Santa Fe daily New Mexican., 1897-04-22

off.
''Now, it happened thet when he he'd
ben livin this way tell his forty fifth
year ole Andy Crimmell TUX the place
about a mile beyant his. One nice aft
ernoon, as Absalom set a-dozin on his
front porch, Andy's dotter, Annie May,
come trippin down the road OH her way
to store, lookin as pretty as pictur' in
her red sunbonnet, swingin basket an
singin melancholy piece. Absalom
woke with start as she stepped outer
the woods above the house, an he got a
sight of her pink cheeks afore she duck
ed under her bonnet, fer when she seen
him she sudden stopped singin all
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, sez he to his sister. How
fur is it to Crimmels?'
Nigh onter miled, sez she.
can he jest groaned drawed his
boots, TUX candle an went up to bed.
"Twicet q week all thet summer
Annie May Crim1nel come a-singill
down the road. An Absalom, dozin on
the porch, 'u'd 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 doin moth
in, an it seemed to him like Annie May
Crimmel was prettier every time she
went to store. He was onrastless; he
was unhappy. He know'd what was
wrong, an he seen no cure, fer to him
thet girl walkin long the road not 30
rods from his house was like q chunk
Of bread danglin jest beyant the reach
Of starvin man.
Perhaps you uns wonder why he
didn't 60 down an speak to her. Thet
wasn't Absalom's way. He might "a
walked thet fur to git warm. But to
speak to girl? Never! Oncet he called
to her, but she was bashful an hung
her head an walked on the faster.
Nance, sez he to his sister thet
night at supper, I've kinder a notion
fer Annie May Crimmel, he sez.
'Hev you!' sez she, lookin sur
prised, though Of course she know'd it,
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..
'UmphP she sez, perkin up her
nose You'll see me a-gaddin round the
valley settin up with girls fer youp
He set thinkin piece. Then he SEE
trem lous like, Nance, how fur is it to
Crimmels'?'
"A mile to an inch, sez she.
"He jest give groand an went off to
bed ag'in.
'They say thet next day toward even
in Absalom was seen to rise from his
chair, to hesitate, to set down, git up
ag in an begin movin toward the road.
He got to the gate, pushed it half open
an leaned on it. re sunset he stood
there, again wistfu Ike toward Grim
mel's place. Then he give a groand an
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, all as she passed he'd smile soft
like. When she was gone, he'd look SOL
emn gin. An all the time he KEEP git
tin fatter an fatter All more ali more on
rastless.
"The winter broke. March come an
went. April / was a fine, warm day,
so 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 oncet he heard
creakin of wheels an rattle of gears
thet caused him to turn his eyes up the
road. Outer the woods come wagon,
piled high with furnitur'. 1t was a
flittin, the Crimmels' fittin, as he
know'd when he seen Andy a-drivin
an the missus an Annie May settin on
the horses Bunkel was stunned-clean-
ed stunned The flittin went creakin
past the house, him jest settin there
starin. He know'd what it meant to
him. He know'd it was fer him the
same as 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 aashin in the sun, he th'owed
his hands to his head like they was a
pain there. Sudden he jumped from his
chair an run toward the road yellin:
Hey, hey! Annie May!
He tore throo the gate, down the
road an round the bend. They was in
sight agin.
!" Annie Mayp he called. Annie
Mayp
The wagon stopped. The girl climb
ed often the horse an run toward him
When he seen her comm, he set right
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 after
her ag'in. She heard his callin, an
throwed out her hands an started to-
ward him, cryin, 'Absalom, Absalom!
But Absalom Bunkel never spoke
his mind to Annie May Crimmel. Afore
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
overexertin New York Sun.
A Joke ON Supreme Court.