The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-08-11

mans down lots O. fellers tries to keep
his face in the clay, but it amt Tom
Snodg nary time. Here's the
stuff, by gully! 5ss5
81 took thesmoney as a bat takes
fly, an sed, SEE I: Tom, this thing
don't stop here. You are pullin' me
outin a mighty tight place, an III
remember the favor while there's oil
in my lamp. No difference what you
want outiE me hereafter, all yo've got
to do is to holler fer it an We git it,
''Wall, about three months arter we
got back Tom comes to me just as
the sun was sguattin' down behind
hill an SEE: BILL that ar gal O. yourn
-Sarilda Jane-she's about the incest
piece o. femernine furniture in these
add her to the attrackshuns o. my
brand-new log house,
"I can't do it, To1n,' I sed, the
fack is, the gal is about to hook up
| an make a team with John Stacey.
They are to trot off together next
| week. "
"I can't hep that, Bill he said,
lookin' at me with ali eye full of tears,
Il got my heart sot on the gal an
can't git it off. You must give her to
me at once. I don't want to throw up
nuthin' to you, Bill, but you know
what We sed when I let We have that
so cents
"'You shall have her. sed, decided
ly. I never go back on a Teller that
pulled me outin hot water when the
skin was about to slip. Come over to-
morrer an git her.
''The gal loved Stacey, an so, when
tole her about the new arrangement,
she filled her apron full O. tears, an
sent home Stacey's picter an banker
cher. She married Tom, poor thing.
my wife soon died, an then my gal
.-Toms wife-mixing the grief of her
distasteful marriage with the death
of her mother, wilted away like cut
vine, an died herself two months later.
II soon married again, gittin' one of
the pirtiest gals in the settlemint, be-
sides the best sang digger in the coun-
ty. was gittin' along fne-havin' no
work to do arter gittin' such stout,
and full O memory, an my paradise
soon had flaming sword at it's gate.
He cum to me one day when I was
settin' on the field fence happily
watchin' my wife p]ow. He looked at
her for q long time, an his mouth
| begun to water. He sed: Bill, that's
! piece O. furniature out thar that
would look mighty weH<in my empty
house. Let me have her.
"'Can't do it, Tom,' I said. I'D be
all broke up without her. I can't let
you have the last wife I've got
els ii possible, Rill,' he began, his
lower jaw loose, an his eyes spillin'
tears. Can it be that you've forgot
my noble ack to you when We stood
helpless an busted in Cincinnati? Oh,
Bill! Bill! it can't be, it can't be, that
you've forgot me lettin' you have that
so cehts!'
''That was a fletcher, an he knowed
it would be. Wall. the upshot of it
was that we went to the old gal an
laid the case. in front of her. She
kicked against the proposition at fust,
but soon gentled off. The next day
Squire Manning divorced me an her
an married her an Tom.
"But the worst has come now, stran-
ger. He come to me this morning an
demanded my prize coon dog-a dog
| that cost me barrel o. moonshine
whisky an the revolver I shot Craig
Toliver with. I don't know what to do.
hate to go back on a man who trot-
ted forward to my relief in time of
need, an loaned me 50 cents; but, mis-
ter, arter all the SACRIFICES I've made,
l don't think he orter demand-I don't
see how he can have the heart to ak
me to give up the best coon dog that
ever yelped at the root of tree! Tell
me what to- dol"
swell, it seems simple enough to me;
suppose you pay him back the so cents
and get rid of him?''
A seraphic light overspread his brow
and flowed down and filled the hills
and hollows of his jagged old face.
"Wall, stranger, by goshins! Why
didn't I think o. that before! Gal
went, wife follered; all on account Of
not havin' any thought or a friend to
advise. but I'll not mourn now, for
with him paid up an coon dog left I
can be happy yet!"-Louisville Courier
Journal.