The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1895-06-06


Hollow? II doesn't matter. Only if any
one wants to buy nice, snug little
place the Toby Groo place is for sale
Easy terms, too 1t was put on the
market sudden, because Toby Groo
went away sudden. All on account O
bears Sinnemahoning bears. l met
Toby when he was going away.
Toby said l, what's up?'
" It's all up said he. All up with
me!'
Meaning Betsey? said l.
The same said he.
"'What did it?' said I.
Education, said he.
"'Education?' said l.
"'There's nothing better to have in
district, said he, than education,
provided you keep it in bounds. It's
all right and proper among the rising
generation of human folks, but when
you come to spreading it among bears
you're carrying it too far. That's my
opinion, said Toby Groo. Education
us what does me up with Betsey. Edu
cation among bears! said Tobey.
And away he went from the SHINE
malone; and when a fellow has the
heart to leave the Sinnemahone coun-
try, you can make up your mind that
he's done up bad And the Toby Groo
place is for sale. And what led up to
it was this:
The Bricktons are great people over
on the Sinnemahone, you know. Great
people. Been there for generations.
Tho of +ha
is Betsey, although she isn't very big
a1d isn't twenty years old yet.
"'Takin' her from the grosnd up. as
Uncle Jabez Fiddler puts it, AN con-
Siderin' of her fer gener'l scrumptious-
ness. Sinnemahone can't turn out the
ekal O Betsey Brickton.'
II want to give you pointer on
Betsey, though. so that if any of you
should happen to buy the Toby Groo
place and go over on the Sinnamahone
and be somebody, you'll know how to
act and keep out o trouble. Betsey
has got red head. An amazing red
head. Now | rather like that red head
of Betsey's and a good many other folks
do, but Betsey thinks it's drawbac
She is sensitive about it to a degree. In
the soft Sinnamahone tongue, she S as
tetchy as nettles about it. And Betsey
is so full O snap and fire that it isn't
safe to mention torchlights, or bricks,
or anything of that sort around where
Betsey is, for she takes it as personal
slur on her topknot, and the way she
flares up and gives it to you is some
thing to remember.
- It's a cortion to peppersassr Jabez
says.
Everybody knows this, and is care
full not to get Betsy's red head between
them and her if they want to keep on
the right side of her. Betsey Brickton
is popular, though. So popular that
there amt a young chap on the Slime
malone that wouldn't be happier than
bear in a bee tree if he could shine
up to her and know that Betsey liked
it. Toby Groo. as far as money went,
was the best catch for a girl of all the
young fellows on the Sinnemahone
spread. Not bad looking, and not much
over twenty-five. But he wasn't over
popular, because he was what Uncle
Jabez calls "a leetle nigh in his deal
ms and rather inclined to get the
best end of dicker, even if he had to
stretch point. For all that, old Billy
Brickton, Betsey's father, got it into
his head some time ago that Toby
Groo's money would be good thing to
have in the Brickton family, and so he
did his best to help Toby get on the
right side O Betsey, Toby being not
1,,,+
was crazy after Betsey.
''All the same Betsey didn't care for
Toby not a little bit, nor for any
one else in particular. Toby kept pes
tering Betsey to marry him, and her
father talked her almost blind about
it, until one day, a month or so ago
after Toby had asked her for about the
nine hundredth time if she'd marry
him, she snapped out;
'Yesn
'When?' said Toby, tickled all but
to death.
When l find a bear that can spell
my namer said Betsey.
"Then Betsey laughed and laughed
for she judged that she had settled the
business then and there, and Toby
went away feeling mighty glum and
way down in the mouth.
IF none o. you fellows knows Bar
naby Beestuffer, of Sinnemahone. there
is large waste place in your life.
Barnaby Beestuffer is citizen TO
whom all Sinnemahoning points with
pride. He has genius such as could
only have terminated, sprouted, grown
and blossomed on the storied SHINE
malone. Barnaby has little clear
ing, but he scorns toll, and devotes all
his time to tanning bears and snakes
and coons and wildcats and porcupines,
and such indigenous products of the
Sinnemahone soil, and teaching them
tricks and capers. About the time
that Betsey Brickton told Toby Groo
what'd aave to happen before she'd