The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-07-15
LEATHER BREECHES.
And the Hard Fight Which Her
Lover Had to Win Her.

except the man who occasionally brought
corn to OldsSols still.
Old Sol was her father and a "moon-
sinner" He was called a 'smoonshiner''
because, being an illicit distiller, he was
supposed to run his still by moonlight to
prevent detection by the revenue officers.
But he wasn't a m~oonshiner in the strict
sense Of the word. He didn't run his
distiIlery by night any more than gov
ernment distillers did. There was no
need for it.
The still was in a pit under his own
hut, and the smoke found its way out
of his own chimney.
Subterranean pipes conducted the
water to and from the still, SO that
there was little danger of detection.
Besides this there was a small field Of
corn about the house, end altogether
this seemed to be the last place q rev
enue officer would look for an Illicit dis
tillery.
The vigilance of Leather Brooches
made it doubly safe, for she was handy
with Old Soils rife and never feared to
use it when the occasion demanded.
But she was a beauty-Leather Brooches
was.
Her black hair was like silk, and Ler
beautiful plump flesh shamed the most
luscious peach. Her eyesi There is a
large spring in western Georgia which,
from ito great depth, is supposed to be
bottomless, and has a blush tint like the
sea. A casual glance at its surface re-
veals nothing uncommon. But gaze
steadily through this pellucid water,
deep down into the bowels of the earth,
and a changing scene presents itself.
Variegated stones, pebbles, petriied
trees and sparkling crystals rise sue
cessively to your enchanted vision.
Leather Brooches eyes were like this.
She was a great help to Old Sol and a
great comfort, too, for when he was low
spirited she put her arm around hisneck
and kissed him, and sometimes teased
him to get him right again.
Often she would say, "Pap, I'm gwine
ter marry"
Leather Breeches," he would say,
ssdon't yer think uv it. Their man whut
gifts yer II halter whup me furst, that's
shore. An I amt no SLOUGH, fer Eve
done up ther best nv 'em in my time"
"Don't get riled, pap; / was jest er
plaguin' NV yer" she would console. 81
wouldn't leave yer fer nobody"
One evening Old Sol was chopping
some pine in front Of the cabin door
when a well dressed man with light hair
and blue eyes approached unobserved
and stood within a-few feet of him.
"Good evening"" said the stranger.
Old Sol Strengthened himself, eyed
him critically from head to foot and
said:
"Howdy."
II am seeking lodgings for the night"
said the well dressed man in answer to
this greeting.
Sol scrutinized him again as before,
and after some deliberation remarked:
Looks ter me lack I orter know yer"
"You ought" said the stranger. 'sIt's
no Disgrace
Il reckon not" said old Sol, in such a
tone as left some doubts as to whether
it was sarcasm or admiration.
81 remarked, /" said the stranger after
an awkward pause, 'sthat I was hunting
a place to spend the night"
"And don't yer know ther ways said
the old man with a foolish grin.
"No-I-the fact is I am a stranger
here and don't know any place to CO."
Dunno where yer wanter go ter?
Wal, I sw'ar."
Leather Brooches tripped out the door,
leveled q long rifle at the well dressed
man and commanded:
stranger, git"
The person addressed looked inquiring-
1y at Old Sol.
Stranger" said the old man, ssyern
halter do it. Sho's er mighty ~notionally
creature, that gal er mine is, but folks
gener'ly hurnors her in her ways"
SIS she crazyg"
"Crazy? Wal, / swar pine blank!
Crazy, strangerP Not by er dang sightF'
The stranger saw that he was in for it
and decided that to put on a bold front
wns the best policy.
''Shootin said he defiantly. 81 bavs
done nothing to merit it, and I'll dis
rather than I'll turn coward.
stranger" said the old man signi1-
cantly, s'sfe don't say often, she DON'T,
but when she says, she saysI"
The last phrase was spoken with a
peculiar emphasis which conveyed ex-
actly the idea intended, to wit: That
the declarations Of Leather Breeches in
important matters like the present were
NOT to be overruled.
Stranger" said Leather Brooches,
"