The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-07-04
HOW HE WON HER.
xeu skaggs Was HOmeIy, but He Got
There just the Same.

GVSG pOI40 W 11c11 0kttSSsS WdS u
wonder to me, for Lem was by all odds the
homeliest man on the Lick and homeh-
ness is 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 7 asked him one day how
it happened. He was a good fellow all
over, was Lem, as guileless as baby and
as honest as the sunlight, and when ask
ed my question he blushed and grinned.
''She was tuck by my good lucks," he
laughed.
sfOf course, of course, - laughed back,
"anybody ought to see that, but my eye
sight is weak. Tell me what you did to
win her2''
81 didn't do nothin, colonel. I jist
wuS"
"That won't CO. Lemuel You are not
the kind that win that way. You must
have made yourself attractive in some 9TH
or way"
''Hope to die, colonel, eff I did, y he in
sisted. 81 jist wuz, and she got tuck"
Didn't you court her pretty hardS"
Ibid 1H'' and he drew a long breath as
of 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 I
give 'em to her."
"But you kept at it?'
ST reckon not, - he laughed. "All Nv a
sudden sot in fer Mary Finnel and give
the store folks rest on buyin.'
"Then what happenedY" I inquired,
with hope that would now get some in
formation.
He laughed low, gurgling laugh, such
10
In some of his natural depredations.
'tWell, !" he said, "she kinder snapped
ends on t'other feIlers and swung round
my way, but wuzn't givin inch, and /
didn't have no talk with her fer mighty
nigh two weeks, and then one evenin as I
wuz passin her house on my way to
Mary's, and she knowed it, I seen her
hangin on the gate lookin out into the fu-
ture, er somethin Nv that sort that seen
a picter Nv onct an agent wuz sellin.
-" Good evenfn, says I, not Oferin to
stop.
'''Good evenin, - says she. "Pears to ne
you re in a powerful hurry
80 Kinder, says 1, 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 a little
rock out of the path that wuz layin thar,
and 1 felt like sheep stealth dog fer sayin
what had.
d" Il reckon you'd better be hurryin along
then for Mary amt the kind that likes to
be KEEP waitin, says she.
" Amt you kinder lonesome waitin
hyer by yerself, Susan?' says I, half way
tryin to pull the gate open, but she held it
shet.
&c L reckon wuz, says she. That's
why come out and hung on the gate. It's
mighty still like in the house
g You reckon you wuzp says I. Amt
you nowY And chuckled myself fo1
ketchin her.
'P'r'aps I am, and p'r'aps amt
she sniggered and tossed her head.
81 tried to open the gate, but she held
it shet.
{" Eff you want me to stay, why don't
you say SOP says I, gittin ugly.
L" Z reckon you kin eff you want to-,
says she, mighty pesky.
Z" Susan, says I, what's the use Nv
foolinP'
I" 'Foolin about what?' says she.
About me and you, says I.
I amt a-foolin, says she.
You air, says I, IAN you know it,
Eff you don't like me, Lem Skaggs,'
says she, bridlin up all over you kin go
long. didn't ak you to stop, did I?'
" But do like you, Susan, says I, git
tin skeert and tryin to pull the gate open
SOS could git clos t enough to her to coax
her.
"'I reckon you like Mary Finnen a
sight better, says she, holdin the gate
ag'in me.
&c 4 reckon Idon't, says 1. And could
feel the gate give a little.
You wouldn't talk that away eff she
wuz in hearin distance, says she.
" Wouldn't ~ says I. And I heaved and
sot on the gate, but it didn't move peg.
You jist fetch her up here and see eff I
wouldn't
emo, you jist go down thar, says she.
That's whar you started fer
.''I didn't do nothin Nv the sort, says
], gittin despriter every minute.
GO You told me you did, says she. And I
could feel the gate give some, and then
shet up ag'in.
"'You oughter know, Susan, says I,
serious, that I wuz jist a-foolin.' And I
could feel the gate agivin way and shettin
and then givin way ag'in.
AN you amt lyin now, Lemp says
she, heap sight softer than any time in
her life.
"tCourse I amt, Susan, says I. And
the gate come open about six inches.
"'Ef only thought you wuzn't, Lem
says she, lettin the gate slip my way a
leetle more every minute.
"'You know amt, Susan, says I, Civ
in the gate the strongest pull yit. You
know it, and you know L never give a
snap Nv my finger fer any other gal in
these parts and that all the time I've been
a-hankerin after you and wantin you for
my wife, but you KEEP foolin with me all
along and Dustin my heart mighty nigh,
and maxim me want to go off and chop a
tree down on myself You know it, Susan,
you know it,. And she h'isted her hands,
and the gate swung wide open.
What about Mary?' says she, standin
thar before me- lookin sWeeter N peaches
and rosies.
"'Dern Mary, says I, clean fergittin
my manners. And I reich out both hands
fer Susan.
"'Oh, Lemi' says she, and-wen, col
onel," he laughed as his honest face red