Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1892-07-02
JACK AND HAIDEE.

duib On auip Coiie Hcies uol Cdileu
out Mrs. Greylock from the cabin door,
as she held in her hand letter we had
just brought in from the store where the
postollice was.
"All right, old woman, I'm a-comin
right along" came in the deep tones Of
her husbands voice, as the old man
strobe in from the barn; whats the
row."
"Its letter from Haidee, an she's got
boy, an Jack wants il called after
YOU said Mrs. Greylock, all in a breath.
"Wa-al, call that handsome in Jack
Furniss, blest Of | don't. An Haidees
got "A baby-why, sho! Old woman, you
and is grandfathers. Hoop" And the
old man fairly jumped off the ground in
his excitement.
After the letter had been read and re.
read by the delighted couple and com
mented on during supper, Paul told us
the story Of his daughters marriage as
we sat around the fire in the evening.
"To think of Haideo's havin baby"
began the old man; "why, it don't seem
but yesterday when she was a baby her
own self. You see, my old woman there
had given me six boys, one arter another,
an nice fellers they was, too, if do say
it, They kept tho cabin lively, tell
You with their tricks an games an sich,
but sometimes used TO think it nd be
kind Of pleasant TO have girl round. |
didn't say nothin Of the kind, but the
old woman Enowed what were thinkin
about, an ] guess that she were as glad
az ! bo when Iiaidee were born.
"Tho way she got her name were kind
OF curious, too, for, as far as | know,
none Of the Greylocks nor the old WON.
ans fOlltses ever were called no such
name afore. Bout "a month afore she
was born, we were livin here in Texas
an tho country wero pretty wild, an a
stranger came along an asked to stop all
night. Wa'al, in course we took him
in, an the old woman she gave him a
good supper. In the mornir he went
away, but he dropped outer his saddle
bags some leaves Of a book. dunno
what tho book were, only it were writ
in poetry an il told how some (reasei
(Mexican) called Don Juan were wrecked
on an island, an how he come across
some girl named Haidee, an monstrous
likely girl she must have bin from the
story. 'Cordin as tho book were writ
she were the prettiest girl you ever see,
an my old wornan's mind just got sot on
that girl, SO when Haidee were born
nothin would suit her but naInin the
child for the girl in the book.
1--WE didn't have but two or three
leaves, an we didn't know nothin bout
the young woman afterwards, only jest
how she looked. didn't have no ice
ton to the name, an SO our baby were
called Haidee, an were baptized by q
Methody circuit rider named Rawson
don't remember no great much bout
him 'cept he were terrible man to eat
an ho rode the poorest critter / ever see.
Wa'al, Haidee growed up healthy an
strong, an she were jnst the life of the
house. She were as pretty-waal, she
were as pretty as she could be; no girl
could be any pNttier, an her mother
just thought the world OF her.
"Time went on, an Haidee growed ur
gan to come round the cabin good deal
/ never 'spicioned what they come fol
more'n n mule spicions what kind of
work he's gon to do when you're breakin
him, an | used to think they come to
hear me tell stories. The old woman
was sharper than me, but she never let
on: an thar ! sot an told them boys
stories, an didn't know no more what |
were goin on than coyote do bout poll |
tics. Thar were one feller in particler, |
Jack Furniss by name, who used tc |
come bout three times week. He |
were fine, manly sort of chap, a good |
frontiersman, good fighter, tho he |
weren't very old, an liked him. Fact. |
| liked him so much that always asked |
him to come again when he'd get up tc |
go. Jack were always maxim me pres. |
ents; he gin me that revolver over thar, |
an he was everlastinly bringin wild tur.
keys or venison or bar meat to the old |
woman.
Il used to wonder sometimes what on /
earth he done il for, but then didn't |
have as much sense as a moccasin snake
in them days. One day Jack an me were
Stdiulh OuJ NY tDe COTThl an ne seemed
nervous like, an asked him what were
the matter, when he up an told me he
wanted to marry Haidee. Boys, I'd
ruther n darn sight he'd knock me down
with maui; never had no such turn
i'll my life He went on with long
string bout how he loved her an how
he'd work for her an dunno what else;
but didn't hear him! were thinkin of
Haidec. Last broke out, You must be
fool'-an | guess swore some-to
think of marrying that child 'Childy
says he; she's seventeen
WAL, | couldn't say she weren't,
you know, an that made me madder
than ever. DO you spose, Jack Furniss,
says i, that I'm a-goin to let my little
girl-my Haidee-msrry any such fell
low rs you bey WAL, he stood thar,
am he said as how he knowed he weren't
good enough for her, an all that, but
that he loved her more'n he did his life.
an he hoped I'd let him have her. His
life! He didn't seem TO think he were
askin for my life when he asked for
Haidee. Finally, he says somethin bout