Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1890-05-02
A CASE OF TRUE LOVE.

e
house and fell in love with her. JEFF
yearned to be presented TO her, but he
knew no one, and as be was not q diploma
list, his connection with the public having
thus far been confined to the deck of Mis-
sissippi river steamboat be had 70 content
himself with standing on the outskirts of
the crowd, and gazing with eating eyes at
the bewitching young woman. lie learned
that old Barnes, the girls father, was
quite a we'll to-do farmer, and the next
day on a pretext of looking for 'strayed
horse. he called at the Barnes homestead
Minnie met him with ielightfal courtesy
she answered his questions with regard
TO the horse; told him with tremor Of pa
thos in her voice that her mother had been
dead number OF years, and even brought
him u glass Of cream from the spring house
where the green frog sat under the drip
ping moss and sang coarse accompan
iment to the cricket's sharp edge chant
jeff came again the next day, declaring
that he had been told that the horse had
been seen strolling in that direction. The
girl told him of her bird that had died, and
with the corner of her checked apron wip
cd star away from her eye. When JEFF
went away he ran into the woods and pas
sionately hugged black oak tree. Three
days later he called again and when she
asked him if he had found his horse, he
dropped on his knees and desperately ex-
claimed:
Lovely critter, OH heavenly critter l
don't know horse when | see him. Oh!
first June apple of backward season, lead
me not into talkin' about you. Minnie, if
love was noise, you'd think that saw
mill had been started in your ears. Sweet
lilac Oh q spring morning; sweet perfume
of wild plum blossoms in the June air. !
love you"
Minnie lifted the corner Of her apron,
wiped another star from her eye and de-
clared that her other bird was dead.
''Oh, let the birds die" be cried. LET
everything die 'eept you and me. Will
you be mad if tell you that want you
to be my wifef'
"No, won't be mad, but l can't tell
you that will be. I am always going to
do just what pap says If he says that
l mout marry you, wy am sure that l
will
"Hummin' bird that lives on honey, whar
is yo' pap''
"He is ont in the field gittin' the hogs
outcn the turnips"
''Mockin' bird that sings the song of
perfumed soul, l will go and see your pap"
He found the old man in the field.
Barnes could not have stepped into draw
ingroom and posed as an ornament, still
he was not Unlocking He had set out so
much tobacco that his shoulders were
stopped and had cut so much grain with
a cradle that he walked with swing, but
the expression of his face was kindly and
his voice soft and persuasive.
Jeff talked some time before stating the
object of his visit, and when he did de-
clare himself, the old man, instead Of show
ing offense, quietly remarked;
II reckon young folks know what is suit
ed to their taste, but amt allus got the
best artikle of Judgement. Come and see
Inc at the house to-morer.
JEFF called the next day. Now" said the
old man, 'I have found out that Minnie
loves you, but that don't satisfy me for all
the years Of trouble and anxiety about her.
Don't you think We OugLter take that inter
consideration Of course you do. Well,
now, here's my idee: You know Jacob
worked like the mischief for Rachel, which
was no more than right. considerin' the
fact that RachePs father had raised the
girl, and l tell you what it is, the sooner
W we git back to them Bible days the better
it will be for us all. Now, I won't be as
hard man to deal with as RachePs father
was; I am mighty easy man, 50, you
work for one year an Minnie is your'n.
What do you say"
jeff threw his arms about the man. He
declared that the old-time idea was q
glorious one "We'll draw up contract"
said the old man. "And it's got to be
powerful bindin'," he added. you must
swar that you wont speak to nobody, not
even your best friend, about this transac-
ton. You must jest go along an do your
work and nobody must know that you amt
gittin' regular wages"
jeff agreed to everything, signed the
contract and went out into the field where
he was to work The old man had made
great preparations for a large crop that
year, had bought a number of new wedding
hoes and hired two young fellows, Sam
Drake and Tall Smith. JEFF found the two
young fellows very easy to get along with
they worked side by side when the
weather was so hot that blisters arose on
the horse pOnd-they cradled the wheat
and cut the hay, singing the while the
sweet song of contented labor.
The crops were all gathered and the
three men went into the woods to split
rails. 1t was an October afternoon and the
grasshopper had begnn to grow stiff in his
joints. The lizard, knowing that winter
was almost at hand, bathed in the sun
shine, and the horse-hy, with one wing
ragged and torn, buzzed where the warm
light fell on the dead leaf The boys, hav-
ing felled large tree, sat down to rest,
when JEFF remarked II am mighty glad
that the end Of the year is so close. l am
tired of this hard work, and if l could ]
would rest to-day, for l amt feelin' so
we'll"
II reckon you would lay off to-day if
you want afeered the old man would dock
you," Sam Drake answered
Tall Smith sat on stump, chewing a
sassafras twig.
'No, amt Altered Of bein docked nur
nothin' of that sort, boys" JEFF replied
Say" he continued, you boys won't say
nothin' if tell you something, will your
The boys said they would not and JEFF
continued; "I'll tell yon Why l amt
afeered Of bein' docked. 1promised to
work here one year if the old man would
give me nnie-fact-what's the matter
with you7 Promised not to have anything
to say to the girl durin' the time an"
"Hold on" Sam yelled. THAT was my
contract with the old man"
Tall spat out the sassairas twig, sprang
to his feet and exclaimed:
That's my contract, and want you to
understand it"
Then there arose such controversy that
L.,