The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1894-02-09
A CRITICAL MOMENT.
It Was the Happy elimination Of a 0oun-
try Loye Affair.

1t Was the Happy illumination OF Uoun-
try Loye Affair.
Miss Teenie Meadowgrass may have
been very unsophisticated little
country maiden, but she knew what
was proper in such cases, and she had
given Mr.. Jake Philpott to understand
very distinctly that he could not take
her from her ancestral home until he
had "asked papa" for her in due form.
Jake had tried to torment" Teenie
into wedding him without subjecting
him to the agonizing ordeal of "asking
pa" for her, but Teenie was coolly
obdurate.
"No, sir; Jake Philpott, you got to
go an ask pa for me or you don't git
me-" she said. III guess / know my
duty to my pa an my ma. If l amt
wuth askin' for l amt wuth havin'."
Jake and Teenie had been to singing
school and were now at the Meadow
grass gate. A light burned in the
'settin' room" of the old farm house,
indicating that pa was still up. Teenie
had suggested to Jake that he would
never haye a better opportunity to
'ask pa" for his little girl (Teenie
weighed but 179).
81 don't see why in creation you
should be so skeered of pa" Teenie
said. "He amt goin' to cas- you up,
nohOw."
81 know that, Teen, but hanged If
wouldn't rather break in the worst
yoke of steers | ever handled, or flap
a red flag in the face of our old bull in
the middle of a forty-acre lot, without
a tree in it nor to face your pa on such
an erran'."
"Shucks l wouldn't be such a
cowardly calf"
"You reckon your pa will say yes
Teenie ?"
"Lor, how do l know? Is'pose you
think he ought to Jump at the chance
of getting shet of me-"
"Now, Teen, you know better than
that. Lord, l wouldn't blame i'm If
he filed me full Of buckshot for want
in to carry you of. He feels friendly
toward me, don't hep"
81 amt never heerd him express no
wish to KIN you, nor threaten to eat
you up alive II you didn't stop comm
to our house."
"Oh, ye little torment. Say, Teen,
why can't you ask I'M"
Now, smarty, l think see myself
askn my own pa to give me away to
a feller that amt got grit enough to
ask for me. Don't you want to go an
ask your pa If can have you ?"
"Well, we're both of lawful age, an
what's the use of any askin' about
it?"
Il know my duty to my pa, Jake
Philpott. Ed Bragg has been hangin'
round our house a lot of late and he'd
ask for me quicker'n wink if / say
SOP
"He wouldn't get you.'
"How do you know he wouldn't?"
wCause I'd kill him first !"
"Pooh ! Here you are, skeered to
death cause you've merely got to
speak to my pa, and yet maxim your
brags how you'd kill a man.
"What shall say to your pa ?"
"Say, you big BOBBY? There amt
but one thing to say. Ask i'm out
and-out for me-"
"Will you go with me?"
GIVE a notion not to. I've a mind
to jest stand outside, an peek thrugf
the keyholc an snicker. Then I'd bt
there handy to open the door when pa
pitched ye out clean ever the fence"
'"reenie !"
"Like enough he will. He's awiu
when he gifts started. But come on
It'd be politer II l went too"
Hand in hand, with Jake's hant
trembling pcrceptibly, they walked VI
to the door and entered the lair Of tn
lion Jake SO dreaded. II was relic
to Jake to hear pa say; Hello, Jake