Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-27
EDEN PHlLLPOTTS


aieh-ltke. things happen out pom this aud
Ety. an brown world same 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 signs an sich-like,
an q chap of his hands most ways wi a
general sense IN gwaine through the world
which doant come to many young 1t
coined to him. He was always surprisin'
clever or else main fulish. Theer wern't
no holt measures bout I'm. He lived wi
his father in the last house O. Merivale. an
because sign-writin wasn't enough to keep
him, he built ten bee-butts an strawed
EN- so clever as regular catcher, an
sawled pure heather honey at shillin' a
pound an did BRAVE pom it. His father
weren't o no account. though guide man.
Fuzz-cuttin' was his job-fuzz-cuttin' an
fern-cuttin' in autumn time.
Then coined the matter O. paintin' that
sign. an Master Applebird. who could
hings money about like duke when he'd
q mind to. which was bout vance in a
month o sundays, gived Billey the offer to
pant CERT picter on wood. an frame it
an hang it awyr the inn faace 1 mind just
what Applebird said. for i was theer an
heard. I'll give e ten shillin' for the lob
Ii It's done so as all folks can see what's
meant By un- Applcbird done ii really
cause he knawed John Conner. of the Red
Heifer Inn, Princeton, had just got a fine
sign drawed by a Plymouth chap; an Ap-
plebird would have sooner gfyed IN bnsi
ness altogether than let Conner best him
anywheer.
So Bill Vogwell got his brushes an paints
an lies together an made square O.
boards. an done out the huntsman wi a
carpenters pencil, copyin' the same from a
DutlVu! almanac what a grocer to Tavi-
had rFir-a
winter previous. Master Applebird or
GAINED as the pfcter should be done in a
1allet outside the inn: an theer Bill worked
day by day till the thing was done An
ROXY Appiebird watched un DRAWN an
palntln; which is wheer this tale STARTS
proper She was maiden of sebenteen-
year old, so brown the moor in autumn
Wi eyes wheer you Guide 'ardly see the pu-
pills separate from the blackness of the
part which is brown OF blue or gray in diff
ferent folks Her hair was jack-daW color
III you hnawS that Ted n zactly black nor
yet due, but betwiE an between wi a
dancin light as gaws from wan to 'tother
Her lips was red as ripe quarrender apple
an allus just thot open. You'd a swored
she was a French furriner or some SIGH
thlng. but tweert SO a all
She an Bill got so thick as thieves afore
the picter was out o. hand, an he dawtiled
that cdnrir an CRAFTY ,awver the paintin'
.nat twas best part of month fore he
allowed the thing was done. An, poor
rules, Just cause aud Applebrd weer
main pleased WI the sign board they
must think as he'd be main pleased with
the painter, tn, an. they kept comp'ny un-
beknaYst to I'm for "A matter o. three
months or more Then twas that bent
crooked limb o Satan, by name BENJAMIN
1ole. what spied theer little game an
brot the climax to the courtin' YoIe HADN'T
no business of his avn being pensioned
from the clay works awin' to brekin' his
legs III an accident. But he crept about
AieriNaie WI his wicked ears fappin for
Cnnri0IS r,,scr
knaWed some harm bout every man wum-
mon, cheel an cat in the village an hadn't
no KIND word to say for anybody on Gods
airth but hisself. This here Yole soon spied
how Polly APplebird an Bill Vogwell would
go out o Merivale iiffern't ways as inner
cent as bees. an yet somehow get drawed
together arter. Full of this noos he clat-
tered. all Crutches an Spite into the Hunts
mans Rest an axed to see landlord thaer
an then Mind you, Applebird had thot
kind enough of the Young chap for Bin
was wei set up an gray in the eye and
ICoked folks straight In the faace: but
when he heard theer was courtin' ewaine
between the two, an as Yole hisself had
seen en- more'n vance together in the
owI-HSht then Applebird let go awful, an
PClly got dresSin' down that night as
made her GREEN to think on for wears arter
Then. when he kna wed the eat was out of
the bag Bill went straight long an spoke
vi the aud man. an theer was ferocious
words. Applebird had right on his side
when he said no. cause his gal was under
ege; but for all that Bill stuck to if an
swore ne weren't gwaine to take no for
an answer.
If you marries her, you'll go to prison
on fort. though 1 pay every LAWYER in
Exeter to send e said the landlord O. the
Huntsman's Rest dancfn' VII wrath .'Tis
against the law, an you'H suffer for il:
an WhIles you'm. in eEnk the gal shall
starve for me; so now you knaws wheer YOU
stand An never You darken nv door
eSfn or I'll wiring your d-n neck myself,
al rvor,c t,
L pant feared o prison. he sez an I'd
eaW tomorrow an do ten years for Polly
so Cheerful rs a tadpole. Do e think us
loves wan another like two orenrr foJl-so
Why, she'd cut her hand off for me. and Ia
do no less for her. An us be gwaine to
marry. Master Applebird, sir, SO wheer's
the use o talkin'?'
Then the aud man who'd nevar beara
the likes o SIGH SARGE since his own son
went solGierin', faIlei back behind the bar
whevsr he stood an 'peared doubtful wheth-
hisself dignified.
y gu poor bee-keepip' twoad of a bwoy,'
he says. scornful. you CERT silly gaby. TO
dare an think my darter guide enough for
the likes of you
never did think So an doan't now
MASTER Applebird. but facts be facts:
sne m gwalne to marry me. an I'll bear the
punishment like man, an so all's said
In cooHrSe all weren't said by a darned
long way, but the rest o the DISCOURSE fell
pom the ears of them in the bar for Rim
he went OF SO naughty as a turkey cock
WI his nose tip-tilted an his lips curtin
like a peels.
Not even that snake Yole though he
Hmped many guide mile for no other DUR
pose. ever seed them two together again.
but they met purity continuous for all that.
An Bill axej her II she'd judge 1t a terri
bic evil circumstance if he done six weeks
In clink tfor six weeks it was an no more
as Blanchard. the policeman tawld uni an
Polly said that so long as they was mar
rled fust. and she knawed she couldn be
tokened by her father TO no other she'd let
un go and think it TO shame
Meantime, arter the trouble Wi her
father an before the firal coorious ham,
peninC. there was fire in a croft of auld
Applebird's, an linhay. as didn't matter.
was burned down, and a huge CERT wheat
stack, as did matter a lot, was saved by
Bill NoSTen an two other chaps-chiefiy
through Bills long headedness For Bill
though hot-headed fuIe of a lad In some
ways, yet had a brave sight o. common
sense. with as guide q nerve in un as Won
might see teen Exeter an Plymouth. Aud
Applebird thanked Bill for what he'd done
WI face same as though he was chewin'
of lemon all the time. Then days passed
an twas known that Polly Applebrd weer
gwaine UP to her aunt as lived to Exeter
An so she weer; but theer was more in the
trip than met the eye. cause Bill he'd or
dained to meet her theer quiet and marry
he FORE he. tefr