The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1893-05-06
. SHOOTING HATCH.


80 n o.a nan ne tenoerlf Aunf
ns slair.si I'm 81 ne deerhofn book
oser thsooof, n1tunen was yosne'
ser mere Want no man e. Doy IN 2
FORK valley tnns could hoo alongside
o. ne one q the CID ma1
sgneo heavily but ne continued
ms gNun old knocks p ecge ON 9
mans eyeslgne n makes nis hand
30 tremoly that ne can't even axe .
drink o. liquor without wast,n' nalf o.
IT, n . Ter shootln' ~ old feilerz
might as wei Try 70 hit center with =
maui a. . hundred yerdA7
The visitor, 70 whom this conyersA-
ton was addressed, made . few desui-
lofy and incongruous remarks, and the
old nan resumed his talk, pretty much
- Il nothing 1t all had been said, which
Il was mostly
f-Inever got beat but once.' he went
on. with : good-hnmorcd reminiscent
1fuekle, and that VS. BY . Teller that
1adn't sense enough skeercely 70 20 In
ont Of the rain. Leantwaya that's what
th0ught when the match ON on.
lie didn't live IN my neiRhb0rh00d. but
he bad Q farm abouttwenty-miie furder
up The Fork, and had . habit Of goin'
up thar 70 see . mighty likely gal, that
was darter 70 the man that owned the
place next TO the chap that beat me st
\ shootin'- The old mans name was
squire Higgins. and the gals name was
Mary. Mary's . purity name, and Mary
was . purity gal Nothin' on the Fork
wa a patchin' 70 that gal, and l wanted
her bad enough 70 20 up thar sParkin'
shout tr1et . week durin' Of . mighty
hard winter, when Il was cold enough
20 freeze b knobs on 9 bureau. Mary
kinder liked me, too. Liked me better
in any Of the other young felleD that
was hanein' round, exeeptin' Ben
wilkins, and Il was neck and neck be-
twixt me and Ben Ben was her neigh
Dor, and the same Teller q the shoot
In match with. never could e how
she stuck % Ben. he was 80 doRgoned
ircckied-faeed and sun-Durnt n sandy
headed q ignorAnt-t1ke and fooier
than Thompson's colt but you can't
ten about : woman. and thar wasn't no
goin' back on the solemn TACT hat 81
Ben didnt GIT out OF my way l was
never goin' to git b gal . II wa
most nigh as certain that ef somethin'
didn't happen to me Ben wasn't goin'
TO git her neither. It was close runnin',
mister, and the gal settin' on the fence,
aggin' us on That's another weakness
woman has; | mean these young women
that has her choice. like Mary Higgins
Want no danger Of her hllin' a maid
ems grave even ct me and Ben both got
put OUT OF the way
zone mornin' when 1 was ON the road
leadin' up the Fork. towards Squire
Higgins t.rn' ! met Ben comm down
with a load Of hay, and I'd been goin'
TO see Mary then for mighty nigh .
year.
"Howdy, Benz said l. friendly
enough
"sHowdy'. DauI' ssid he to me.
Fair TO middlin', ssysL
Coin up to the squire's, I reckon7
says he. ~qnestionin'.
"That's what says ], speskin' IS II
] had the rights 70.
Mary amt home says he.
WHO said anything about Nary
says !, gittin' red round the years
1.-The way you're gofn',' says he,
with a grin.
".What's that 10 your says I, not
over polite, l reckon.
".Nothin,,' says he; but eff you want
70 see her. you'd better go down to
nother'A She's down thar to . quilt
ins.'
BEN g1inned again and ! got purity
mad. but not enough TO hurt anybody,
and says 4 70 him:
Ben Wilkins says ], have you got
; gum
You don't want 70 fight, do your
iaya he. backin' OF kinder, fer /
he Wa skeert and mebbe he
vas
No. says !; bat I want Mary Hig~
rms
50 do T. says he.
'sThen It cleared up q bit, and we both
ooked at each other sorter sheepish and
trimmed, fer before this we hadn't ever
lad no understandin'.
Now Is we know what we want
Jays ], we crter have IL settled on short
notice who's 70 git IT. and ef you air
agreeable ven settle II TO the satisfac
ION OF al parties at intrEst q the
lawyen 2y.
Howl sayshe-
We can't both have her, kin weT
Not aceordin' 10 law, ssys he.
Ger no way says
reckon not says be
Then s'Postn' We have . shootin'
1ateh fer her saysL
pint agreeable 70 that says hn
Eer HnyI saysL
You air handler than me with .
'un.' says DC.
+" Some mebbes, says !. umble
'nough' but IN give yoa twenty-five
ards advantnge and thatn about
rake L essn
Well AFTER telkin' Ter hall m hour
9 more, re axed up . shootin' match.
e. nezt DAY, On ben's fArm, Ter be was
zeert 70 so anywheres else and l nd
'ack home . next forenoon l : On
and 1cclIr' - sick ~ = whistle, fc< II