The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1890-04-12
IN A DILEMMA.

In A DILEMMA.
Mark Ramsey and Job Trotter were
often seen at the house Of old Squire Fill
pot, These visits were not due to any
regard Mark and Job may have had for
the squire, but were clearly traceable to
the love which they bore his daughter
Judy. The two young men were so
much alike physically that they might
have been taken for twins. They were
tall, strong and well built; they were
black eyed and long haired, sunburned
and hardened by exposure to all sorts of
hardships, The resemblance even ex-
tended to mental peculiarities. Mark
did not know long division from short
comings; neither did Job. Mark, given
the freest exercise of his arm, could not
with charred chunk have written his
name on the gable end of the barn;
neither could Job. Being so much alike
both physically and mentally, it was
small wonder that they loved Judy, who,
| by the way, was the handsomest girl in
the neighborhood.
She was more than merely handsome;
she was bright, quick TO learn, and, fat
tering gossip declared, could knit pair
of yarn socks or snatch the feathers off a
chicken as quickly and as effectually as
any girl in the community, regardless
of educational advantages. Judy loved
Mark and Job, but she could not decide
which one she preferred. This inability
gave her great concern, and often at
night, while patching her fathers brown
| jeans, or at evening when crouched in the
slowly darkening gold of dying day,
milking the muly COW, she would shut
her eyes, bring up the faces of her two
lovers, and attempt to force herself into
decision, but in vain, for when the gold
of evening had darkened into the char
coal of night, when old muly stood pa
tiently with one foot in the pail of milk,
Judy's love remained in equal division.
Old Filpot liked the boys, but, to have
saved his life, he could not have told
which one was his favorite. He was
willing she should marry one OF them, it
made no difference which, and he Sc
cretly wished that one of them, still no
matter which, would die, 80 that the re-
naming one could make his daughter
happy.
Neither one of the young men was ever
able to see the girl alone, for they kept
so close watch upon each others move
ments that one making disappearance at
the squire's house, was sure to be followed
Immediately by the other.
One morning, just as the squire and
Judy had arisen from the breakfast table,
voices in the sitting room announced to
well accustomed ears the arrival of the
lovers. The old man and his daughter
went in, and, following long and worn
habit, cordially shook hands with the visi-
tors and bade them feel perfectly at home
eve have come said Mark, ''to see il
wecan't sorter make some arrangements. :"
"That's what we have" Job put in.
81 want Judy" Mark added
$50 do l" said Job.
81 love her powerful" Mark observed.
81 love her just about the same" Job
declared
Gentlemen" said the squire, perplex-
edly stroking his whiskers, 81 don't see
how we are going to manage this affair.
Judy, don't you, arter all, love one just
little better than you do the otherf"
81 believe do, pap" she answered.
"Thar, we are 'gittin' at it. Now,
which one is itI"
'Thats what KANT tell, pap"
"Thar it goes again, an we are Just as
fur off as ever. Mark, amt you got
nothin' to suggestY'
Don't believe have. Job mout have. "
''No, hain't, lessen it is that she mar
ry me an be done with it.
'Yas, and reckon can make sich q
suggestion in favor of myself, - Mark re-
4 piled, and then half musingly added
81 do wish this thing was over with, fun
I am behind with my crap an my farms
runnin' down, for have to watch JOB
so close that
"Jest the same with me" Job broke in.
"Wall, now" said the old squire,
"suthin has got to be did, and did al
once, fur I'm tired of this here feverish
condition, as the feller says. 1 have
hearn my gran'daddy talk about cases
like this that took place in the old times,
and they never failed to git at settle
ment somehow ruther. 1t mout have
been by a match of some sort-foot race
rasslin', OF shootin'. l don't know ex.
actly how, but near as can ricolleck
the way gran'daddy told it they allus
left it to be decided by some's periority
that one he'll over the other"
I'm morn willin'," Job declared.
"What do you say, JudyS"
"Suits me, the girl answered.
"All right said the old man. owe
ken now begin to see our way c'lar; shall
it be rasslinY'
They agreed that it should be wrestling
and going out into the yard, gave them.
selves up to the contest, but the fatal
similarity again asserted itself, for the
young men were of equal strength and
agility Then they tried foot racing
they were of equal speed; rife shooting
they We're of equal skill.
'Wall, this do beat, and beat it peart,
too, anything ever seed" the old squire
declared. "Spozen you fling up chip
wet or dry?"
Don't believe like that idea, fur il
only shows luck without superiority, y
Mark answered. "How is yo' pulse
beatin' on that pint, Jobs"
"Beatin' low down in the shade, fur
don't like this idee.
"Wall, said the old man, "let's go in
the house and set down; might as well
be restin' while we're thinkin' up suthin'
else. Helloa! yander comes ParsOn
Briddle. Light, parson, and examine
yo' saddle" he added, as the preacher
drew up at the gate.
The parson dismounted, and, with the
old man, followed the lovers into the
house.
"Is it possible" said the preacher, in
response to declaration made by the
old squire, that you cannot, even by
the most persuasive appeal to sentiment,
settle this extremely eccentric court
ship"
"Can,t do il, one way nor tuther.n the