St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1896-09-05

elOe like. SO TO save trouble an gete :0e
job out o hand, I've coined right along,
an if you'm ready for me, I'm ready FOR
you. "Tis a six weeks job, an the day
bein' Monday, an the hour noon, maybe
you cue. make a note Of it in wan o
your prison books
IF Sill had axed the man to hang un
he couldn't looked more surprised.
81 thot to come here quiet, an do the
time. an then go home along, an mo-
body any the worse he sez.
"Caan't be- seq the man. Il wish I
could take e in. for I'm sure you'd do us
all q power O. good. but you must get
the usual introductions. daresay the
maids faither'll manage all that for e
right an reg'lar when you go home
IN tell un what you've DONE
"'Ess, he will, sure 'nough.' answers
Fill, 'awnly I'd hoped to save un the
trouble. Us was gwaine to keep the
weddin' secret till I'd took the punish
ment of the law on it. Then when tn
auld man up an said as he'd send me to
chink, 1 should up and said back as I'd
bin
THAT was the end Of Bills notion.
He tramped it home to Merivale, an
next day marched of to see the innkeep-
er an tell un how matters stood. Apple
bird was in q sweet mood, luckily
enOugh, for win the hour he'd eowld
the rick what Bill had saved for
f'-pun note more'n he'd reckoned to gete
fort. But it made it harder for Bill in
a manner 'speakin', because before he'd
got time to bring out his bit Of noos,
Applebird sez: .Ah. Bill vogwell, you've
come at the right moment, my son.
Heres five shillin' for e al ong O. savin
the wheat-stack awhile since
"Bill, he spawk theer an then, wi'out
takin' the money:
"'What you sez be righttr than you
knaws, master. l be your son. Me an
Polly was of mind, an us married each
other in Exeter yesterday Inarnin'. Us
bant in no hurry, as you'm SO set again
it; but us tho't as theer wee..n't no harm
in maxim the future sartil, SO us was
married.
"Auld Applebird sat back behind the
bar, an he was tn surprised to be angry
for awhile. Then, arter he grasped hold
o. what Bill had said, he sent . stable
boy for . policeman an tongued Bill
proper.
"'Ess, fay, knawed you'd do that
sez Bill, while he waited ar Applebird
drawed breath. 4 knawed you'd have
the law O. me. an when was in Exeter
artcr we was married, Polly an me went
down to the gaol, an was for gwaine
in theer an then to save e trouble, but
they wouldn't take me. You'd got to
summons me furst, and then I'm brought
up in due coourse afore a Justice, an
he sentences me to six weeks for mar.
rvin' gal under age. tho't to have
saved e all that confusion, but it can't
be, they towld me. So you'll have to 60
through wi ii, an get six weeks
Six weeks, you damn young rip
bust out Applebird. sweatin' wi raage.
TIL have e theer for six years hard la.
Dor, if lawyers can work it.
| They can't sex Bill. six weeks I'll
| get-then Eli come back to Merivale.'
"It happened that the p'liceman
couldn't be found just then, an Bill,
sayin' as he would be at his fathers
house, went OF. He waited till evening,
but no p'liceman coined. Next day he
went to zee Master Applebird again;
an the auld man tawld un tc get out the
bar, but he said nothin' bout the p'lice-
man. An four followin' marnins he
went to knaw when the p'liceman was
comm. Then Polly coined home an
faced the moosic; but you see. Polly was
wound too tight around her fathers
heart for un to cast her on or anythin'
outrageous like that. Then in the
spring Bills father died, an twas found
he'd saved matter of eighty three
pounds in silver. which had took fifty
year O. fuzz-cuttin to do. But theer it
was, an when auld Applebird heard n
Bill meant buyin' fraish paper for the
cottage walls an improvin' the plaace
general he was interested; an when he
heard Bill was specially axed to painta
gert elephant on sign at Travistock for
two pounds ten he was 'maxed with won
der.
Eighteen months dawdled by, an
then coined the tail to the story. As /
said. Wan day Applebird sees his dar-
ter helpin' the servant gal downstairs
with two boxes, an he also sees bwoy
wi barrow fore the inn door, waitin,.
'Wheer be gwaineT he SEE to Polly.
"'Down long to my husband, Bill
vogwell's house, sez Polly.
'Never-not while I can stop e.
he answers back. but rather tame like,
for thcer was many things in his mind
by that time.
God bless e, father she sez, God
bless e, but you caan't stop me. Do
e knaw the day? she sez.
No.. he sez.
"'My birthday she sez. I be coined
of age, an loves e so dear as ever, an
Bill no less than did when us was
married. Tis my bounden dooty, dear
father she seq.
The auld man answered never word,