The free press., 1894-09-06

grin not to be offensive, if it were
otherwise.
"What chu want?"
| "Nothin'."
1--WE don't keep that; or, if we do,
we're Just aout of it,"
The big boots turned about slowly
"Sure ye do want no lamps, are
YEP"
'Gals go with 'em?'
| ''Not in this shop"
| "That settles it as fur as I'm con-
cerned," and he went away and closed
the door again.
'Bijah looked after him and chuck
led
"Whats the joke 'Bijah?"
"Dono' ez I'd orter say an'thin',
outside, but you know how it is Mr..
Carson, you never seem no stranger. "
"Hand over your story, you old
gossip" answered. "Why, it would
burn your tongue off if you tried to
keep it in."
'Bijah laughed heartily at this polite
sally.
"Well, | take fer my tex, as Elder
Slocum says, that beautiful axum, All
is fair in love an war.
He came around the end of the coun-
| ter and sat on an unopened sugar
barrel, with his legs crossed and
his rough hands clasped around his
| knee.
"The' ole man, Jeremiah Wilson,
that 1 mentioned back spell, he's a
| Tartar He do know nothin' but his
own way an Mis- Wilson, she never
know'd nothin' but ter gin it to him.
He's got trick er turnin' redfaced,
an lookin' like he was SO neat, she
couldn't bear ter have her house
mussed, so she just gin in ter him.
ether was one gal-Mame her
name wuz-an' they both thought a
sight of her. She want nc more Like
neither NV them then nothin' at all
and they both tried projecks with
her.
"Her father wanted her to be boy,
an he alluz felt as ef she done him
when she want. He wanted ter make
lawyer out NV her; he's dead in love
with lawin', ole man Wilson is; but
yer might better try ter make hoss-
rake out of whalebones an gristle ez
to make lawyer outer Name. What
tn ole man said wuz Gospel, though;
she felt sorter like she better not make
him no more hard feelin', after not
bein' that boy he wanted.
"Her mother meant her ter be
good housekeeper an put up p'serves
an make pickles; an Name would
stan at the winder an sing an fret
all abaout her mess till twas clean
split.
"After Mis- Wilson died, though,
Name done better round the haouse.
Mebbe eff tn ole man wuz ter die she'd
take ter lawin'. Ye can't tell; she kin
| do most an'thin'.
"Jest abaout then, jim Lane began
ter sleeve raound with Name Wilson.
Smart ez steel trap, he is; he runs
the sawmill up the creek; but tn ole
man hates him like pizen, an he talked
ter Name till she lowed she wouldn't
take up with Jim, less he wuz willin'.
"Jim Lane is the most good natured
feller you ever see He's alluz got
good word an a pleasant smile Ter
folks, an he'll go further out o his
track for friend n most anybuddy
know.
"He took it awful hard abaout
Name, an he reg'ly got mopy an
down in the mouth abaout it, An then
he got his second wind, an he tried
every witch way to play it on tn ole
man. But Name she got putty stuiiy'
too. an she declared she'd never pose
her father, an thar twas.
Bijah got off the barrel TO sen
couple of candy balls to rosy-iaceo
little lass who was so short as TO DO
visible under the slack line, ana re-
snmed. as she closed the door OF the
shop: - .too,,t
"The hull village knew all abao"'
it and they talked it up, early all ia'e'
The gall they wasn't slow ter say
what they'd do ef they wuz IN iei
place, and the Bugler took hand so