Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-04-13

/ don't need t. be told thet I amt
got no call t set up fer a Professional
beauty an l didn't lay claim t. and Wo-
mans hayin fell in love Weth me. Whit
did say was thet women an bug juice
did tn trick, an I say it ag'in.
Now, jest s'pOse a man-not me, but
another feller-t be peaceably shackin
along on his mustang over one O. them
big meSaS down there when out from
tn gates O a hacienda he was pass
in rode a beau tiful creature not 10
they ripen down herewith
black hair, lall ishin eyes an a figger
It set fire t. til heart O any yaquero
that ever cole a rope, an dashin up
t. Bill SnooEs ulned loose her pleadin
dark eyes on him an said:
Does tn caballero ride t. tn rancho
Of Senior tn intendant o tn herds o.
tn Blazn Brazos?"
Good Lordr' said Bill Shocks to
himself, this lays over me-" But T.
her he said in his sOftest voice, a good
deal spoiled by pretty steady ''singin to
'em" for a number Of years:
81, senorita y can bet your sweet
life he does"
AN will he charge himself with
this, to me, letter O life an death, an de-
liver it safely into the hand of one
Don Henrico Martinez at that rancho?"
THAT little cuss, Ben Martin, fer
tn whisky George, whit luck some
men do hayev' said Shocks ag'in to him
self. But, bein short on Spanish, he
had t cit off pretty much tn same old
gag t. her.
Isl, senorita, y can bank on Hen-on
Don Henrico's gettin it all right"
can | shall t tn Senior Caballero my
Tanks o tn most deep, and prayers
t tn Holy Mother of Heaven with
which polite remark tn lady wheeled
her horse and vamOsed as sudden
as she come.
Now, of course, don't need to tell
a crowd o galoots thet's had tn ex-
perience thet you've jest bin BLOWN
about tibet Bill hadn't got far-weth
tibet letter O life an deah" 1yin snug
in his inside vest pocket before he
found thet tn bright eyes O tn lady
O. tn hacienda had got him fast in a
Californy snare. But Shocks was a man
O his word, an tn first thing he did on
reachin tn rancho O tn Blazin Brazos
was t take n look around fer Hen Mar
tin, TIL smart young clerk an accountant
o. tn establishment.
Martin was Il man o. simple habits
an easy t. find. He was stretched in a
hammock under a big. cottonwood,
with a cigarette in his couth and q
dirty French novel in his hand. He
was a handsome little fellow, born an
bred in Boston, where most O tn COM
pany stockholders lived, an though his
services wasn't very valuable it was
understood t be worth all it cost to
his friends t keep him safely cached
5000 miles away from home.
Shocks havin delivered tn letter,
Martin chucIed away his cigarette an
perceeded t read it, not noticin tibet
Bill was still standin there. Now, as
| told v, Bills affections had taken
such a strong delaWelt around tn love
ly senOrita thet, not havin much fear
O Hen Martin before his eyes, he jest
naturally Staid there t see whut'd
happen, an in about a minute Martin
jumped up, an pitchin his novel after
his cigarette yelled out: "Oh, Lord,
whut Il fix! Whut an internal fixr'
''Whuts up" said Bill There bein
nobody else there he took the view
tibet Martin must a-spoBe to him. :.
up" said Martin, loollin at Bill
sort O. Wildlke. ''Everything's up! I'm
up; up Il tree! Look here, Bill, y saw
tibet girl thet sent me tn letter? We're
in love, Bill; madly in love! An at last
she's consented t get off with me.
Listen One so adoredI Bother; thet's
not it. I'm, UNI, here you are.
Meet you on foot at 9 O'Clock to-
night, by tn broken cross where tn
roads meet, an fly-t' be parted never.'
We'll" says Bill, "whut's the matter
weth tibet? You'll fly, O course, an
everythinglI be lovely"
ooh, Bill, I can't. I haven't got any
money! I'm dead broke, strapped,
clean busted! I got my quarters pay
on Friday, an Willie tn kiG an Black
Jose cleaned me out at draw before
night. Oh, curse tn luck! Bill, whut
shall I do? / love her so. An she'll die
weth shame IN disappointment, fer
she loves me jest as hard. Oh, Bill,
BiIr'
How much d it take?' said Bill.
about 500. Jest tn lot I dropped at
those cursed cards. Enough t go north
an live on until we can bully her I'M
Gle out O. some more She's an orphan
an rich. If we was once married. he
couldn't keep her out O it long"
I'll lend it to y" said Bill
Martin pulled himself up and glared
at TIL other weth a blink O manly spi
rt in his eye. Il didn't suppose you'd
go t baitin me now. Bill said he.
"Baitin, be blowed!" said Bill. I'll
give Y square check on the Stock
mans bank in Dallas for 500 good states
dollars"
Martin looked hard at him. Bill,
said he, "a Y mean it?''
''Surer' said Bill Shocks.
''Whered V git it,"
Saved it up. Meant t Quit punchiT
an go in fer sheep on my own hook.
''An now Y offer t lend it t me?"
"On tn dead straight" said Bill
bred in sheep'H make a man O. V il
Il few years Bill-a teller like YOU thet
can work.
yes, / s'pose it would, but whut's
tn odds long s y re happy-as she's
happy, tibet is? Take tn money, Mar
tin, an along. Sheep ranchin'n last, J