Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1895-08-23


Pap and mother, says she.
They've gone down tC the school
house to preachin and won't be back
tell eight O'clock
" Amt you kinder lonesome wait
in hyer 10y yerself, SUSAN says l.,
half way tryin' to pull the gate open,
but she held it shet.
"' reckon / wuz, says she.
That's why | come out and hung on
the gate. It's mighty still like in the
house
"' You reckon you wuz?' says l.
Amt You now" and chuckled my
self for ketchin' her.
49, P'r'aps am and p'r'aps I-ain't,'
she staggered, and tossed her head.
al tried to open the gate, but she
held it shet.
60 Ell you want me to stay, why
don't you say SOP says /, gittin ugly.
I" 1 reckin you kin if you want to-
says she, mighty pesky.
"' Susan says l., what's the use
Nv foolin?'
&c Foolin' about whatY says she.
"About me and you, says l.
go amt foolin', says she.
"'Iou air. says | 'and you know
it,
"Ef you don't like me. Lem
Skaggs, says she, bridlin' up all over,
you kin 60 long. l didn't ak you
to stop, did ~
"' But do like you, Susan says I,
gittin' skeert, an tryin' to pull the
gate open SOS l could git clos't
enough to her to coax her.
II reckon you like Mary Finnell
sight BETTER says she, holdin' the
gate ag'in' me.
d" reckon don't, says !, and l
could feel the gate give little.
"'You wouldn't talk that a way
ef she wuz in hearin' distance says
she.
g" Wouldn't ~ says l. and heaved
and sot on the gate, but it didn't move
a peg. You jist fetch her up here
and see eff wouldn't
"'No, you jist 60 down thar says
she. That's whar you started fer
az didn't do nothin' Nv the sort,
says I, gittin' despriter every minute.
"'You told me you did, says she.
and could feel the gate give some
and then shet up ag'in.
"You oughter know, Susan says I,
seriously, that wuz list a.foolin," and
l could feel the gate a-givin' way and
shettin,' and then givin' way ag'in.
"'An' you amt lynn now, LemY
says she, heap sight softer than any
time in her life.
"'Course I amt, Susan says I, and
the gate come open about six inches.
"'Ef l only thought you wusn't,
Lem says she, lettin' the gate slip my
way leetle more every minute.
"'You know 1 amt Susan SAYS I,
givin' the gate the strongest pull yit.
You know it, and you know never
give 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 60 off and chop
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 1, clean ferget-
tim my manners, and reich out both
hands fer Susan.
"'Oh, Lem" says she, and-well,
colonel, he laughed as his honest face
redeemed beneath its saffron hue, Il
reckon you're old enough to know the
balance
81 wouldn't be surprised, Lem" I
replied, blushing just shade myself
as q memory or two came slowly back
from the rosy past.
He looked up smiling
"And say, colonel" he said, at
wuzn't any purifier that night than /
wuz before"
"Come off, Lemuel," said I. slapping
him on the back, it was 80 dark