The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-07-22
SETTLING An OLO DISPUTE
(By Julia B. FoSter,)
10y JuIld d. FOSIer.)


ooSNA
Seems to me, Tiny, the folks might
quit"
I've been thinkin' so, Sim, ever sence
l waved tibet tin pail at you across the
corn field, the first time"
"Thet was a great joke o. yourn-
Lordy! eff the folks he'd ketched We! I'll
never forgit how the sun shined on the
bottom of tibet tin diner pail, as it
flung up at me twas kind O. sassy wv
you, anyhow, always a%ttractin' me,
either with a tin bucket, or your eyes,
or takin'esl smile in the world"
We'll. Sim, if o would look,
couldn't help it," answered Tiny, and
then a soberness stole over her face. 81
wonder, sometimes, eff you realize what
we've gone and done for ourselves
she added.
Seem I come of such dod-blamed OBJ
stinate stock, I don't care. You an
me, Tiny, is a goin' to git jined, some
time, eff it amt till kingdom come. Eli
Ia a he'd the world O. girls to choose
from, I'd a taken you"
And I you, Sim, dear"
AT this the tall young fellows arm
stole half way round the waist, so
temptingly slender and so %confidingly
near; but in an instant Tiny rebuked
him, by silently putting her hand in
his. Don't spoil it all, Sim," she said.
simply. Il love to come out here and
meet you, and o know it, but I jest
can't eff you don't behave"
Neither Of them saw old man Sauls-
bury, between the %cornstalks, grin and
slap his leg noiselessly, at this rebuff,
and, somewhat aggrieved, Sim with
drew his arm to a safe distance. 1t
was wonderful, then, to see little Tiny
Taylor f1uttering about like a hum
ming bird. coaxing the great fellow
back into good humor.
The two stood on implanted ground
an odd strip about a hundred yards
wide, running both ways as far as the
eye could reach, while on either side
the ranks of corn toed the line, SEEM
ingly. afraid to encrOach one inch be-
You'd their mark. 1t was deep, fertile
prairie land, covered now with the
characteristic coarse grass and gum
weed, but as capable of good yield un-
der cultivation as the fields on either
hand.
Tiny" said Sim, as if celebrating,
you an mes of age"
The girl quivered a little, but she
looked at him r%esolutely.
AN there amt no reason why we
should stay right here all our lives.
I'm a strappin' Teller. a n though I hate
to leave Ioway, I reckon there's other
states where a man could work fer
fer himself an wife"
"Oh, Sim, o never mean fer US
to u away? Why, 'twould kill nav,
n Aunt Susan, an Aunt Eliza" gasp
ed Tiny.
"'Twouldn't kill EN-" he responded.
Think O. me, danglin' On a string nigh
onto two year already; it's a wonder it
amt killed me. that's what! There
amt no other way, honey, but fer us
jest to go before, the preacher, an when
we're mar and wife, 10Th our folks
can kick all they're a mind to. There's
no use in Waitin' neither, is there, Tiny?
Pawll never forgive your nav, nor she
him. You an me a tremblin' here, on
the ragged edge of diskivery every
minute, an I tell you I won't stand
it a great while more. There, there,
Tiny! I amt meanin' to be cross, but
eff you've got women folks to leave, I've
got men folks. There's father; he's the
ornirest. obstinatest old mai you ever
see, an I know it; an it's jest him
to see a pretty little dotter right with
in reach. an refuse her, because it's
you. It's a comfort to feel that eff
you're marryin' into sech an obstinate
family, you're marryin' outen one about
as bad. All the same, I'd hate to leave
paw, an Uncle Sim, an John, thet's
ben our hired IA an fed hogs with
us, sence before I was born"
Between the two there was a pause,
and the man with the silent laugh on
his mouth, and with the sun-dried, iron
gray hair, eavesdropping among the
cornstalks. craned his head forward to
catch the next low and desperate tones.
But I'm goin' to leave EN-, Tiny. an
you an nell start off in the world an
find a place fer ourselves; then the
Saulsburys that's left can fight it out
with the Taylors that's left, an well
come. Say you'll come, little girl, say
you'll come.
Surely, their hearts were beating in
their ears, or they must have heard
that other heart sounding like a trip
hammer. just a few feet away.
Tiny looked up at Sim, then. with
the look a woman gives a man only
once in her life, and hat when she.
herself, goes with it; and then the tears
slowly welleu into her eyes.
ooh, SIM" h consented, but Wen
come back and bid 'em good-bye?"
YES" he replied. Strengthening HIM
weddin'."
When too late to retreat, they spied
each other-old Tom Salisbury. and the
Widow Taylor.
"Hem," he said, gruf1y.
"M-m-in!" she said at the same mo-
ment with a little screech in her voice.
He took his SLOUGH hat off and passed
his rough hand v e his head from
front to back.
II never s'posed-I never thought
she stammered.
mo, you never s'picioned 1 was nigh:
nuther did l you-but I do s'picion,
now. yOu'ye hen about vera long enough
to see what's goin' on between my boy
an your girl. I give you my word, Mis-