Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1892-09-18
In 4 DILEMMA.

Mark Ramsey and job Trotter were
often seen at the house of old Squire Fill
pot. These visits were not due 10 any
regard Mark and job may have had for
the squire, but were clearly traceabfe to
the love which they bore his daughter
Judy The two young men We're 50
much alike physically that they might
have been taken for twins They were
tall, strong and well built; they were
black eyed and long haired, sunburned
and hardened by exposure to all sorts Of
hardships. The resemblance even ex-
tended TO mental peculiaritles. Mark
did not know long division from short
comings; neither did job. Mark, given
the freest exercise of his arm, could not
with charred chunk have written his
name on the gable end of the barn;
neither could job. Being so much alike
both physically and mentally, it was
small wonder that they loved Judy, who,
by the way, was the handsomest girl in
the neighborhood.
She was more than merely handsome:
she was bright, quick to learn, and, flat
tering gossip declared, could knit pair
of yarn socks or snatch the feathers of a
chicken as quickly and as effectually as
any girl in the community, regardless
of educational advantages judy loved
Mark and job, but she could not decide
which one she preferred. This inability
gave her great concern, and often at
night, while patching her fathers brown
jeans, or at atevening when crouched in the
slowly darkening gold of dying day,
milking the muly COW, she would shut
her eyes, bring up the faces Of her two
lovers. and attempt to force herself into
a decision, but in vain, for when the gold
of evening had darkened into the char.
coal Of night, when old muly stood pa.
ticntly with one foot in the pail of milk.
Judy's love remained in equal division.
Old Filpot liked the boys, but, to have
saved his life. he could not have told
which one was his favorite. He was
willing she should marry one of them, il
made no difference which, and he se-
cretly wished that one Of them, still no
matter which, would die, SO that the re-
naming one could make his daughter
happy.
Neither one of the young men was ever
able to see the girl alone for they kept
so close watch upon each others move
ments that one making disappearance at
the squire's house was sure 10 be followed
Immediately by the other.
One morning, just as the squire and
Judy had arisen from the breakfast table,
voices in the sitting room announced to
well accustomed ears the arrival Of the
lovers. The old man and his daughter
went in. and, following long and worn
habit. cordially shook hands with the visi-
tors and badc them feel perfectly at home.
We have come, said Mark, Ito see il
wecan't sorter make some arrangements >
That's what we have" job put in.
II want Judy" Mark added
80 do /, said job
Il love her powerful, Mark observed
II love her just about the same" Job
declared
Gentlemen, said the squire. perplex-
edly stroking his whiskers, II don't see
how we are going to manage this affair
Judy, don't You. arter all, love one Just
little better than you do the othery"
Il believe do, pap" she answered.
THAR, we are gittin' at it. Now.
which one is itg''
"That's what kain't tell. pap"
"Thar it goes again, an we are just as
fur off as ever Mark. amt you got
nothin' To suggest
Don't believe have. job mout have. ="
"No, hain't. lessen it is that she mar
~ me an be done with it,"
"Yas. and reckon can make sich a
suggestion in favor OF myse'f," Mark re-
piled, and then half musingly added:
al do wish this thing was over with, fur
am behind with my crap an my farms
runnin' down, for ! have to watch job
30 close that
jest the same with me" job broke In.
"Nall, now" said the old squire,
"suthin has got TO be did, and did at
once, fur I'm tired of this here feverish
condition, as the fcller says. | have
hearn my gran'dadly talk about cases
like this that took place in the old times.
and they never failed TO git at settle.
ment somehow ruther. IL mout have
been by a match OF some sort-foos race
rasslin', or shootin | don't know ex,
actly how, but near rs | can rieolleck
the way gran'daddy told it they allu.
left it to be decided by some's periority
that one hel' over the other"
I'm MORN willin'," Job declared.
"What do you say, judy"
"suits me- the girl answered.
"All right said the old man. "w,
ken now begin to see our way c'lar; shal
1t be rasslin'f'
They agreed that it should be wrestling
and going out into the yard, gave them
selves up to the contest, but the fata
similarity again asserted itself, for TIN
young men were of equal strength an,
agility. Then they tried foot racing
they were of equal speed, ride shooting
they were OF equal skill
"Wall, this do beat. and beat II peart
too, anything ever seed, the old squir'
declared. "Spozen you fling up chi
wet or dryY"
Don't believe like that idea, fur |
only shows luck without s'periority,
Mark answered "How is yo' pulls
beatin on that pint, Job.'
"Baatin' low down in the shade, fur
don't like the ilee."
wall, said the old man, Tets go il
the house and set down; might as wei
be rcstin' while we're thinkin' up suthir
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