The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1896-10-01
EDEN %PHILLPOTTS

GAS to tellin' a story of moor men
an sich-like, things happen out pom
this auld gray an brown world same
as in other places, but they bant O.
much account 'cept to ourselves. |
can call home wan tale, though, as
I'll tell e, If you mind to hear it. 'Tis
bout the courtin' of a chap by the
name O VOgwell.
bill was a writer of sign an SIGH
like, an a chap of his hands most ways
wi a general n in gwaine through
| the world which don't come to many
as young rs it come to him. He was
always surprisin' clever or else mazin'
fulish. Theer wern't no half meas
ures about him. He lived wi his ia
Their in the last house O. Merivale, an
because sign-writin' wasn't enough to
keep him. he built ten bee-butts, an
strawed them as clever as a regular
catcher, an sawlcd Iure heather
honey at a shliliin' a pound an did
brave pom it. His father wern't O
no account, though a guide Fuzz-
cuttin was his jOb-fuZz-cuttin' in au-
tumn time.
'Then come the matter O. paintin'
that sign. an Master Applebird, who
could fling money 'bou: like a duke
when he'd n mind to, which was bout
ance in a month o Sundays, gived
Billy the offer to paint a CERT picter
on wood, an frame it an hang 1t
| awyr the inn fance. l mind just what
| Applebird said, for l was theer and
heard. III give e. ten shillin' for the
job, if it Is lone as all folks can see
what's meant by un. Applebird done
it really cause he knawed John Com
er of the Red Heifer' Inn, Princeton,
had Just got a fine sign drawed by
a Plymouth chap: an Applebird would
have soon gived up business altogether
than let Conner best him anywheer.
so Bill Vogwell got his brushes an
paints an Hes together an made a
square o boards, an done out the
huntsman wi a carpenters pencil,
copyin' the sane from a bntivul al
nanac what a grocer to Tavistock had
gived away to's customers the winter
previous. Maaster Applehird ordained
as the picter should be done III a tel
let outside the inn; an theer Bill
worked day by day until the thing Mrs
done. An Polly Applebird watched
I'm DRAWN an paintin'. which is wheer
the tale STARTS proper. She was il
maiden of sebenteen years old, so
pION tS tIlC INV III lttil WI SN 1E
wheer you cude 'ardly see the pupils
separate from the blackness of the
part which is brown and blue II gray
in differ ent folks. Her hair Was jack
daw color if you knaws that. Ted'n
Zactly hlick, nor yet blue, but betwiX'
and between, wi a dancin' light as
gaws from wan to 'tOther. Her lips
was as red as a ripe qu%arrender apple
an always just n thot open. You'd n
swored she was q French furriner or
some such thing; but 'tweern't so at
nll.
"She an Bill got so thick as thieves
afore the picter was ont ) hand, an
dawdlel that clnnin' and CRAFTY
awyer the paiutin' that twas the pest
part Of a month fore he allowed the
thing was done. An potl fules. JUST
cause auld Appleblrd weer mazin'
pleased wi the sign board, they must
think as he'd be mazin' pleased with
the painter, tn; an they kept comply
unbeknaw st to IN for a matter O
three months or more. Then twas
that bent. crooked limb O. Satan, by
name Benjamin Yole, what spied theer
little game. an bro't the climax to the
courtin.' Yole hadn't nc BUSINESS of
his avn, being %pensioned from the
clay WOlhS dNA All W DlcthiH Ills leGS
in an accident. But he crept about
Merivale wi his wicked oars 1lappin'
for every coorious thing that might
happen. He kraMed some harm bout
every man, wumman and cheeI an
cat in the village, nm hadn't no kind
word to say for anybody on Gods
nirth but hisself. This heer Yole soon
spled how Polly A%pplebird and Bill
Vogwell would go out O Merivale diff
fern't ways, as innocent as bees, an
yet somehow get drawed together art
err. Full Of this noos he clattered, all
crutches and spite, into the Hunts
mans Rest an aXed to see landlord
theer an then. Mind you, Applebird
had thot kind enough of the chap, for
Bill was well set up an gray in the
eye, and looked folks straight in the
faace; but when he heard theer was
courtin' gwaine between the two. an
Yole hiSSelf had seen them more'n
vance together in the owl-light. then
Applebird let go awful, an Polly got
n dressin' down that might as made
her GREEN to think on for years arter.