The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1891-10-08
HE WAS A LITTLE TOO LATE.
A Tale Of CoDjuGal Infelicity in the Penn
sylvania Backwoods.

recently, and bad got up into the Nils
about four miles from the railroad sta
ton at Geetown, when I met q Wild
looking man ON horseback with a
bundle in front of him. He was evil
IDENTIFY a denizen of the lumber woods.
He pulled up his horse when he met
me, and exclaimed il! anxious tones:
"Say, boss! Y'didn't meet felier
drivln' mule to blackboard wagon
anywhar on yer way up, did y'?'
"Yes, did," replied, for l had.
"Were be gettin' along at tol'able
stiff gait?" asked the anxious woods
mau.
Eyes, he was, come to think of it, 1
replied.
"Seem ez if be were goin' to git thar
did he?" said the lumberman.
'sGet whereof I asked.
''To Geetcwn-"
"Tbere's'no doubt about it." said.
"Were tha woman with him, did
y'notice?" asked the man.
"Yes, there was," replied.
"Cross-eyed" questioned the woods.
man.
'I don't know about that
"Mole on her nose?"
''That's more than can say"
"Were.the mule lame in the of hind
leg?"
"I think he was.n
"Didu't notice whittier the woman
We're cross,eyed, hey?"
ibid the man have a ya!ler baird?"
''Ies; q long, yellow beard"
''From w'athttle y see O the woman,
dye think tha were room enough on
her nose for good-sized MOLE"
"Well, yes, l think there was.'
ibid the mule wheeze consid'able as
he spun by y':"
''He acted to me as If he might have
touch of the heaves;.yes.'
Couldn't sw'ar the woman want
cross-eyed, could W"
"No.H
"Buckboard kind o'rattly in the
spokes, an actin ez if a pint or two O
grease wouldn't hurt it2'
ut seemed that way
"Woman hev on blue dresS'n q
green hat with red feather in it??''
s'I remember the green hat with a
red feather"
"Were tha gap III the buekboard's
dash, sumpin' like ez if mules heels
mowt'a' gone through it some time or
other?"
ayes, there was hole in the DASH"
"But y hain't dead sartin th't tina
were mole on the woman's nose?"
"No."
'Tha hain't no doubt, though, but
wat they was goin' to git thar?''
"Not particle"
"Man in his shirt sleeves an one
gallus??n
eyes, remember that he was in his
shirt sleeves and wore but one suspen-
der"
The anxious woodsman paused as if
trying to think of something else to
ask, but at last said:
"Y'll hef to ,scuse me stranger fer
bein' so kinder curious, but mebbe y
mow't know who them folks be?''
"Ihaven't the least idea .In-~..~-e,~~
= ar, 1r6e mule m the woman m
the blackboard is mine. The man is
Sim Bilger. He's slopin' with the wo-
man, m it's jist my durn luck to be
too late to ketch 'eul, fer they've took
the keers at Geetown afore this.'
"What! The woman your wife!"
''Coursen'
"Well," ssid 1, sit don't seem to me
that l would go 20 much trouble to
fetch such a woman back"
Fetch her back. Great hoop-pole!
hain't arter her to fetch her backw
t'What were you in such hot pursuit
OF her for, then?''
"WuN, it's this here way. Time she
sloped with Bill Balls, year ago las
spring, she kim back two or three
weeks arterw'6s m said she'd fergo1
some of her duds, IN she'd kim back
to git 'em. I tor her whar she KID find
'em, bat she jist settled down to hun
ag'in N were boSsin' the clearin' same
ez afore, in less'n half an hour. Sh'
run things fer spell, m then slopec
with Sam Fletcher, the mule boss
'Twa'nt long fore she diskivered tn
she'd feTgot to take sumpin' else O
her'n, init she kim back to git it, n
first thing I know'd I were workin
fer her agin. Las fall she cut sticks n
dug out with Joe Fassett.
"'Gosh!' says I hope Samauthy':
mem'ry hain't ben bad this timer
says. IF she's fergot anythin' this tril
mow't ez well move OUT
''But sure ez sap she'd ben fergitfa
again, m twan't three weeks fore sh
kim prancin' back hum arter sumpin
she'd left ahind her, u mem her wen
to workin' in harness ag'in. Now alon!
comes Sim Bilger, N Samanthy put
on her bes' bib n tucker n slopes will
him, n I'm too durn late to ketcl
'em""
LET 'em go"' I said. What DO 70,
want to waste your time chasing U
such cattle for?'
Let 'em co. exclaimed the anxiou
husband. Course II! let EN- go. Bu
here's a lot O things in this here bundl
th't Samanthy's fergo,! Wat wante