Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1895-09-12
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
A Mountain COurtship.
BY w. j. HAMPTON.

"Susan Stebbins was by all odds
the best looking girl on Grassy Lick,
withot being remarkably beautiful,
for beauty is not q noticeable char
acteristic of mountain women, old
or young, and how she had ever
come to marry Lem Scaggs was a
wonder to me, for Lem was by all
odds the homeliest man on the Lick,
and homeliness is a characteristic of
mountain men. knew Lem quite
well, and had befriended him on
many occasions, even loaning him
money enough to get married on, as
his crops were not in and he was
scant of funds, and when they had
been married about month I asked
him one day how it happened. He
was good fellow all over, was Lem,
as guileless as baby and as honest
as the sunlight, and when l asked
my question, he blushed and grinned.
"She was tuck by my good looks"
he laughed.
back. anybody ought to see that,
but my eyesight is weak. Tell me
what you did to win her,"
81 didn't do nothin' colonel. !
jist wuz."
"That won't 60, Lem. You are
not the kind that win that way; you
must have made yourself attractive
In some other way"
Hope to die, colonel, eff I did,"
he insisted. 81 jist wuz and she
got tuck"
Didn't you court her pretty
hard ?"
"Did II" and he drew a long
breath as If relief at the thought Of
its being over. Well, I should say
1 did. Why, / come mighty nigh
mortgidgin' the farm to git her
things she didn't seem to want when
/ give 'em to her."
"What did you give her ?"
Everything, colonel. l got 80
bad to'rds the last the folks at the
store told me if I'd lump my deal
in's they reckon they could let me
have 'em at wholesale prices"
"She couldn't stand your liber-
ality, Lem. That's what got her.n
I" Not bit Nv it," he continued.
All the time I was takin' her all
sorts Nv things, she wuz maxim
eyes at every feller that come along,
and sorter expectin' me to keep up
my end NV the swingle tree, Just
case kinder seemed to banker after
doin' 1t that away"
I" But you kept at it?"
81 reckon not" he laughed
" All NV a sudden / sot in fer Mary
Finnel, and give the store folks a
rest on buyin."
"Then what happened In
quired, with hope that I would
now get some information.
"Well," he said, "she kinder
swapped eends on t'other fellers,
and swung round my way, but /
wuzn't giyin' a inch, and / didn't
have q talk with her fer mighty
nigh two week, and then one even
Ing as 1 wuz passIn' her house on
my way to Mary's, and she knowed
1t, seen her hangin' on the gate
lookin' out into the future, or some
thin Nv that sort that seen q pic
tur Nv onc't an agent wuz sellin'.
Good evenin,' says I, not offerin'
to stop.
Good evenin,' says she. Pears
to me you're In powerful hurry,
Kinder says /, slackin up some.
I promised to be down to Mary's
bout this time.'
She kinder looked down at the
ground when / told her that, and
kicked little rock out of the path
that wuz layin' thar, and felt like
a sheep-stealin' dog fer sayin' what
/ had.
] reckon you'd better be hurryin'
along, then, for Mary amt the kind
that likes to be kept waitin,' says
she.
i s'pose,' says I, that you don't
keer of stop and talk to you fer a
minute, do your
amt keerin' what you do
says she, kinder sullen.
You look like you wuz expectin'
somebody YOURSELF says /, feelin ez
Of I'D like to choke whoever the fell
Ter wuz.
THAT'S what says she, and I felt
more'n ever like chokin' somebody.
Who Is 1t ?" says I, watching
the streaks of laugh round her
mouth and eyes.
That's fer me ter know and Won
to hnd OUT says she, laughing out.
Il reckon I'll be goin' on down to
Mary's,' says I, thinkin' that I
ii.