Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1892-01-30
wHANDHRIGAN'S COURTSHIP.

HANDHRIGAN'S COURTSHIP
"A quarrel with yer swateheart. is
1t, me by? Sure an that's the light
est thrubble We cud hev, but it weighs
the hivviest. Weenim' is sthrange
cattle; an the longer We know thin
the stranger yell find thin.
''Maizie an me hes been marrit this
fifteen years back, and sometimes ] do
be thinkiu' it's q new Maize I'm max
in the acquaintance av. livery day. But.
faith, amy wan av the ould vans was
good enough fer me!
did we quarrel, is it, me and Mai
zie when we were coortin'p Did we do
annythin' else till the ring whit an her
finger? An it was nick an 90, but |
lost her altogether the last time we fell
out.
"Ye see, | was wantin' me fling be-
fore I'd settle down with Maize. |
he'd a loose foot, an a fella for it; an
there wasn't n dance or n weddin' but
| TUX the flure an me pick an chice av
gairls.
For awile it whit we'll enough, an
Maizie's huffs an sulks was pepper to
the p%etaties-I was that sure av her,
dye mind? But whin Long Casey be-
gin to walk home from chapel with
her, an she wudn't look on the same
side o. the road | was all
''An' that wasn't bad enough till he
began TO stravague about the lane she
lived in; an one night | seen her on
the bank ay the river with him. an
whin she left him she hurried past nIe
in the moonlight. runnin' like n fairy
whin ! spoke TO her-Maizie, runnin'
away from me!
''Afther that, for weeks, | cud MT
get Il word with her. She niver KEN
ont alone, an her mother an the chill
dren was always about her in the
house. an she stint back the letthers |
wrut her. 'ithout breakin' the wafer.
An by this time, gairls an dancin'
was little thrubble TO me. i was losiD'
me Shape an the taste o me ~vittles, an
me face was the color nv a dab Nv
whitewash on Il dhirty wall.
Casey was always hangin' about
with her father an brothers; an his
intintions was well known TO all. an
well approved nv. An if il was ut
for the widda mother he had. me own
mothers crony. an the dacintest soul
in the parish, I'd ha' bate him black
an blue, fer p~reshoomin' the way he
did.
well. to mex n long story short one
fine marnin' whistled up me courage
an skirted over the back fields to
Maizie's house. The flowers was
bloomin'. l remember, an the big
rosies was out; but | thought il
sthrange to see no soul about the
place.
Il whit up to the dure an Tucked
Ia. an there was Maizie sittin' with
her little sister IN her knee. combin'
curtin the child's white hair about |
her finger.
Il was tibet hoongry for the sight av
her tibet i stood gapin' like a fool.
1.-The top O. the marnin' to We. Miss
says |. whin | got holt nv ,
me tongue. an' mekin' me vice up as
bold as l cud.
"'Fine day, Misther Handhrigan.' |
SEE she, with as much imperence as il
! was comm TO vacciuet the family. !
Me father an me brothers is down ut
the bog below seq she.
"'And good weather they have
SEE i.
IAN me mother seq. she. is away
at Dhrimstevellin,' seq she. to sell the
butther.'
But by this time l was in an
about me for IA stool TO sit on.
I'm glad to hear it. Maizie,' seq /.
for I'm comm to see yoH:'
"'Oh. We can hev no business with
me. Misther Handhrigan.' SEE she.
her pretty nose; no business,
| am sure. sir. whativer. with me-
".Ye're wrong there. seq !; its bust
ness. an important business | hev;
an l can't spake before the child
seq l.
"'Sure an We cam SCI she; what
Toes the child know about b~usiness?"
81 can't spake before the child on
my business SEE |, mighty determined;
her into the gar-r-rden to pick n
posy.'
'"lll do nothin' nv the kind seq
the. tossing her head. 'Posy. indade!
It's well ye desarve Que! Spake or
ave it alone SEE she. Wait. yet Da-
ia. love; Maizie III soon be done {
''Mebbc the posies is a~-saviu' fer
Long Casey SEE i. ragin'. but qsiet
ike.
".Mebbc they are ser she; mt amy
ate. he'd not DC sindin' the child 10
pick Thin
."No; yersilf wud sind her fast
enough. thin seq I
AIS that tne business We Kem 10
Ipake about. Misthcr Handhrigan?"
she. flushin' like wiidfirc, aud bitin'
Ter lips.
.'It's par-r-rt nv It, seq I; AN more
s. that from this time forrit I'll put no
rust ia weemin.'
Poor things! Whatll become OF
hemp seq she.
"'Scoff. il yc like. says i; but there's
winty gairls l might "a had for the
skin
"'rhe craytures! seq she. burstin'
tut with = laugh. Sure. an ye're not
Turk entirely SEE she.
'"But I've larued wan lesson see
'.'Oaly wanp' seq she. That's
'oor state Of ignorance. isn't 1t. Dalia.
".But it'll last mo a lifetime sex I.
'"It wnd made to- says she. .Aisy.
low. me lambie; yell see the purity
urls. how nice they'll look
I'm goin' to Amcriky. the day
fther Tomorrow sen /. coinin' the
'iggest lie cud think NV. an watchin'
'er face. expectin' 10 sec the big tears
. Z minute; for that was always the
ray with her, a laugh an' a cry Ia one
'rcath-but faith. ! didn't know me
"Turn yer head o biz. Dalia.' sea
he. combin' an twistin' away at tho
ingieta Sure an thatll bc n nice