Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1895-09-19
THE wioDsR wuz wlLLlN..
What She Knew About Jim Blankenshi
and His Attractions.

What She Knew About Jim Blankenship
and His Attractions.
Jim Blankenship was the beau gal.
liant of the Pine mountains" said
man who had seen a good deal of noun
tain life and numbering, to reporter
of the Star.
"A moonshiner by profession, sh oot-
er by instinct and saw mill hand by
adption, he combined in his makeup
all those qualifications which COM
mended him to the romantic ideas Of
mountain womanhood.
II had been paying Jim dollar n
day and found for the past six months
as helper about the mill, and on the
day of which this chronicle narrates,
! was to look over lot of logs he had
been collecting.
''As l rode along, wondering why in
thunder anybody stayed in that rough
country who wasn't compelled to.
overlook q woman on horseback. She
was rather better looking than the
average, and, what was somewhat I'M
usual, she was quite 'sprightly,' and
when / saluted her she responded in q
tone which suggested that i might
continue my conversation without
meeting with her disapproval
1.-THE Lord knows the mountains are
lonely enough, even with companion
ship, and when | found someone to
talk to / didn't look my gift horse in
the mouth, but accepted with pleasure
anything that the gods gave.
OF course l didn't know who she was,
but that cut no ice, and l Immediately
proceeded to let myself out
''She was about thirty-fve years of
age and as sharp as briar, and we
found not the slightest difficulty in
having plenty to talk about.
" j reckon she said, that you air
the man that is with them timber peo-
pie, amt your
YES replied, but why did you
think So?
II seed you down at the mill t'other
day, and Jim Blankenship told me you
wuz the boss
oh, you know Jim, do your and /
smiled.
In course she admitted, with a
faint blush, everybody in these parts
knows Jim. He was born and riz here.
He's fine fellow, is jim said
admiringly. Not many like him in the
mountains, fancy?
Amt none, she corroborated, with
a degree Of positiveness which in.
Dictated that Notwithstanding jim
wasn't quite thirty, he had been as
polite to the older as to the younger
women.
"'He's a great ladies' man, too I
went on, innocently.
$50 I've heerd. / hain't seed much
Nv it myself, but I've heern folks talk.
"T think Jim is rather smooth in
such Matters ventured.
"'How?' and she looked at me as IL
she expected something.
"'Oh, nothing bad, of course ! has
tened to explain. He is merely sens-
bic enough not to boast of his popular
ity.'
"'Oh,' she said, as If my explanation
were extremely lucid and more or less
satisfactory. Have you ever heern
Jim say much about the women folks
round here? she went on.
"a little only, and all that very
complimentary, indeed
Ibid you ever hear him say any
thing about the Wilder Lewis?'
Never
"'Well, heern he kinder hanlzered
for her more'n Tor t'other MS
She must be a very fine woman if
ne does
Il reckon she is. Leastwise, heern
him say So
Il shouldn't think Jim would tell
one woman what he thought of an
other, if he thought well of the other.
WELL she hesitated, you see, I've
known Jim long while
eyes Now, what do you suppose
the wilder thinks of Jim%
Her face clouded, as if there was q
storm of Jealousy in sight.
She jist bankers after him power
full, 'she replied, briefly.
"'You must know the Widow Lewis
as well as you do JIM / said.
4 reckon l do, mister she an
swered, with a Frightening face. I'm
the. Wilder Lewis" - Washington
Star.
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