The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1893-11-03

her parcels.
II guess bought what | wanted to.
guess | can do that" was her reply,
with a confident look at Josh
81 guess you kin, Lyme said Josh's
slow, mild drawL
kin amt correct Josh. You
oughtor say can observed Lyme
severely.
Josh looked gently round upon his
monitor. Old Bess, the gray mare,
was moving her lanlS legs swiftly now,
| knowing herself bound for the outer
! country roads and home. AS the
| buggy ratified with decrep pit wheeze
over the last streets of the town, the
wind caught the wayward wisps of
| curling front hair under Lyne's best
straw hat and made a ruified pretty
golden aureolc about her face, flushed
with the delights of unlimited pur-
chases in ''store things"
"Well, Lyme, amt great on gram
mar. But / guess you are right, was
Josh's docile response.
"You better send him to the Female
academy, down TO Bumpsville, tool"
| laughed Miss Perkins shrilly
"Wouldn't do no harm TO send 9TH
ers beside him there" LYME flashed
back, setting her pink lips in line
that Josh had learned to know.
The woman and the girl had no fur
ther words for each other after that,
and Josh, his blue eyes troubled and
deprecating, gave his whole attention
to Bess till the two neighboring farms
were reached, and Miss Perkins was
deposited, first, at her own door
IL tell You II harm amt bound 10
come TO Josh Conway for tho way he
spoils that there Lyme, then the Sc
crets and visitations OF Providence
amt what | take 'em to be!' Manda
Jane stood among her folks" in the
Perlzins kitchen and delivered herself
in quick, rageful, oracular sentences
of doom, rs She tore off her Sunday
bonnet, reckless of preserving the
string from creasing "Nou oughter
seen the things she bought to the
store and Josh's money a-goin' liko
water, and her having no claim on
him but being the child of his pardner
when ho first began out here. i guess
the pardner know he bad good
thing when he up and died and left
Carlyne TO Josh for him to be her
guardeen! First, Josh sends her to
the academy to Bumpsville to make a
- fine lady Of her, and now there amt
nothin' too good for her nor no one
can't speak TO her.
"What look at is, remarked Mrs
Perkins with rigidity, that 1t ain'tre'
pectable for man no older than Josh
to have a young girl livin' to the
farm. He oughter marry some set
tied woman first
"Yes, he oughter marry 'Manda
Jane" ironically exclaimed old man
Perkins, with loud gutfaw, at which
r the women frowned.
Meanwhile Lyme, Josh having put
mp old Bess, was unfolding her store
treasures and douning them. one by
one, before the square Of dingy look
ing glass in the sItting-room on Josh's
farm.
How do you like me?' she said.
And before Josh's daZZled vision she
executed n rirouette of her own in
vention, all her ribbons tluttering, her
color high, her gray eyes flashing
with fun and triumph. Then she
planted herself suddenly before him,
arms alSimbo: What you reckon all
this RneFys for, anyways, Josh?' she
queried. And as he made no answer,
only looking at Ler with the silent,
absorbed, doglilSe devotion which he
1 had displayed from the day when, d
crying chit In a short, black frock, he
had brought her first TO the farm, she
continued: "Why, to bring some Of
the boys down TO business, OF courseW
Down 10 business Josh repeated
the words vaguely, with a startled
look.
yes, stupid, Amt it time was
married? Amt goin' to be eighteen
next month? Well, then"
\ III you want TO be married, Lyme,
} Joshs words came owly as was their
won't and the puzzled look had deep
ened in his eyes, Il guess i guess We
kin fix it,"
But with a Shrek Of laughter Lyme
had thrown both her arms about his
neck.
l. "Gracious, you're tho biggest goose,
Josh. ! don't want you 10 fix anything
Amt | got beauX enough, I'd ike &
/ know? All got to do is to choose
= And that's what I'm going TO do, too
I'm going TO get married, anC
YOU are too, Josh, cause you'd bI
= lonely when | went. I'm going tC
marry-wcll, no matter who-ant
you, you're going To marry '-sh,
paused and stood away from him
'"Mandy Jane Perkins"
mo, no, ] amt going TO marry he
u or aRyOnel' Josh exclaimed precipi
N lately.
But Lyme interrupted impera lively
''Sh. You don know WhAt goo
for You, Josh, but do You need
wife, and you orter know there's lot
|. and lots of girls would take you
. you'd only spruce up, because your
handsome, and you're youog ye
you're yonng, il you'd only give YOU
self a chance and not be 50 quiet an
settled and act SO like an old man
OF older than Daddy Perkins! Now,
NJ don't say Mahda Jane would be m
'ie choice for you exactly, but / suppo'
you want somebody steady enough
and If she amt very pretty or yer
\ young, and amt got a good temper
- she's a splendid housekeeper. The
;n do say her preserves are better tina
ice cream, and then, you know, Josl
she's just dying % have you. and n
ar her folks, too, they're thinkin' all I'll
time how nice it would be if you wen
lr. a married man and Manda Jane yor
wife!v
- And with GHotksr ringing laugl
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