Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1895-07-20

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EH ~ beauty ID not o no
eE ticeable character.
f istic of mountain
\,,., women, old or
lQ N.Y. young, and how she
~EM w had ever come to
marry Lem Skaggs
was wonder to me, for Lem was by
all odds the homeliest man on tho lick,
and LONELINESS Is n characteristic Of
mountain men. knew Lem quite well,
and had befriended him on many &C.
'casions, even looming 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
q month asked him one day how It
happened. He was o good fellow all
over, was Lem, as guileless a. baby
and as honest as the sunlight, and when
I asked my question he blushed and
Srinned.
'She was tuck by my good looks" he
laughed.
"Of course, Of course" laughed
back; anybody ought 10 see that, but
my eyesight IL weak. Tell me what
you did to win herT'
II didn't do nothin', Colonel. I fist
wuz."
''That won't do, Lemuel. 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 in
sisted. II jist wux and she got tuck
"Didn't you court her pretty hardT
ibid II" and he drew long breath a.
Of relief at the thought Of it, being
over. "Well, I should say did. Why.
come mighty nigh mortgldgln' the
farm to git her things he didn't seem to
want when give 'em to her."
"What did you give herr"
Everything, Colonel. It got 20 bad
lords the last the folks at the store
told me Of I'd lump my dcalin's they
reckoned they could let me have 'em
at Wholesale prices"
"she couldn't stand your liberality,
Lem. That's what got her"
"Not bit Nv It," he continued. "All
the time was takin' her oil sorts Nv
things sho wux maxim eyes at evry
Teller that come along. and sorter ex.
pectin' me to keep up my end Nv the
swingle tree, list Gaze kinder seemed
to banker after dom It that away"
"But you kept at IT."
~ reckon not" he laughed. "All Nv
sudden sot In fer Mary Finnel and
give the store folks q rest on buyin'."
'"rhen what happenedT I inquired,
with hope that would now gel
some information.
He laughed low, gurgling laugh,
such as boy would give vent to when
caught In some Of his natural depreda.
lions.
"Well," he said. "she kinder snapped
eends on t'other fellers, and swung
round my way, but wuxn't givin' q
inch, and didn't have NO talk with her
Ter mighty nigh two weeks, and then
one evenin' 40 wux passin' her house
on my way to Mary's, and she knowed
II, seen her hangin' on the gate lookin
out into the future, or somethin' Nv thai
sort. that I seen picture Nv onc't an
agent wux sellin'.
"'Good evenin'.' says I. not onerin' Il
stop.
"'Good evenin'.' says she. Pears t.
me you're In powerful hurry
Kinder says I, slackin' ND some
Tpromised to be down to Msry's 'bou,
this time
"She kinder looked down at thu
ground when told her that, and kicked
a little rock out Of the path that WI,
iayin' thar, and I felt like q sheep
stealin' dog fer sayin' what I had.
~ reckon you'd better be hurryin
along then, for Mary amt the kind tina
likes to be KEEP waiting says she.
"'S'pose.' said !, that you don't kce,
Of stop and talk to you fer q minute
do your
"T amt keerin' what you d. say
she. kinder sullen.
"'You look like you wus expectin
somebody yerself,' says !, feelin' ez g
I'd like to choke whoever the Teller wuz
""That's what says she, and I fel
more'n ever like chokin' somebody.
"'Who Ia it| says I, watchin' tn
streaks Nv laugh round her moutl
and eyes.
"'Thats fer me to know and you Il
ind out says she, laughin' right out
~ reckon Ill be goin' on down Il
Mary's.' says /, thinkin' that ! wuzn'
maxim nothin' hangin' round Susan.
"'Mebbe you wouldn't Of you know't
who wuz COMM says she, kinde
reachin' over the gate.
"'Well, tell me- says I. and see Q
I'll stay
~ reckon not she says. still a-nag
GIN me.
"'WhO's theyy saysI.
"Shc give little chuckle. and I com
up to the gate and rested my hands o.
It to one side Nv her'n.
"'Pa and mother she says. They'v
gone down to the schOOlhouse to preach
In and won't be back tell o'clock
Saint you kinder lonesome waitir
hyer by yerself. susan9' says !. hal
way tryin' to pull the gate open. bu
she held It shet.
~ reckon wuz.' she says. That
why come out and hung on the gait
It's mighty still like In the house.
"'You reckon you wusr says