrink. Mos lawyers do. Waal, eff there I
z er time when kin erford to take one, 0
t liz when hog KILN. Thanksgivin' an !
II weddin' all come right erlong tergeth- =
II in my family b