The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-08-08
MANDY JANE PENSTOCK.


'1 halnJ color Dllnd, be yer
wasn't.
"lhen n woman in red calliker dress an
II green sunbonnet wouldn't be liable to
look to you like one in yaller dress an a
blue sunbonnet would she?"
She wouldn't.
Tina haint no raisin o dust nOwheres
that looks as il IL muwt be ril by woman
in u red culliker dress an a green sunDon-
net comm this way poOJy fast, is tnat'
The road was entirely free from anything
OF that sort.
"Ne hain't noways nighslghted, be yer"
Quite the contrary.
Then if tha was raisin o. dust setch rs
that not more'n 100 yards down the road,
ye wouldn't be liable to take it for hay
stack miled away, would ye"
Entirely out of the question.
"'Cause ye see Pm leetle anxious" he
said, FER if ye'd a-seen woman with Il
red calliker dress an green sunbonneG
comm OF rasin o dusg chat looked as if it
mowt be riz by u woman with Il red calliker
dress an a green sunbonuet that'd a-ben
Mandy Jane Penstock, an I'd a-had to
to take to the woods"
"M hat 5 the matter with Mandy Jane"
l asked.
The man mopped his face with his sleeve
and famed himself with his hat and said
Did ye ever have a hankern fera gal
that didn't seem to keer to banker fer ye"
l didn't know chat | ever had.
"Jis' keeper eye on the road, cap, " said
the man, IAN if ye see any of them signs of
MANDY Jane jis' whistle, will ye"
said l would.
"Then I'll tell ye sumpin. If everye take
a shine to gal an she won't banker, take Il
hoot OWLS glzzard, dry it an grind it inter
powder. Then, unbeknownst to the gal,
git some of it in her lemonade or sumpin
fore she drinks it, an ye've jlst as good as
made four shillin for the squire, fer she
can't never say No agin when ye asst her
if she'll be yourn. Tina hain't no red an
green loomin up yit twiXt you an the hori-
zon, nor no shakin of dust that mowt have
red an green inside Of it, is that'
Not yet"
"If ye'd ever know'd Sallie Magompers,
over to the Hook, yed a-hankered I'll bet
ye! | took to hankerin for Sallie more'n a
year ago, but tina didn't seem to be no use
Sallie's Jest turnin 20, now, and mebbe she
hain't caution for pootiness! Pictur's
hain't nowheres 'longside o her. But some
how she fit shy O me. So one day says to
myself: All right, my lady! If it's got to
be left to hoot owls, says, 'hoot owls it IL
be- and | went a-gunnin for hOot owls.
But hoot owls hain't 50 durn thick III these
here woods, and / gunned and gunned for
,i,rl, . | al
one, an you bet / was more'n tickled when
l tumbled him often his roOst!
"'Gals that kin hanker an won't banker
must be made to banker! | says an hung
the hoot owls gizzard up to dry.
Zone o these days, when | hear that
MANDY Jane Penstock has passed over
Jurdan, Pm goin back to the Hook an jest
as like as not thump the life Outen Sam
Brace. Sam an me worked on the same
loggin job, an after l bagged the owl says
to him one day:
'Sam,' says, me an you won't bunk
in together much longer says
"'How's that" says Sam.
"'Tm gointer marry Sallie Magompers
next week. | says.
mo! says sam. 'Sallie's give in, has
shes'
mot yit,' says, but she's gointer. I've
| powdered hoot OWLS gizzard, | says. Jis'
shoot yer eye down the road agin, cap. Ii
tha's anything mussin of it up that mowt
put ye in mind O. the inkhn I've give ye o.
Mandy Jane, gimme the wink, an I'll
scoot.'
The road was still clear.
Sam looked s'prised a little when told
him bout havin the OWLS gizzard love
/ powder, an pooty soon he says:
"'Well," he says, I'm gointer take SalliC
to the picnic tomorrow, an s'pose thaU'l
be the last time | kin gallavant her any
where's, 'cordin to that, he says
"'That's what it will, Sammy | says.
"'Mandy Jane PenstOck mowt a-bin q
sumner when she was gal, fer all | know
but | don't jis' recommember when that
was. She'll hef to think back good ways
if she reComemDers it herself. But, leaviI
out bone an sinner an pUOty sharp nose
Mandy Jane don't cut much of iiggel
nowadays. She's cOnsid able sot in hel
ways, though, an when she has sumpin OF
her mind that she's gointer to do She!
gointer do it, or things will rumble.
sam Brazee he took Sallie to the picnic
an l was there with my hOOt OWLS gizzarC
all ready. Sallie kittened considerable tt
Sam, an it made me squirm to see her,
tell ye, but says to myself, All right, IN!
LADY, says But wait till the hoot ow
sings to ye, says. Bimeby | says to San
an Sallie;
"'Come over an I'll treat ye,' | says
Come git some lemonade says
"An they come along an | bought TIN
lemonade, an when Sallie wasn't lo1kin
tumbed the OWLS giazard love powder inte
her glass
"'Oh, She says. 'YOnder's Mandy Jan
Penstock, she says. MANDY must hay
a treat, too she says
$50 she calls Mandy Jane over, an | OF
ders glass fer her. Now see what Salli
done. She hands the glass that had tn
OWLS giz2ard in it over to Mandy Jane al
took t'other one herself, an fore cOul,
stop her Mandy Jane had gulped it down
love powder an ALI You're sure ye hahn
color blind, cap?'
Soon as | see Mandy Jane gulp that lem
onade an OWLS uzzard | give one coli
shake an started fer home to pack m
trunk. This was only Yesterday When
came out ag'in, there was Mandy Jane"
'"'Asa,' says she, 'arter all these years
says she, an to think that you'm to be tn
one,' says she. Ill be ready tomorrow
says she, an me an you'll 90 to tn
squire's. Tomorrow at half past 81 say
she.
Say, cap, tumbled back in the hous
an slammed the door an went up stairs u
hid under the bed. Early this mornn
crawled out an snuck outen the house a
jis' laid myself out an dug fer liberty a
raised the hill | turned an looked back
There was Mandy Jane comm on my ira
like the woods afire. She's comm yi
She's only stopped fer wind. Has she hov
, In sight yit%
mot yet"
, "Then I'll take to the woods an mebb
J won't see no t'backer fer u month, cap, III
less you gimme that plug o. your'n. A
when Mandy Jane ketches up with ye
ve'll only iig' tell hprN-