Sharp County record., 1891-07-30
HEP'S CHOOSING.
Il Was a Choice Between Sweet
heart and Mother.

heart and Mother.
When the superinteudeuto 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 ric1ed 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
iuglY Door. The hillside fields were
treuched with gullies, and the gushing
raintide had washed away so much Of
the soil that many a patch of land,
which at its best was capable Of prOduc-
ing only nubbins, would not now have
sprOuted black-eyed pea. Along the
creeks there were strips of compara-
lively fertile and. but they were SUBJ
iect to overflow and were not, even
after the lxindliest season, productive Of
sufficient grain to keep their owners
out Of debt 1t was early spring when
the superintendent's publication was
received, and instantly there was an
rnhitching Of old plow horses and a
throwing Of old bull-tougue plows into
the fence corners.
It was like a call to arms in a patt'i-
otic community; it seemed to be the
movement Of single impulse. Every
ahle-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 Hore the aspect
of a mining camp.
Hep Brooks was one of the first men
TO build cabin. He was known as
Big Hep; and he was a giant He was
speudidly proportioned, and Bradford
WellbaulSs, 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 a buck and kill him with
his fist after he caught him. Hep was
about twenty-five years old. aud al
though he was rather a good-looking
fellow had never spent much time in
the society Of women. II was soon re-
marked that he was adoruinQ his cabin
with many an extra touch, and one
evening neighbor said to him that he
must be thinking of making some wom-
an happy
"I am, he answered
That's right, for you're gittiu' old
enough This is a mighty fine place
for women up here in the hills and they
can help 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, I thought you lowed you was
goin' 10 make some woman happy
so 7 did, but maxim woman happy
don't always mean marryin' This
cabin pointing with pride to the hut
--''is for my mother
"Oh, / didn't know that BY the
way don't believe ever secu her
NO 7 reckon not She Is Twin over
IN BaTan county with my brother linn
an never has been out 10 Allen. You
know ! amt been livin' here but about
two years; come out here 10 see II T
couldn't git a place for her, but 10
'peared Ike the harder + worked the
wus times got and ! was Jest about 10
give mp and 90 somewhar else when
this wood business come up. It won't
take me long now 30 knock out q few
dollars
II reckon not, but have You made
any arrangements about haviu' yo'
wood hauled down 10 the road2"
THAT was about the only thing that
stood in my way, not havin' airy boss,
but have agreed 10 pay Sim Joyner 70
much 10 haul 10 out and ricl, 10 up for
me- I've got 10 strike ont early In the
mornin' atter mother
~ reckon youll have some little
trouble In hirin 70 boss 10 90 that fur
YES q good deal The truth is !
lcaiut git hoss NJ all but lll 'ctch
her an right enough
Hep set out early the next morning
while his neighb bors were eating break,
fast He disappeared down 5he valley
singing his one tuneess song.
"Ch, the Old racooon was chased 'rom his hole,
And he couldn't rt back ior 10 savo his soul
He tried tlate and Ne tried 10 soon
But ho conidn't git baot that old raccoon"
-Four days passed before they heard
that tuncle@ soug again, and then
they heard 10 coming up out Of the
valley.
~ don't gee hia mother with him" %
man remarked, shading his eyes with
hia Aand "Mebby the old lady couldn't
wallc 80 fur Hes got pretty big bun.
die of something on his haclt.
TAeg atoqd seeenlatine until Hep