The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1901-05-30
THE WOOING OF
SALLY ANN.
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BY p. s. RlDSDALE.

nj EARLY everybody in Brandy Patch
~ said Sally Ann was the prettiest
girl the Patch ever boasted. Then
she had taken the prize for being the
"handsomest lady" at the annual ball
of the Jovial Social club, and that dis
tinction quite confirmed the opinion
Of "everybody." There were a few
people, though, who did not come un-
der this very general classification.
They were some very envious young
women, and four rejected suitors,
and they didn't count. They could
not be good judges of beauty.
1t would not be fair to Sally Ann to
say she had the least doubt on the
subject. She had not. She well knew
that she was very good looking and it
made her somewhat vain. Otherwise
she was q sensible girl.
Beauty has its drawbacks even in
Brandy Patch, and Sally Ann before
she was 20. had ample illustration, as
many Of the young men wanted to
marry her. Sally Ann had never con-
sidered the subject seriously and 80
their attentions were annoying. She
said no lowell she could not remem-
Der how many. She had, of course,
a vague idea that she would be mar
ried some time. She knew she could
not always live with her uncle, es.
pecially MS his wife was far from
kind, but she had hitherto been undis-
turbed by the thought.
Now. however, she was 20, and her
uncle one day said: Lass, you be-
ing big and strong and likely looking,
why don't you tale one of the lads Of
the Patch for husband? Shure
you'll have no trouble"
He spoke kindly, but Sally Ann
knew that his ad ice was practically
command. She must marry. She
accepted the situation philosophically,
and calmly sat down to think it over
She had plenty Of material from
which to select husband. She would
count. There was Jim Golden, Pat
Dooris, Tom Williams, Nick Martin,
Harry Jones, Tim Murphy, and she
went on counting the eligible young
men of the Patch, representing each
with piece of coal, until, having
reached the end Of the list, she had
is pieces on the board before her.
II must marry one of them"
thought she, with a decisive toss of
her head, "but which one?" Sally
Ann viewed the prospect with sigh,
and then, being essentially practical,
she set to work with a will. Com
mencing at the right of the line, she
picked up Billy Rice. Billy was quick
ly discarded. He had red hair. Sally
Ann did not like red hair. Fred Smith
was too small. Harry Jones drank
too much whisky. Joe Moore had
wart on his nose. Tom Edwards was
a nice fellow, but he was only a
driver boy. Sally Ann was ambitious.
She wanted a miner, and Tom joined
the rest.
1t was long time before Sally
Ann reached the end of the line, and
llIth SuC Iuti a VIC ~" VI ilNC, up-
on whom she could not decide hastily.
These she took up, and, after much
cogitation, discarded two. Bill Pat
terson would, she thought, have a
bad temper when he grew old, and q
fortune teller had prophesied that
Jimmy Hart would be killed in the
mines. There were three left, Pat
Dooris, Tom Williams and Nick Mar
tin. Try as she might, Sally Ann
could not make up her mind regard
ing either of them. Each had faults.
but none more than another; each
made good pay, and each was good
looking.
Its got to be one Of them" said
Sally Ann after several minutes re-
Election; "but blessed if I can tell
which. P'r'aps, though" she con-
tinued, "none of 'em will have me. !
never thought of that" At length
she arose, decided, and put three
pieces of coal in her pocket. "I'll
keep all of them," said she, "and see
which'll have me-"
Now Sally AIMS assurance in calm
ly selecting three of the finest men in
the Patch from whom to choose a
husband was not unfounded. She was
not long in learning that while she
only wanted one of them, they all
wanted her.
Here was dilemma, for though she
had carried three pieces Of coal in
her po.ket for many days, she was
still quite unable to decide which she