Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1897-04-23

walked by, a-lookin over the valley.
Tibet one glance done Absalom Bunksi.i
He staid awake tell she come back.
''Thet night he didn't eat no supper, =
" Nance. seq no to his sister How
fur IL It to Crimmelss'
Nigh onter a iniled.' sez she.
IAN he jest groaned, drawed his
boots, TUX a candle an went up to bed.
''Twicet week all tibet summer
Annie May Crimmel come a-sinRin
down the road. An Absalom, dozin on
the porch, nd hear her voice tell she'd
reach the edge Of the woods There she'd
stop her song an go ploddin by, gain
over the valley. like he wasn't about or
wasn't wuth lookin at. Absalom kept
gittin fatter an fatter from dom moth!
in. an II seemed to him like Annie May
Crimmel was prettier every time abe
went to store. He was onrastless; he
was unhappy. He know'd what was
wrong, an he seen no cure, fer to him
tibet girl walkin long the road not 30
rods from his house was like q chunk
Of bread danglin jest beyant the reach
of u starvin man.
Perhaps you uns wonder why he
didn't go down All speak to her. Thet
wasn't Absalom's way. He might "a
walked tibet fur to git warm. But to
speak to girl? Neverl Oncet he called
to her, but she was bashful an hung
her head an walked on the fAater.
g Nance. ser he to his sister tibet
night at supper, I've kinder notion
fer Annie May CrimmeI.' he sez
Hev your seq she, lookin sur
prised. though of course ahe know d IL,
an fer weeks he'd ben a-wonderin what
'u'd become Of her
An perhaps, sez he, you wouldn't
mind steppin over there tomorrer an
tellin her.
4" 'UmphP she scz perkin up her
nose. You'll see me a-gaddin round the
valley settin up with girls fer your
He set thiDkin a piece. Then he see
trem 'lous like, Nance, how fur In 1t to
Orimmels'?
A mile to an inch, SEE she.
He jest give agroand an went Off TO
bed ag'in.
''They say tibet next day toward even
in Absalom was seen TO rise from his
chair, to hesitate, to set down, git up
ny in an begin movin toward the road
He got to the gate, pushed 1t half open
an leaned on 1t. Tell sunset he stood
there, again wistfullike toward Grim
mel's place Then he give a groand IN
went to supper
Winter drove the lazy folly inter the
house. All day long he'd stay by the
windy watchin fer Annie May Grim
mel, M W. she passed he'd smile soft
like. When she was gone, he'd look sol
emn aR'in. An all the time no KEEP git
tin fatter an fatter an more an more on
rastless,
'''rhe winter broke March come an
went April ! was u fine, warm day,
80 Absalom took his cheer out on the
porch an set there lookin down the ridge
into the valley, where the men was
a-plowin fer oats. All at onoet he heard
u creakin Of wheels an a rattle of gears
tibet caused him to turn his eyes up the
road. Outer tho woods come wagon,
piled high with furnitur'. 1t was
fiittin, the Crimmels' hittin. M he
know'd when he seen Andy a-drivin
M the missus an Annie May settin ON
the horses Bunkel was stunned--cleany
ed stunned. The fiittin went crealrin
past the house, him jest settin there
starin. He know'd what II meant to
him. He know'd 1t was fer him tho
same IN the death Of Annie May, but
he couldn't do nothin. The wagon
swung round the bend below the house
an WAS outer sight.
when he seen the last Of the red
bonnet fashin In the sun, he th'owed
his hands to his head like they was
pain there Sudden he jumped from his
chair an run toward the road yellin:
Hey. heyi Annie Mayi'
He tore throo the gate, down the
road an round the bend. They was In
sight agin.
!" Annie Mayi' he called. Annie
Mayi'
The wagon stopped. The girl climb
ed often the horse an run toward him
When he seen her comm, he ret right
down to wait fer her. She stood still.
Annie May, he called, come here.
I've sometbin to tell you
But she turned round AN walked,
with hangin head, back to the wagon.
He jumped up AN begin runnin after
her ag'in. She heard his calm, an
throwed out her hands All started to-
ward him, cryin, 'Absalom, Absalomp
But Absalom Bunkel never spoke
his mind TO Annie May Crimmel. AfoFe
he reached her he stopped sudden kinder
hesitated, then fell for ard, face down
ward inter the road. The girl went to
him, but found him dead--dead from
byerexertin. New York Sun,