Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1895-11-21
CONSULTING The SIGNS.
In This Particular Instance They Did Not
Fail.

In This Particular Instance They Did Not
Fail.
was sitting on log in the shade OF
the Cumberland coinpany's sawmil
one June afternoon, when JAG
Frazee, a mountain farmer. pretty
well to do and bachelor, came by,
and, observing my very evident COM
fort. invited himself to sit down on a
part of the log not occupied. was glad
enough to have somebody help me loaf
for the hour or so i had to spare, and
greeted his proposition with applause.
We talked awhile about politics and
hard times, and then Jack became
scattered in his ideas, and j was pretty
certain wanted to talk to me on some
thing more important to him than the
general affairs IF the country at large.
/ let him get around to the subjec5
himself, so as not to confuse him. and
it wasn't long before he was ready TO
present his case.
Colonel" he hesitated, do you be-
heve in signs?'
"Well, Jack replied, lit depends
on what kind of signs For instance,
if see a sign over building: Saw
MILL don't go in there to buy dry
goods"
Il don't mean that kind" he said,
with a nervous laugh.
Mop and l looked at him just bit
curiousIy.
mo / mean the other kind. Those
that are signs as is signs. You know
what signs is, don't you?" he explained
lucidly.
'.Superstitions, you mean?" l VEN
tured.
Yes" he answered, with CLEAN in
his face. ''Them's them. Do you be-
ieve in them?"
THAT depends, too. Have you been
seeing any?"
He blushed sheepishly and changed
his seat on the log.
"Well, that's what wanted to ask
you about" he said. "You know Man
dy Milser, don't you?"
nodded, for had seen Mandy, and
she was the best specimen of young
womanhood in that neck of woods.
WELL" he went on, I've been kinder
sparkin' Mandy for bettern a year
now, and she amt very incouridgin'.
In course, 1 hain't ever mentioned the
subject right to her, but I've been
beatin' the devil around the stump
mighty close for some time, and | don't
know whether I've got much hopes er
not. When got my new house about
done / asst her one day if she thought
thar ort to be porch in front Nv it,
and she said she thought they ort. So
/ put one thar Next time | seen her !
asst if thar ort to be palm fence er a
post an rail acrost the yard. and she
said they ort- So put one thar Then
after that | asst her if the house ort to
be painted white or pink, and she said
she thought it ort to be white. So !
painted it white. One day was at her
house talkin' and asst her if the well
ort to have a windlass er a sweep, and
she said sweep, fer the sweep was so
pictursquee-what's pictursquee, colo
nel?" and he stopped moment.
Iexplained what it was to be pictur-
esque, and he went on
''Well, didn't know ;" he said, but
put up the sweep. Then l ast her if
ort to set out peach trees er apple
trees in the yard, and she said ther ort
to be both, cause they would come
handy for family use. So | sot out
both kinds Last week l moved into
the one room I've got fixed up, and I've
been kinder lonesome and thinkin'
like. Yistiddy Mandy come by and l
was settin' on the porch, and she
stopped at the gate minute and said
she was mighty glad to see what a
nice house / had. and she hoped I'd be
powerful comfortable in it, and | asst
her if size didn't think | ort to have
wife to take keer- NV it, and she said
she thought ort.''
Jack stopped his story to mop his |
brow, for the exertion or interest was |
making him warm
What did you do then?" inquired,
with smile.
Not darn thing. colonel he said |
in tone of disapproval of himself,
''and that's what | want to asst you |
about If thar's any truth il signs. |
don't you believe l could come nigh |
gittin' Mandy ef l was touast her, say |
this very evenin'?"
Jacks whole heart and soul were in |
his question, and / promptly slapped |
him on the back and offered to bet him
four dollars that he could.
And | didn't lose my bet.-Detroit /
Eraa BRASS