Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1890-07-21
Judge FilpOt's Dilemma.

and Job may have had for the Squire
but were clearly traceable to the low,
which they bore his daughter Judy
The two young men were so mucl
alike, physically, that they nigh
be taken for twins. They were tall
strong and well built; they were
black-eyed and long-haired, sunburn
ed and hardened by exposure to al
sorts of hardships. The resemblance
even extended to mental peculiarities
Mark did not know long divisions
from short comings; neither did Job
Mark, given the freest exercise oil
his arm, could not, with a charre0
chunk, have written his name on the
gable end of the barn; neither could
Job. Being so much alike both ply
sically 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 fiattering
gossip declared, could knit pair of
warn socks or snatch the feathers off
chicken as quickly and as effectual-
ly as any girl in the community, re-
CARELESS of educational advantages.
Judy loved Mark and Job, but she
could not tell which 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 darken-
ing gold of a 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 a
decision, but in vain, for when the
gold of evening had darkened into
the charcoal of night, when old muly
stood patiently 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 was his favorite. He was
willing that she should marry one of
them, it made no difference which,
and he secretly wished that one of
them, still no matter which, would
die, so that the remaining 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 movements that one, making
his appearance in 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 break
fast table, voices in the sitting room
announced, to we'll accustomed ears,
the arrival of the lovers. The old
man and his daughter went in, fol-
lowing long and worn habit, COR
daily shook hands with the visitors
and babe them feel perfectly at home.
eve have come," said Mark, "to
see if we can't sorter make some az
engagements"
"That's what we have" Job put
in.
81 want Judy" Mark added.
$50 do t. said Job.
81 love her powerful" Mark OBJ
served. 81 love her just about the
same," Job declared.
"Gentlemen," said the Squire,
perplexedly stroking his whiskers, 81
don't see how we are going to man
age this affair. Judy, don't you, ar
ter all, like one jest little better
than you do the other?''
81 believe l do. pap" she answer
ed.
''Thar, we are gittin' at it. Now
which one is it?''
"That's what KANT tell, pap"
''Thar it goes again, an we are
jest as fur off as ever. Mark, amt
you got nothin' to suggest?''
ssDon't believe | have. Job mout
have"
"No, hain't, lessen it is that she
marry me an be done with it.
"Yas, an reckon / can make SIGH
a suggestion in favor of myself"
Mark replied, and then half musing-
ly added: 81 do wish this thing was
over with, fur 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 |
at once, fur I'm tired of this here fe-
verish condition, as the Teller says.
have hearn my gran'daddy talk
about cases like this that took place
in the old times, and they never fail
ed to git at settlement some how or
ruther. 1t mout have been by match
Of some sort-foot race, rasslin' OF
shootin'. 1 don't know exactly how,
but as near as / can recolleck the
way gran'addy told it they allus left
It to be decided by some 'speriority
hat one bill over the other"
"I'm willin' to try it that way"
said Mark.
'tI'm morn willin' ,''Job declared.
"What do you say, Judy"
"Suits me-" the girl answered.
''All right, said the old man. "We
Ken now begin to see our way crar;
shall it be rasslin' p