Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-09-26

of dogwood tree A quick flash
had come into his eyes as he listened
to the fathers startling announcement
''You mean that Miss Tennys
willin'?''
II mean that Tenny's going to
marry jeff Prewitt, yes!' came the ir-
ritated response. whether she's
willin' or not, you can judge for your
self, if it's any O. your business. She's
promised him she would, an were
goin' to let the folks all know about it
today"
The TAN young raftsman remained
unmOved after the first shock. His
straightforward eyes were turned full
on the speaker.
Squire Atwood" he asked calmly,
'ain't all this sorter sudden? Amt it
all come in the last few days?
mo, tain't,' blurted out the squire.
as long as you have, an this you
know, Hardy"
Yes, he has came the frank
words He's been hangin' 'roun'
Miss Tenny, if that's what you
mean. An he's better off than am,
squire. He's got a plantation and a
store. But for all that, you know as
well as l do, squire, that jeff Pre-
witt amt never stood no show with
Miss Tenny.''
! The bold words seemed to anger the
/ old man unduly. His mouth set in a
grim straight line, his eyes flashed
under their gray browS.
you're Miss Tenny's father, squire"
he said, not urgently. can 1 know as
! we'll as anybody that you've got the
right to tell me not to court her if she's
goin to marry somebody else. But is
! it actin honest with me, squire?
With me an Miss Tenny?"
! Squire Atwood stood up suddenly
from beside Tennessee Atwood's
dainty little mare, the rope halter still
in his hand. His face was dark with
anger.
''What do you mean by that, Hardy
Williams?' he asked.
Just what l say, squire" came the
undaunted answer. I've got to talk
plain now, because after this there'll
j be no use in talkin.' An I'm gcin' to
do it. You know, an you've known it
straight through, that | love Miss
! Tenny with all my heart an soul.
You know that I've courted her all l
knew how, an that she amt turned
me off yet. You know that she amt
never showed no signs O. carin' for
Jeff Prewitt. An now, all of a sudden
you clinch down on her an make her
promise to marry him. An you do
/ this, Squire Atwood, KNOWN that she
cares more for me in a minnit than
she would for him in a lifetime. An
that I'd die for her light now, if she
wanted me tor
The little speech was noble in it's SIM
plicity, but it failed to touch Tennes-
see Atwood's father.
''Hardy Williams" he said, I'm
good mind to stretch you out on your
hack for them words. You're a low
lived, coWardly puppy for sayin' 'em!'
mo | amt, squire. An you amt
thinkin' O hittin' me, either The
reason them words hurt, squire, is be-
cause they're the truth, an you know
it,"
The two men stood face to face,
white with anger
The old country justice was the first
to recover himself. He waved his
hand as a signal that the subject was
done with.
''You can go back, Hardy" he said,
with what dignity was possible to him.
I've got nOthin' more to say ito you.
l brought you out here to break the
news the way [ thought best, an to
keep from hurtin' your feelin's before
anybody; but you don't appreciate my
kindness. I've known you ever since
you was a boy, an I've always liked
you. From now on, l want nothin'
whatever to do with you. I don't
want to see you at my house again.
L don't want to see or hear of you
ever speakin' to Tenny again. I've got
the right to see that you don't, an I
warn you now, Hardy Williams, that
it'll be best for you to do as I say"
Squire" said the young raftsman
lover, you've got the right, as you
say; but is it the square thing? I put
! it TO you now, squire, as between man
an man. Is it right?''
A faint break in the manly young
voice betrayed the strong feeling
under which Hardy Williams had
spoken; but the knowledge of cruel
wrong doing was on the other side
and it hardened his hearer to his ap-
peal.
II ain't disposed to argue the point
said Squire Atwood. ''Au l want you
! to do from now on is to leave Tenny
alone. An III see that you do it.
Its a one sided bargain, squire"
answered Hardy Williams, bravely.
! want to say to you, right here an
right now, that 1 amt promised to
leave Miss Tenny alone"
The words were fully of a sfgniti-
canoe not lost ON Tennessee Atwood's
father
I'm see that you do, Hardy Will
liams," he spoke firmly. ''It won't
be healthy for you to fool 'roun' the
girl after I've told you that she's goin'
to marry another man."
when are they goin' to be married,
squire?"
The abrupt question seemed almost
a weakening on the part of Hardy