Thomas County cat., 1890-10-16

he asks you to marry him. I have
come to the conclusion that I love you.
I think that you woald make fust.-
rate chunk of wife, an I want you to
set the day when you will marry me. .
"Lem," said the girl. Il wish you
would git down an whup that feler. :"
@All right" Lem answered. "Say"
addressing Turkey, "git down outen
that tree while Pm hitcllin' my hoss.
Turkey climbed down; Lem hitched
his horse Then there ensued as vig-
orous fight as any Of them had ever
seen, and when Lem, with his nose
still bleeding and with his eyes bulged
out. mounted his horse, Turkey re-
marked: "When you want a leetle
more, reckon you know whar to find
me-"
When the bruised lover had wiped
the blood off his nose and had arranged
his eyes, he asked Sallie to marry him.
no." the girl answered, II can't
marry a man that will let freckled-
face thing whip him."
Several weeks later Sallie was walk
ing along a road, returning from a
visit to a neighbor, when Turkey
stepped from behind tree.
what air you doin' here?" the girl
Indignantly asked.
"I'm bowin' an a scrapin' to the
puttiest girl in the world" he an
swered.
well, I want you to go on away an
let me alone"
"Ef wimin was let alone they would
starve to death" he rejoined.
Il wouldn't"
"Yes, you would, cause You air too
putty to work. I think that sich
wimin as you ought to be treated Jest
like blooded hoss-oughtenter work
none"
"Thar amt many men that thinks
they oughtener work none" she an
swered.
Il know that, but you bet I'm one.
Say, when air you goin' to marry me?"
Never, you goose, you."
"Huh, er good big change from q
turkey to goose. Say, down in my
bottom fiel, right up in the corner OF
the fence, right up under box elder
bush, thar is a flower that I call Sallie.
Every day I fetch water in my hat an
pour it on the beautiful thing, an /
allus say that when the frost comes an
kills it thar will be another flower still
pulitzer settin' right by my fire. Helloa,
yander comes Luke Barker. Ireckon
you lowed he would be along here"
"Yes, 1 did," she answered.
"Why don't you make this feller go
away?" Luke asked, when he had come
up and spoken to the girl.
II can't" she answered.
"But l can."
"Then make him."
Luke seized Turkey; Turkey grabbed
him, slammed him against the ground,
and then, when he got up, kicked him
out of the road. That evening. when
Luke went over to Benson's and asked
Sallie to be his wife, she answered 4:
"No, 1 won't marry man that lets a
freckled-face feller whip him."
The season began to grow sober
the leaves were growing yellow. Sallie
sat on the gallery where the sunlight
fell. Looking down the road she saw
Turkey coming. He slouched into the
yard and sat down on the steps of the
porch.
"Mornin'," said he. The girl merely
nodded. Say" he remarked, after a
moments silence. "the leaves on that
flower air beginnin' to curl up. It
didn't relish the water I give it yis-
tidy"
"Well, what air you goin' to do about
t?" she asked
"Git another flower an put it on the
hearth by the fire whar the frost won't
bite it."
where air you goin' to git the aower?"
Fright here. Air you ready to 60
with me? A Jestice of the Peace is a
waitin' fur u.s."
Il believe will 60 with you, because
it's so awful odd" she answered.
When the cold weather came, the
freight in Turkeys house shone upon
beautiful flower.
Y-Is