Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1892-12-08
LOVE And HUMAN NATURE.
Tale Of Short Courtship on the Mississippi
River.
BY JOHN HABBERTON.

smokin'."
You must have got two men mixed,
nv friend" said Jack Il don't think I
exchanged twenty words with her.
Gals have eyes as well as ears, my
friend" was the reply. 4 ain a-goin'
TO go over agin what she said, cause
I don't b'lieve in tattlin', but what I've
told you is dead sure, an as you're a
pooty decent kind of Teller, as I said be-
fore, made bold to come down an ask
you between men, an not to go any
further, an that you don't go to maxim
yourself extry pleasant an sociable-
like onless you mean biZness."
Jack eyed the fellow sharply. Was
this talk what it seemed on the surface,
or was it a sly way of discovering
whether he had any intentions regard
ing another mans sweetheart? OF
course this man Bill was himself in love
with the girl-he couldn't help it-no
one could, Jack was sure, who saw her
often. He had heard that some simple
looking SoutheIners were desperately
crafty, and it was plain to jacks prac-
tioed eye that this fellow, in spite of his
rude exterior, was no fool; had he not
discovered, through his own unaided in
telligence, that Jack himself was "a
pooty decent kind of a feller?" What
could he be up to? Well, the most
straightforward course was the best,
particularly with a man who always
carried a gun, and was astir so early in
the morning.
MY friend" said Jack, @I give you
my word as an honest man that all I'm
thinking about down here is the bee
business. I like the people I've met
along the river, and the young woman
you have been talking about is very
charming girl, but I've mother and
sisters of my own, and I've too much
respect for other women to trifie with
their feelings"
II didn't How that you'd do anythin'
mean-no siree-nOt a bit Of it, was
the reply. 1T amt you I'm afraid of
doin' anythin', it's her, bless her big,
warm, natural, innocent, heart. You're
somethin' new an strange, not that she
amt seen other men that wasn't brought
| up in these parts, but reckon you ain
| like the rest of 'em; she thinks so, any,
how"
Jack had been studying the man
| closely while he talked. Unless all
rules Of human nature were false, this
/ man was no sly dog; there were traces
| of the gentleman in the expression of
his countenance. It was natural that
he should not have said bluntly that he
himself was in love with the girl; he
had displayed admirable taste in the
/
warmed toward him, and Jacks hand
went forward as its owner said:
Your manner does you great credit,
! old man, and l wish you Joy of her. I
promise solemnly that will not go near
! her house again. When I find myself
feeling lonesome I'll tramp in the op-
posite direction and find somebody to
talk to. We Yankees are great takers;
! everybody has his weakness, you know
| TQr1t fOr of oir in civ
word that won't see her again"
The visitor dropped Jacks hand and
| his face grew long as he sighed:
"That'll be awful hard on her."
| Jack stared in astonishment; then he
began to lose his temper and he ex-
claimed-almost shouted:
See here, old man, you talk like a
fool. No man can be near that girl
| without admiring her a great deal;
you've told me certain things about her;
] you don't want her to get more inter-
| ested in me. nor me in her, yet"
Yes, do. came with great energy
! from the visitor, while Jack in his sur
prise stepped backward and nearly
tumbled into the river. 81 only want
you to keep away If you don't mean
anythin' serious. Nothin' would suit
me better than for her to git man like
you for her husband"
What? And you give her up?"
Then it was the visitors turn to be
surprised. He began to straighten nim-
self to standing posture, and he con-
tinued until he seemed a giant when he
saidc
What have got to do with it? I amt
her beau. I'm goin' to marry a friend
| of hers as soon as my cabins DONE"
~Oh," said Jack, with a whole gamut
OF infections as the change of condi-
| tons became clear to him. Then he
found his brain in a whirl. 1t was ut
terly ridiculous, the discomfort he had
suffered in abandoning that girl, whom
he had first seen only twelve hours be-
fore, to the man whom he supposed was
her lover. Now that he learned she
was free he wanted to shout with ioy,
which Of course was equally ridiculous.
! Besides, the fellow was probably mis-
taken; any man in love imagines every
body else in the same condition. He
would question his informant farther,
not that it would be possible for him to
fall in love in earnest with woman OF
whose family he knew nothing, but it
would be delightful to be sure that so
glorious a creature had really become
interested in him.
1T s born in her" said the visitor. af-
ter short chat about the indications
which had aroused his interest. ~HeT
J father and mother went the same way.
I've heard ag'in an ag'in how her
mother, who was the most run-after gal
} in these parts, never took shine to any
Teller till one day Sam came along.
| There'd been some land flooded down
} here by break in the levee, an Sam
come down with some more felIers from
l up-river to go for deer that got punched
on a little rise of ground that the water
? didn't cover. He stopped at her old
mans house to light his pipe; he didn'i
= git no deer with his gun, but he got q
5 dear with his tongue before mornin' >
Then the visitor INDUCED in a long and
( gentle laugh over this time-honorec
r joke of the vicinity. As for Jack, he
: murmured beneath his mustache:
-Heredityl heredityl"
? Sam could have done a good dea.
= better for himself, in the money way.
said the visitor, If he hadn't been Sc
fond of his wife. He's got good haal