Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-01-24

" h,satCh, WHICH nau been pulled too soon
by about six inches at the bottom end of
the legs. used piece of bed cord for a sus-
pender, put on his old SLOUGH hat and start
ed Tor the Wells residence, but Malindy
was not at home. Two evenings after,
however, he found her there, and made his
wishes known as follows:
Wal, Indy. I've he'd my eye sot on We
ever sence Sindy died, an Pm yere ter az
ye eff ye're willin' ter jiue me-"
"Jine your" she asked in the most sar
castle and scornful manner she could com
mand.
"Ya-as"
What do You mean"
I'VE know wat / mean, well ernuf. I
want We ter be my woman-ter line me an
live 18th meter be my vie Do We un'-
erstan."
''Of course will notr'
Won't, eh?"
NO"
wy"
Don't want your
Purity sassy, We air.
Il can't help that. / don't want YOU,
and will not .jine' you! Do you understand
that"
"Uh-huh"
We'll, good night then" said the girl.
as she started to leave the room.
Say, hold on er mint"
What do you want" demanded the
girl.
"Doncher think ye'd best change yer
mind, gall"
No! L shall never change it for youl
You had better wait until your last wife
gets cold before trying to get another, I
think. But would never marry at all if
you were my only chance, and it is useless
Ior you to press your suit any further"
"4e an ther parsons gittin' purity dad
blamed thick, an reckon it's some O. his
doin's."
1T makes no difference. You have al
ready killed five wives, and l tell you now
that you will never get chance to kill me,
ana you had just as well leave or | will
make you"
Say, gal, I've got er good hum fer We
an ye 'uidn't hev much o. ennythine ter
do. only SIGH little chores es cuttin' wood.
hoein' corn, suckerin' terbacker, an'n-
Get out of here, tell you" shouted the
girl, as she made for him with the broom.
and he got up and shook the dust of the
Wells plantation off his feet.
Returning home he took a short cut
through the mountains, and as he passed
along the narrow path under the bluff on
the rlver bank he met the parsou, who, un-
conscious that they were rivals extended
his hand TO the enraged deacon. But in
stead OF erasping the parsons hand the
deacon began to take off his coat, and said:
Say, parson, yer've got me ter whup."
What in the world is the matter with
you, should like to know"
Thar's matter ernuff. I'll whup ye er
yen whup me, one er luther"
"Why, man, what have / done to incur
your displeasure in such a manner"
Done ernuff, an I'll pitch We often Their
bank inter the river" and he caught the
parson in his arms.
The parson was by far the smaller man,
but he decided to stick to the deacon closer
than brother, while the irate deacon COM
menced backing off toward the bank, and,
as he thought, to hurl the little parson into
the cooling stream, they both fell over, and
the parson seemingly rode down the en-
bankment on the carcass of the deacon
The water was not very deep, but the
parson was the best man of the two in the
water, and after dipping the deacon under
three times he asked:
Have you got enough"'
Nav"
Then I'll put you under until you do"
Y,
the old fellow yelled:
huff. Lemme outen yere"
When both were out and standing on the
bank the parson said:
We'll, deacon, as the matter is now over
would like to know what have done to
make you treat me in this manner"
Wal, ye've did a right smart. Fust,
we've spilled Their gal wuz er goin' ter hev
Ter my mex wife, an now she won't line
me-"
'Who is it9r
Lindy Wells
i have done nothing of the kind"
fe air er liar, an ye know i'll Thar,
take ernuther BATH" and he made a plunge
for the parSon, who was standing between
him and the water, but the sprightIy par.
| son stepped to one side and the deacon
| went in head first
Now" said the parson. I'll keep Won
| in there until next Sunday if you don't
| take that back"
IN never cutter" said the deacon, but
the parson was firm and pushed him off
| every time he came near the bank, and at
last the deacon said:
wal, mebbe wuz er jedgin' ye wrong, ~
and the parson helped him out, and each
man went his way home
| A month after that the parson and Ma
Indy were married, and when the deacon
heard of it he said. regretfully:
"It's purity dadgasted hard on er Teller
wen his wife's gone an died jes' wen he
needs er wife ther wust, an 'specshalIy
| wen ther craps sufferin'; but " Fat hate
| ther wust is ter think at Their parson
preached Their ole omans funeral wien she
died, an then sot out an married ther
very gal he'd made up my mind ter marry
| afore Sindy wuz in 'er coffin."J. w.
| Hyder in Times Democrat
About q Child's Reading.