The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1891-07-22
HEP'S CHOOSING.
It Was q Choice Between Sweet
heart and Mother.

It Was a Choice Between Sweet
heart and Mother.
When the superintendent of railway,
that had just been built through Allen
county, KY, published an announce
ment that he would buy all the cord
wood that might be ricked up at GER
tain places along his road, the news
flew as a carrier pigeon, conveying the
words of promised deliverance from the
,cut-throat mortgage of the crossroads
merchant. The country was exceed
ingly poor. The hillside fields were
trenched with gullies, and the gushing
raintide had washed away so much of
the soil that many patch of land,
which at its best was capable of produc-
ing only nubbins, would not now have
sprouted a black-eyed pea Along the
creeks there were strips of compare
lively fertile land. but they were sub
ject to overflow and were not. even
after the kindiiest season, productive of
sufficient grain to keep their owners
out of debt. 1t was early spring when
the superintendent publication was
received, and instantly there was an
unhitching of old pillow horses and a
throwing of old bull-tongue plows into
the fence corners.
1t was like call to arms in patri-
otto community; it seemed to be the
movement of single impulse. Every
able bodied man shouldered his AK
and turned toward the big woods" a
great and rugged forest which was yet
the common property of mankind.
Cabins were built, and patches here and
there in the woods soon bore the aspect
of mining camp.
Hep Brooks was one of the first men
to build a cabin. He was known as
Big Hep; and he was giant. He was
splendidly proportioned, and Bradford
Wellbanks, an old circuit rider who lost
his life recently while attempting to
save a worthless fellow from drowning,
often pleasantly remarked that he
would bet his saddle bags that Big Hep
could outrun buck and kill him with
his fist after he caught him. Hep was
about twenty-five years old, and al
though he was rather a good-looking
fellow, had never spent much time in
marked that he was adjoining his cabin
with many an extra touch. and one
evening a neighbor said to him that he
must be thinking of making some wom-
an happy.
II am" he answered.
That's right, for you're gittin' old
enough. This is a mighty fine place
for women up here in the hills and they
can help a right smart chance when we
begin to haul the wood down the road
When are you goin' to git married?"
You air too hard for me now," said
Hep.
why, thought you lowed You was
goin' to make some woman happy"
$50 did, but maxim a woman happy
don't always mean marryin' This
cabin'-pointing with pride to the hut
lis for my mother"
''Oh. l didn't know that. By the
way don't believe ever seen her.
No. / reckon not. She is livin' over
in Barran county with my brother Jim
an never has been out to Allen. You
know amt been livin' here but about
two years: come out here to see if l
couldn't git place for her, but it
'peared like the harder I worked the
wus times got, and was jest about to
give up and go somewhat else when
this wood business come up. 1t won't
take me long now to knock out a few
dollars"
Il reckon not, but have you made
any arrangements about havin' yo'
wood hauled down to the road?"
THAT was about the only thing that
stood in my way, not havin' airy boss,
but have agreed to pay Sim Joyner SO
much to haul it out and rick it up for
me. I've got to strike out early in the
mornin' after mother"
II reckon you'll have some little
trouble in hirin' a boss to go that fur. :"
Eyes. a good deaf. The truth is
KANT git boss at all, but I'll fetch
her all right enough"
Hep set out early the next morning
while his neighbors were eating break
fast. He disappeared down the valley,
singing his one tuneless song:
Oh, the old raccoon was chased from his hole,
And he couldn't q; back for to save his soul.
He tried it late and he tried IL soon,
But he couldn't git back, that old raccoon."
-Four days passed before they heard
that tuneless song again, and then
they heard it coming up out of the
valley.
81 don't see his mother with him."
man remarked, shading his eyes with
his hand. ''Mebby the old lady couldn't
walk so fnr. He's got a pretty big bun
die of something on his back
They stood specializing until Hep