The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1895-03-06
SELECTED STORY.
Jack and Haidee.

called out Mrs. Greylock from the cabin
door, as she held in her hand letter
we had just brought in from the store
where the post.office was.
"All right, old woman, I'm a-comin
right along" came in the deep tones of
her husbands voice as the old man
strobe in from the barn; "what's the
row."
cts letter from Haidee, an she's
got boy, an Jack wants 1t called after
you," said Mrs. Greylock, all in a
breath.
"Wa.al, call that handsome in
Jack Furniss, blest eff don't. An
Haidee's got a baby-why, shol Old
woman, you and l is grandfathers.
Hoop |" And the old man fairly
jumped off the ground in his excite
ment.
After the letter had been read and
re-read by the delighted couple and
commented on during supper, Paul told
us the story of his daughters marriage
as we sat around the fire in the even
ing.
ITO think of Haidee's havin' baby"
began the old man; why, it don't
seem but yesterday when she was a
baby her own self. You see, my old
woman there had given me six boys,
one after another, an nice felers they
was, too, if do say it, They kept the
cabin lively, tell you, with their tricks
and games an SIGH, but sometimes l
used to think it 'ud be kind of pleasant
to have a girl round. / didn't say
nothin' of the kind, but the old woman
knowed what were thinkin' about, an
guess that she were as glad as be
when Haidee were born.
"The way she got her name were
kind of curious, too, for, as far as l
know, none of the Greylocks nor the
old woman's folkses ever were called no
such name afore. Bout month afore
she was born, we we're livn' here in
Texas an the country were pretty wild,
an a stranger came along and asked to
stop all night Wa'al, in course, we
took him in, an the old woman she
gave him good supper. In the mornin'
he went away, but he dropped outer his
saddle bags some leaves of book. /
dunno what the book we're, only it were
writ in poetry, an it told how some
Greaser (Mexican) called Don Juan
were wrecked on an island, an how he
came across some girl named Haidee,
an a monstrous likely girl she must
have bin from the story. 'Cordin' as
the book were writ, she were the pref
test girl you ever see, an my old
woman's mind just got sot on that girl
80 when Haidee were born nothiu'
would suit her but namin' the child for
the girl in the book.
1--WE didn't have but two or three
leaves, an we didn't know nothin'
bout the young woman afterwards, only
Jest how she looked. l didn't have no
lection to the name, an so our baby
were called Haidee, an were baptized
by Methody circuit rider named Raw
son. l don't remember no great much
bout him 'cept he were terrible man
to eat, an he rode the poorest critter
ever see. Wa'al, Haidee growed up
healthy an she were just the life of the
house. She were as pretty-wa'al, she
were as pretty as she could be; no girl
could be any prettier, an her mother
just thought the world of her.
"Time went on, an Haidee growed
up to be seventeen, an the young fell
lers began to come round the cabin a
good deal. 1 never 'spicioned what
they come for more'n mule 'spicions
what kind of work he's goin' to do
when you're breakin' him, an used to
think they come to hear me tell stories.
The old woman was sharper than me,
but she never let on; an thar sot an
told them boys stories, and didn't know
no more what were goin' on than a
coyotes do bout politics. Thar were
one Teller in particler, Jack Furniss by
name, who used to come bout three
times week. He were a fine, manly
sort of chap, good fighter, tho he
weren't very old, an liked him. Fact,
l liked him 80 much that l always
asked him to come again when he'd get
up to 60. Jack were always maxim me
presents; he gin me that revolver over
thar, an he was everlastin'ly bringin
wild turkeys or venison or bar meat to
the old woman.
" l used to wonder sometimes what
on earth he done it for, but then
didn't have as much sense as moe
casin snake in them days. One day
Jack an me were standin' out by the
corral an he seemed nervous like, an
/ asked him what were the matter
when he up an told me he wanted tC
marry Haidee. Boys, I'd ruther a darr
sight he'd knock me down with maui
never had no such turn in my life. HI
went on with long string bout how hi
loved her an how he'd work for her an
l dunno what else; but l didn't hea
him-I were thinkin' of Haidee. Las
l broke out, You must be fool tt
think of marryin' that child Child
says he; she's seventeen
Wa'al, l couldn't say she weren't
you know, an that made me madde
than ever. DO you s'pose, Jack Fur
Mss, says 1, that I'm a-goin to let m,
little girl-my Haidee-marry any sucf
fellow as you be?' Wa'al, he stood thar
an he said as how he knowed hi
weren't good enough for her, an al
that, but that he loved her more'n h.
did his life, an he hoped I'd let hin
have her. His lifep He didn't seem t.
think he were askin' for my life whel
he asked for Haidee. Finally, he say
somethin' bout Haidee's carin' for him
an with that l stepped up to him an
said I'd shoot him like redskin if eve
| see him again so he went awaV