The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1894-12-20
PRICE s CENTS

to marry a man I'd see that he didn't
have a cow"
you can safely marry Sam, then.
He'll never have one-he1l never have
anything"
Hell have wife If he marries,
reckon"
Don't you sass me, Nell. won't
have it."
II wouldn't sass you, nanny. You
know ] wouldn't; but he would have q
wife if he married, wouldn't he? If he
didn't there wouldn't be any use in
marryin', would there?"
FLUSH sich foolishness. Itwould de-
pend altogether on the woman he got"
Suppose he got me?'
Look here, Nell. You amt thinkin'
about marryin' him, air you?"
Lowed might, as he aih't got .
cow, and that's about all I'd ask of
him. But, nanny, suppose was to
tell you that love him?"
81 would think you had lost your
senses"
"Well, then, I reckon have, for I
do love him. Yes, love him so much
that despise him and could knock
him down"
''Gracious alive!" the woman cried.
you've upset the churn and all the
milk's gone. Come back here to me.
You'll break your neck a runnin' of
down thar. You are the fetchtakedest
creeter ever seed"
The girl came back, laughing an
apology for the mischief which she had
wrought. and the woman was scolding
her, though with lessening harshness,
when the mirthful apology and the
reprimand were put to an end by the
sudden appearance of man, who,
lazily turning a bend in the path that
ran round corner of the house. came
slouching toward the woman. He held
up piece of paper, fluttered it, and,
drawlingly said:
''Got this here fer Miss Nell"
''For me?" the girl cried, running to-
ward him. She snatched the piece of
paper, ran away a short distance,
halted, and read the following:
''Now that have found out you hate me and
don want to lie kissed all the time, am goin'
away to be a roet. and when am one know
you will love me some and will let me kiss you
part OF the time at least. If i. don't become
. poet 1 never will come back again, for bein q
poet is the only way can win your love, for
that is the only way can learn to tell you how
much love you, and when have done that
you can't help lovin' me. for then you will see
my soul all blazin for you don't reckon I
can get to be q poet before Christmas, but /
am sure win by then, so you may look for me
hrt CT m audi II
don't get to be poet In time to reach home by
Christmas, you just keep on despisin' me as
much as you please, but you must keep on a
waitin'. and don't let anybody else grab you up
like the bass done the pearch, for as tell you
I'll be back.
Yours, SAN"
A change came with the reading of
the note. The noon in her eyes So
bered into twilight. For the first
time in her life she was serious. She
turned to her mother and said:
81 am awful sorry turned over that
churn."
The woman was surprised. whats
the matter, dear? Never mind about
the churn. What's in the note, Nellie?"
"Nothin'; only Sam has gone away
and won't come back tell he's poet
and I'm afraid he won't be one before
Christmas and 1 want him now"
''But maybe he can git the job before
then. It's good while till Christmas,
and good many things mout turn up
'twixt now and then. Don't fret none"
But she did fret. She fretted for
weeks at time; at morning when she
saw the dew on the trumpet vine, at
noon when she stood, gazing into the
blue pool, at evening when the whip
poorwill sang his sad song. The season
ripened, the grain was reaped, the
leaves had fallen-Christmas was ap-
preaching, coming slowly down, it
seemed, from the browning hills.
Christmas Eve, Christmas night The
girl stood in the door, listening. No
sounds except the faint hack, hack,
hack of an evenings woodchopper, far
away. and the lowing of a cold and des-
olate cow in the ravine. He did not
come.
The grass was green again, the
leaves came out, the blackberry bri I i.
were in bloom, the water pouring over
the shelf of slate struck a sweeter, sad
ucT uOCC. uC oCdoOh oICW q AOAA8
breath and another change came.
1t was Christmas night, and the girl
stood in the door. The belated wood
choppers hack, hack, hack was heard,
and the same cold COW was lowing in
the ravine.
"Good evening"
"Gracious alive, is thisyou, Sarn?"
EYES," he said, still standing back
from her. The freight falling upon
him showed that he was well dressed.
won't you come in, Sam?"
''No, for you'll still have to despise
me-"
"Why?"
Because I'm not poet"
''What are you, Sam?"
81 am an agent for patent churn
dasher."
She sprang forward and threw her
arms about him. "Oh, / am so glad"
she cried. ''And you may kiss me all
the time"
A CONSIDERABLE LOrHARIO.
e 4