Passaic City record., 1893-04-29

Fork Valley that
g. could shot along
side of me. Nary a one," and the old
man sighed heavily. ssBut." he con-
tinued, ssthis gittln' old knocks the edge
off mans eyesight, and makes his hand
SO trembly that he can't even take a
drink of water without wastin' half Of
it.; and as fer shootin' US old fellers
might as we'll try to hit center with a
maui at hundred yards.
The visitor, to whom this conversation
was addressed, made few desultory and
incongruous remarks, and the old man
resumed his talk, pretty much as if
nothing at all had been said, which it
was mostly.
~ never got beat but once" he went
on, with good-humored reminiscent
chuckle, 'sand that was by feller that
hadn't sense enough skeercely to go in
out OF the rain. Leastways that's what
thought when the match come off. He
didn't live in my neighborhood, but he
had farm about twenty mile furder up
the Fork, and had habit of goin' up
thar to see nightly likely gal, that was
darter to the man that owned the place
next to the chap that beat me at the
shootin'. The old mans name was Squire
Higgins, and the gals name was Mary.
Mary's purity name, and Mary was a
purity gal. Nothin' on the Fork vas a
patchin' to that gal, and wanted her
bad enough to go up thar sparkin' about
twict q week durin' of mighty hard win
ter, when it was cold enough to freeze the
knobs off bureau. Mary kinder liked me,
too. Liked me betterin' any of the other
young fellers that was hangin' round,
exceptin' Ben Wilkins, and it was neck
and neck betwixt me and Ben. Ben was
her neighbor, and the same feller had the
shootin' match with. / never could see
how she tuck to Ben, he was so dog
goned freckle faced and sun burnt and
sandy headed and ignorant like and
foo!er than Thompson's colt, but you
can't tell about women, and thar wasn't
no goin' back on the solemn fact, that ef
Ben didn't git out of my way, | was
never goin' to git the gal, and it was
most nigh as certain that eff somethin'
didn't happen to Inc, Ben wasn't goin' to
git her neither. It was close rdnnin' !,
Mister, and the gal settin' on the fence,
aggin' US on. That's another weakness
women has; I mean these young women
that has ther choice, like Mary Higgins.
Wasn't no danger of her film amaiden's s
grave, even eff me and Ben both got put
out of the way"
tone mornin' when / was on the road
leadin' up the Fork, towards Squire Hig-
gins's farm, met Ben comm down with
load of hay, and I'd been goin' to see
Mary then fer mighty nigh year.
"'How'dy', Benz says !, friendly
enough.
G How d'y', DanI,' says he to me.
".Fair to middlin', says I.
.'.Goin' up to the Squire's, I reckon9'
says he, questionin'.
nThat's what, says 7, speakin' as if
/ had the rights to.
sssMary amt home, says he.
"sWho said s..ythlng about Marys'
says I, gettin' I'D round the years.
"'The way you're goin',' says he,
with grin.
What's that to you2 says I, not
over polite ! reckon.
s ssNothin', says he; ssbut eff you want
to see her, you'd better go down to
mothers. She's down thar to a quiltin'.
s.Ben grinned again and got purity
mad, but not enough to hurt anybody,
and says to him:
:. Ben Wilkins says I, have you got
gunl'
q You don't want to fight, do you2' .
says he, backin' off kinder, fers
thought he was skeert, and mebbs he
was.
/. NO says I. but want Mary Hig-
gins
g so do !, says he.
ssThen it cleared up bit, and we
both looked at each other sorter sheepish.
and grinned, fer before this we hadn't
even had no undcrstandin'.
g Now, us we know what We want.
says I, I'VE orter have it settled Oh sholl
notice who's to git it, aud eff you air
agreeable, we'll settle it to the satisfac-
ton Of all parties at intrust, as the law
yers say.
9 sHow2' says he.
sssWe can't both have her, kin wea'
says !.
= Not accozdin' to law, says be.
. sNer no way. says |.
9 Il reckon not, says be.
~srhen dposing We have : shootin'
match fer her, says !.