Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1899-12-07
PICKLED ONIONS.
BY Susan Archer Weiss.


man, fitting his shuck- bottomed chair
back against the blue-painted wains-
cot, and crossing one knee over the
other, did l ever tell you gals what
happened to me along o. IA jar o. pick
led inguns?'
Three bright pairs of eyes turned
upon him, and three eager voices i'm
plored him to tell the story.
oval, twas when l was bout the
age o. Lyman there-nigh upon 21--
and had Jest come down to be clerk
In Uncle Steye's new store at Thre-
Pine-Fork Bein' good -lookin and ex-
try well-dressed, and considerably of Il
lady's man inter the bargain, L cut
quite a figger 'mongst the Pine-Fork
folks; and before I'd been thar two
weeks, had got inter the good graces
o. most o. the gals, and set the coun-
try sparks mad as painted Injuns.
oval, thar was one gal o. the lot
that had took my eye from the fust-a
sweet, purity, enticin' little creeter as
ever lived, with big, brown eyes, and
a nursed-up cherry mouth, and the
neatest little figger, round and plump
as partridge.
Half the boys was I'm love with her.
but she didn't seem TO keer overmuch
for any Of 'em; and the idee struck me
that 1t would be good thing to cut
'em all out and show what could do
with even such n shy, skittish little
creature as Kitty Kinsey.
$50 the fust time / had chance-I
remember twas at Miss Miller's quilt
in party sot up to her, and danced
with her most o. the time, and tuck
her into supper. and caugnt her every
time at Blind-man's Buff, and ended
by walkin' home with her through the
pine woods in the moonlight and
squeezin' her hand.
"She seemed pleased enough; and so
1t went on for week or two, and |
used to see the eyes grow brighter
and her cheeks redder whenever |
come in sight. But at last people be-
gan to talk, and wonder when the
weddin' was a-comin' off. And as
hadn't the fust idee o gettin' married
at that time, and Kitty's big brother
Tom was expected home shortly, | be-
gan to think I'd better get out o. the
scrape in good time.
Poor little Kitty! remember how
surprised her big brown eyes looked
when l arsked LOUSY Parker. right
afore her face, for the pleasure o.
SEEM her to Miss Clarke's tea party
next evenin'. She didn't say word.
nor show any vexation; but at the
party she was mighty quiet-like, and /
began to feel powerful mean and low
down. And then, all of a suddint. she
seemed to make up her mind to let me
go, and she began laughin' and talkin'
with Mark Daffron, just as 1 was
a-doin' with LOUSY Parker, and fiat
term herself, poor little thing, that /
couldn't see through it.
las to Mark, he was that pert and
stuck up with her seemin' to like him
that l could a chucked him out o. the
winder; and at last l went up and told
her, afore his face, that would claim
the Virginny reel, as we'd always dane
ed 1t together.
But she said, in demure sort o.
way, that mebbe we'd danced it so
often together that we'd got tired and
wanted a change.
"And then she walked off with Mark.
and l seen that Teller a-grinnin' to him
self like Punch at Zeb Jones' terback-
er shop door.
oval, gals, afore that party was
over 1 made n mighty diskivery. 1
found out to my own surprise, that l
was actoolly In love with Kitty Kin
sey. But whether she was as much
in love with me as had all along fan
cied, 1t warn't SO easy to diskiver: for
she put on all sorts o. tantalizin' airs.
and snubbed me, and carried on with
the other fellers, till, what between
love o. her and jealousy o. them, was
well nigh mad as hornet
1.-Two or three weeks went on I'm this
way. tried my best to get back into
Kitty's favor; but she seemed nightly
Indifferent to me and my doin's, and
let Mark Daffron take her round to
the dancin' parties and prayer meet
ms. He was what folks called n
risin' young farmer, but to my idee
awful humly, and his clo'es not to
compare to my city-cut: so l knew all
along that Kitty couldn't rally have
took up with him, only jest a little
put out about me and LOUSY Parker.
$50 dropped LOUSY and let her go,
and went to Kitty; but she was that
skittish that l never could git hold
on her, and she KEEP me dancin' round,
till determined to do somethin' des.
prit to bring her to the pint.
Zone evenin' / was goin' past her
house, when l saw her settin' at the
side kitchen winder, lookin' mighty
dreamy and quiet, but as purity as a
picter, with all her brown curls fiut.
term in the breeze, and her plump
dimpled face as fresh as the apple
blossoms shadln' the winder l won
dered II she was thinkin' o. me. But
Jest then she looked up and saw me
and answered my bow with little
keerless toss Of her head, and looked
down ag'in, and pulled n big basket
of somethin' to'ards her, as IL she
hadn't seen me; and went on feelin
altogether low-spirited and desprit.
But all of q student an idee STRUCK
me. Uncle Steve meant to send mt
up to town next day on business, and
ia Be away bout week. I hurried