The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1893-11-17
A TENDERFOOT.

the tobacco in tho bowl Of his pipe, pre-
paratory to relighting that article
"speakin of tendorfeet reminds me Of
one knowed oncet, sence which time ]
hev hon whole lot more respective in
spealsin Of EN-,
"Twas in tho summer Of 49,. was
then workin for Ole Harvey Skerrett,
who KEEP store an run n ranch down at
Three Forks, in tn foothills
Near Skerrett, bout two miles away,
Ole 81 Hendershott he'd ranch. He
likewise he'd bout tn purtiest nm incest
darter thet ever wore millinery, an 81,
he WINS proper proud Of her, you bet.
Morewermore, all Of us galoots round
Three Forks was up to our back hair in
love with her-plumb, tearin, wide
awake mashed, as I've heard say. But
1t didn't do none Of us no good-least
ways, only one Of MS. Thnt war Perry
Ronne, a young rnncher from down tn
creek bout ten mile. Perry. he cut us
ail ont, 'thout half tryin, cause he was
abig. handsome ouss nm well fixed. be-
sides havin been & school lots when a
hid. SO he wentin an winned-almost.
That is I say, he frozp us out IN KEEP
reg1ar comp'ny with Hetty.
"a gness twas all settled that they
was I he hitched some time or other
when bout May along come a feller
from Boston with letter TO Ole ii from
some relation o his'n, an jes' camped
right at Sis fer tn summer. He was
one Of these here artist chumps--not a
real, genooine Photographer, but one Of
th' sort that carries o lot Of paper an
pencils IN colors in little lead squirt
guns, an draws red, white IN blue sun
sots, likewise funny loohin trees an
powders. He talked like book an
called oil tn boys Mister, besides say
ing Beg parding il he didn't hear what
70 said first time,
''6uro nough, we guyod th' chap lots
at first, but Spenceley-that wuz th'
benderfoot's name-wns 50 doggoned
nice an pleasant an took joke 40 easy,
we oil got t likin him tiptop, All 'xcept
Perry Roane, He hated him lots soon's
he seen him. Cause whyi Jest cause
6pencelcy was under th' same roof with
Hetty, IN he knowed that 1t might turn
out kind Of bad for him, specially rs he
Enowed right then--which nobody else
did-that Hetty want much stuck on
him, anyhow, an had only promised t
marry him { please th' ole man, Ye see
Perry was good deal Of a bully, an
drank considerable. an then there was
an ole story bout his havin' skipped out
from til states. leavin wife that died a
little later But this didn't cut no tigger
with 81. He had his eye on Perry's pile,
an was willin t take chances on maxim
Perry treat Hetty first rate, cause tn
ole man was toler'bls dangerous cuss
himself,
"Well, th artist feller got t. feelin
sort Of soft on Hetty himself, an most
ov'ry day they'd 60 wanderin round TIL
country, DRAWN, IN iishin, on so on, an
In th' ovonin when Perry come over {
set awhile he'd find Mister Artist there
In til settin room, cool us cucumber
mn polite ns polite, him not KNOWN that
Perry had first film on th' calico An
Hetty, Jest like any woman, njoyed it
all immense.
"But Perry wasn't th chap stand this
very long; 10 one mornin, happenin {
be at th store an meetin Spenceley there,
he walks up nn says t him. See here
my pale face0 an weak eyed consump-
tive. Dye know whose toes you've been
steppin ony
"Spenceley looked at him kind Of
queer. but said ho didn't know us he'd
hurt anybody.
"'Well. says Perry, 'it's my toes, and
I'll pay yout' climb from under, fore
something draps on 80 Dye know who
has th' first claim on Miss Hendershott's
company Better find ont and take cure
Of yourself And Porry started t 80 out,
swaggcring, but th' artist says, real
sharp. Mr.. Roane, | wasn't aware that
was interfering with you II | nm, how
ever. md you don't like it, I'm sorry; but
lwish yout' understand that nyther You
n'rany other rowdy can bluff me ono bit.
Dye understandg
"Perry turned like he'd ben kicked,
II was til frat timc we'd ever hcerll him
eassed and we w,ls looking fer th' artist
Gcller get bruised whole lot. But he
wasnt--not any Perry looked at him
whole minute md seen there was nc
scare there. no he Jest turned and walked
out, grnmbling ind cursing.
"Somebody hid, took u shot ut Spence
10y a few nights later, but he never
kicked mono, only come upt Oh store ar
blowed hisself In for n forty-fonr an
book shots ut Il mark ev'ry day --j@' fcI
sport he sezi- but 1 kinder s'mised he