The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1897-02-11

him she sudden stopped sing1n al
walked by. a-lookin over the valley
Thet one glance done Absalom Bunkel
He staid awake tell she come back
''Thet night he didn't eat no supper.
Nance, scz he to his sister. How
fur is ii 10 Crimmels:'
Nigh ontof miled SCI she.
An he j.st groaned, drawed hi
boots. lux camille an went up TO bed.
'Twiect week all thet summe
Annie May Crimmel come a-singil
down the road. An Absalom, dozin OF
the porch, II d hear her voice tell she Z
reach the edge of the woods. There she'C
stop her song an go ploddin by, gazil
over the valley, like he WASH about O
wasn't with lookin at. Absalom KEEP
gittin fatter an fatter from dom moth
in, an it seemed TO him like Annie Ma,
Crimmel was prettier every time sh,
went to store He was onrastless; HI
was Unhappy. He know'd what wa
wrong, an he seen no cure fer to hin
tibet girl walkin long the road not q
rods from his house was like chunl
of bread danglin jest beyant the reacl
of a starvin man.
Perhaps you uns wonder why h
didn't go down an speak to her. The
wasn't Absalom S way. He might "a
walked thet fur to git warm. But Il
speak to girl? Never Oncet he calleC
to her, but she was bashful an huns
her head an walked on the faster.
" Nance, seq he to his sister the
night at supper, I've kinder noti6I
fer Annie May Crimmel, he seq.
Hev youp SEE she, lookin sur
prised, though of course she know'd it
an fer weeks he'd ben a-wonderin wha
I'D become of her.
." An perhaps, SEE he you wouldn y
mind steppin over there tomorrer al
tellin her
'Umph!' she SEE, perkin up he
nose. You II see me a-gaddin round tn,
valley settm up with girls fer youn
He set thinkin piece Then he Sc;
trem lous like, Nance, how fur is it t.
Crimmels'?
=" A mile to an inch, seq She.
HE jest give groand an went off t.
bed ag'in.
'They say thet next day toward even
in Absalom was seen to rise from hi
chair, to hesitate, to set down, git W
ag in an begin movin toward the road
He got to the gate, pushed it half oper
an leaned on it. Tell sunset he stood
there, again wistfullike toward Grim
mel's place. Then he give groand al
went to supper.
Winter drove the lazy felly inter the
house. All day long he'd stay by The
windy watchin fer Annie May Grim
mel, an as she passed he'd smile soft
like. When she was gone, he'd look sol
emn ag in An all the time he KEEP git
tin fatter an fatter AN more an more on
rastless.
THE winter broke March come al
went. April / was a fine, warm day
so Absalom took his cheer out on tn,
porch an set there lookin down the ridg'
into the valley, where the men wa
a-plowin fer oats. All at oncet he heart
q creal1in of wheels an rattle of gear
tibet caused him TO turn his eyes up tn
road Outer the woods come u wagon
piled high with furnitur'. 1t was {
flittin, the lClimmels' flittin, as h
know'd when he seen Andy a-drivil
an the missus an Annie May settin OF
the horses. Bunkel was stunned-clean
ed stunned. The filth went creakil
past the house. him jest settin Their
starin. He know'd what it meant t,
him. He know'd it was fer him thu
same as the death of Annie May, bu
he couldn't do nothin The Wagon
swung round the bend below the hous
an was outer sight.
"When he seen the last of the rex
bonnet fiashin III the sun, he tn owet
his hands to his head like they was
pain there. Sudden he jumped from hi
chair an run toward the road yellin
Hey, hey! Annie May"
He tore throo the gate, down TIN
road an round the bend. They was il
sight agin.
- Annie Mayp he called 'Anni
May
The wagon stopped. The girl climb
ed often the horse an run toward him
When he seen her comm. he set RICH
down to wait fer her. She stood still.
!" Annie May, he called, come here
I've somethin to tell you.
But she turned round an walked
with hangin head, back to the wagon
He jumped up an begin runnin afte
her ag'in. She heard his calm, al
throwed out her hands an started to
ward him, cryin, 'Absalom, Absaloml
But Absalom Bunkel never spok
his mind to Annie May Crimmel. Afor
he reached her he stopped sudden, kinde
hesitated, then fell for ard, face down
ward, inter the road. The girl went t.
him, but found him dead-dead from
overexertin. New York Sun.