Santa Fe daily New Mexican., 1897-12-09
SQUAN CREEK FOLKS.
AUNT MARY JASON TELLS Of LOB
STER AND A MARRIAGE.

ness with which you cum here is about
five nights u week. Do you feel yourself
drawed this way by anything in pertick-
ler?''
81 do, Aunt Mary, he sez as he blushes
clear down to his chin.
SIS it Polly?"
SIT is. Pm in love with her, and I
want to ak if kin hev her?'
''Abner," sez / as moshuns him to sot
down, ''luvin gal is one thing and pur-
vidin fur wife is another. How you 60
in to support wifep Polly has got big
appetite, and it will take bar Is and barls
of flour and pork and taters to pull her
through. She's as savin as most of em,
but she wants new par of shoes every
var, and the dresses and stockin's S and fix
ms all cost money. How you goin to do
it, Abner?''
"Ketchin lobsters,'' sez he as he turns
pale clear back to his ears.
'Ketchin Holsters is all right, Abner,
as fur as it goes, same as tongin fur clans
and oysters, but thar's nuthin sure bout
it. One day you may ketch dozen, and
every one will be a whoppcr, and then
ag'in you may not git one fur three or four
days LObsters is queer critters and lob
ster marriages can't be reckoned on fur
happiness.
1--we found a powerful big clam bed,
sez Abner arter awhile and lookin kinder
hopeful as he said it.
'I'm favorin Of CLANS as fur as fritters
go, sez I, "but my ole man never made
dollar a day when clammin. I hain't
nuthin ag'in you as young man, Abner,
and everybody in Squan Greek speaks well
of you, but guess you d better sort of sheer
off till you hev got at least 800 ahead to
start on
"Kin I hev Poll when I've got hun
dred9' he asks, with gulp in his throat.
l said that he could, and feelin to pity
him cut him half pumpkin pie and got
him drink of hard cider and sent him
home feelin leetle more chirk That same
night said to Polly:
GIVE bin talkin with Abner and he
to marry you when he gifts 800 ahead
Don't go to weepin around now and wear.
in out your handkerchiefs a-pullin your
nose, but help me to make that soft soap
and trust to luck. If Abner has any git
up in him, he'll be claimin you inside Of
three months. ="
Waal, one night about week later
hada mighty cur GUS dream. Iknowed that
Abner had some lobster pots out, but
didn't know jest whar. seen en- in my
dream, however. In one of the pots thar
was only one lobster, but he was whop-
pin big feller and looked to be SO vars
old. He had suthin shiny in his claws,
but I COULDN'T make out what it was
seen that critter of lobster jest as plain
as I see that door, and when woke up
couldn't skassly believe it was dream.
Next night dreamed the same thing
ag'in, and in the mornin I see Abner's
father passin by, and sez to him:
'Good mornin Mr.. Reed. How's the
fish a-runnin these days."
"No fish to speak of, Aunt Mary, sez
he.
"Is Abner don any great with his lob
ster potsS'
"Can't say that he is, as he hasn't bin
out fur two or three days"
Then I told him to go and tell Abner
to go out and fish up the pot furthest to
the south and take keerful look at the
big lobster, and he said that he d do it and
went along home That evcnin I was
windin carpet rags and Polly was SEWN
when somebody opened the door without
knockin, and l looked up to see Abner
Reed. His face was all a-grin, and he
couldn't keep his heels on the floor, and
had to AK him if his mother was dead or
the COW had got mired on the marsh be-
fore he said:
"Aunt Mary, I've cum fur to say that
men Polly'll be married next week."
"Mebbe you will )" sez T. "but that's ac.
cordin. DID you go out to the lobster pots
today?"
"I did,"
"And did you find thumpin big fellel
in that last pot to the south?'
81 did!" he sez, with All awful grin.
"Waal, drempt he had sunthin shiny
in his claws, and If you hain't run a'gin
post and knocked the sense outer your head
I'd like to know what it was"
1T was diamond ring, and I've sold
1t fur $3.50, and here's the cash! That's
my 800 and sunthin to spare, and had
your word fur it about Polly"
Twas never so nigh knocked out in all
my life, and 1t was six or seven minits be-
fore could git my breath. I'd drcmpt OF
that lobster and seen that ere diamond in
his claws, and that Abner should go out
thar and find it all so and make cartload
OF money seemed SO strange that my feet
got numb and chills went over my back
Polly she busted out cryin, and Abnel
cried and danced around, and it was like
a camp meetin fur awhile. Bimeby sez
to Abner:
II don't believe you kin find it in any
hist'ry that the Lawd has anything to do
with Holsters, but this ere is proof that he
does, and it would be sinful fur me to
stand out ag'in 1t. Twas inspired to dream
of that big lobster, and you was inspired
to 20 out and find that diamond ring he'd
picked up sumwhar OH the bottom. Pol
ly, are you sure you luv Abner almost to
death and that you'll II hang yourself to that
bedpost If you can't marry him?"
I'm sure, scz she.
"And, Abner, are you allus goin to luv,
honor and cherish, and wash the dishes
young uns when she wants to run over to
see ma bout what's good fur the chicken
pox and whoopin coughfo
He promised everything, and we all
sorter wept some more, and they got mar
ried the next Tuesday. They hain't either
one of 'em melted away from too much
happiness yit, but they is Us well off as
most folks, and they feelsas / do--that the
hull thing was kind Of fixed up in heaven.
Yes, Holsters is curious critters, mighty
cur 'ous but the Lawd made 'ein that way,
and guess it's all right. NJ QUAD.
ma.