The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-07-23
!, i M. Tlny. the forks NIGH

"seemS to me, Tiny, the foiSs HAsn'
quit"
.'I'vo been thlnKIn' SO, Sim. ever senet
waved tibet tin pail at you across the
corn field, the first time"
"Thet was great joke o yourn-
Lordy! sf the folks he'd ketched vel III
never forgit how the sun shIned on the
bottom Of tibet tin dinner pail, as II
flung up at me Nv as kind o sassy Nv
YOU, anyhow, always attractin' me, ell
ther with tin bucket or your eyes, OF
the takin'est smile In the world"
..Weu Sim, ef yop would look,
couldn't help It," answered Tiny, and
then a soberness stole over his face II
wonder, sometimes, ef you realize what
we've gone and done fer ourselves" she
added.
"seeln' come Of such dod. oo-
stlnate stock. don't care. You an me-
Tiny, Is a goIn' to git Jined, some time,
ef It, amt till kingdom come. ~ "a roc a
ned the world o. girls to choose ifom'
I'd taken you"
"Aad / YOU, sim, dear"
At this the tall young fellows arm
stole half way round the waist, so
ltemiptinglv slender and so cohfidingly
near. but In an instant Tiny rsbuked
him, by silently putting her hand In
his. Don't spoil It all, SIM" she said,
simply, II love to come ont here ana
meet YOU, and you know II, but l Jest
can't ef you don't behave"
Neither OF them saw old man Sauls-
burg, between the cornstalks, grin and
elan his legs nolselessly, nj tAis rebuf,
and. somewhat aggrieved, Sim w ttdreV
his arm to a safe distance. IL was w9nf
derful then, to see little Tiny Taylor
hutterlpE about tike a itpmming bird.
coaxlng the great fellow h1ek Into gooe
humor.
The two stood on implanted ground
an odd strip about hundred yards
wide, running both ways as tar as the
eye could reach, while on either SIDE,
the ranks Of corn toed the ll9 sning-
" AFRAID TO encroach' one tnch m q
their mark. It was deep. fefule prairie
land. covered now with the cnaraeterls-
tic coRrse grass and gum weed, but as
capable OF good yield under cultivation
as the fields OH either hand.
Tiny" said Sim, as " celebrating,
'.Vou an mes Of age"
The girl qulVered a little, but she
looked BIT him resolutely
"An' there aIn't no reason why we
should stay right here all our lives. I'm
a strappin' Teller, an though hate to
leave Ioway, reckon there's other
states where man could work fer
fer himself an wife"
.Oh. Sim, you never mean fer US to
run away? Why, 'twould kill NAV, an
Aunt Susdn, an Aunt EllZa!" gasped
Tiny.
"'Twouldn't kill EN-" he responded.
Think Of me, danglIn' on a string nigh
onto two years a'ready; it's a wonder Il
aIn't killed me, that's what! There ain't
no other waV. honey, but fer US Jest to
90 before the preacher, an when were
man an wife, both our folkses can KICK
all they're mind to. There's no use u
waitin' neither. Is there, Tiny? Paw'n
never forgive your nav. nor she him,
You an mes a-tEemblin' here, on the
ragged edge OF disSiveTy every minute,
an / tell you won't stand It great
while more. There, there, Tiny! / ain't
meanin' to be cross, but ef you've got
women folks to leave, I've got men
Is folks. There's father; he's the ornltest.
obstinatest old man you ever see, an !
know It: an It's Jest him to see a
pretty little dotter right within reach,
an, him to refuse her, because it's you.
Wig, rye seen him refuse cherries jest
because he wouldn't eat 'em. It's a COM
fort to feel that ef you're marryin' into
sech an obstinate family, you're mar
Fyin' outen one as bad. All the same
I'd hate TO leave paw, an Uncle Sim,
an old John. that's ben our hired man,
an fed hogs with us, sence before was
born"
Between the two there was pause,
and the man with the silent laugh on
his mouth, and with the sun-ilrled, iron
gray hair, housekeeping among the
cornstAlks, craned his head forward to
catch the next low and desperate tones,
''But TN goln' to leave 'ein, Tiny, an
you an NELL start off into the world an
aad a place fer ourselves; then the
sauIshurys thet's left can fight It out
with the TRyiors thet's left, an well
come, Sag you'll come, little girl, say
you'll comet
Surely, their hearts were beating in
their ears o! they must have heard
that other heart sounding llEenU trip
hammer, Just a few feet away. I'M
Tiny looked up at Sim, then, with the
look woman gives man only once In
her life, and that when She herself goes
with II: and then the tears slowly we'll
ca ltAA1 lgt flNl- Vi
"oh. SIM" she consented, "but well
cope back and bid 'em gOod-bFe?"
YES" he replied, straigbtsDlug hiIp-
self TO his six feet two, t'i'sss, after the
WeddInY" II rcs~
Hardly had the two phrted--indeed,
the shaking tassels OF the corn yet be.
trayed the opposite path each had ta-
ken-when the old man stepped grImly
into the clear strip. the stubby beard
on his set, square Jaw showing a sandy
gray In the sun. A scant-skirted calico
dress. and a Stat sunbonnet. with long,
pointed nose and an obstinate chin APP
peaTing within. glided from the stalks
on the other side, as II to meet him.
When too late to retreat; they spied
each other-oId Tom Salisbury, and the
Widow Taylor.
Hem he said, gruffly.
'.M-m-m" she said at the same mo-