The Hazel Green herald. [volume] (Hazel Green, Wolfe County, Ky.) 1885-19??, 1901-07-18
A DETECTED DUEL.
BY WILLIAM i. HAMPTON.
: E2|~El1l~,2LtlNGN-

"Why didn't l marry Mirandy
Howe? exclaimed Hiram Hostel
ter, flushing angrily, in response
To a taunt from the hOstler. 60
Tposc you ask Milt Burgess over
there why he didn't marry herr"
The little crowd loafing in front
of the livery stable in the country
town pricked up its ears and con-
centrated its interest on the hostler
and Mr.. Hostetter. Mr.. Burgess,
in the meantime, becoming more
intent upon the corncob pipe he
vas laboriously constructing.
"How's that, Milt ?" inquired
the hostler i'll the same haunting
tone. Evidently he knew more of
the inner history of Hostetter and
Burgess than the others did, for
they were all curiosity, and had no
! comments whatever to max g.
Both men were considerably past
middle age, and had come to the
town several years before from the
hill country, bringing no creden-
tials other than q desire to better
! their condition and Il fair ability
| to do so. They were sober, honest
and Industrious, and beyond that
Their acquaintance took no con-
Germ. The hostler, in his more
prosperous days, had made a num-
Der of trips into the hill country,
buving horses. and had heard some
of the legends of that section.
"Oh, you git it out of Hi, if you
kim" responded Mr.. Burgess, with
out looking up from his work.
Il never did hear the straight OF
H." said the hostler, the haunting
tone giving place to one of sof,
persuasion, land I'm sure thes,
gents ought to know it, just for the
sake of Your regulations. Dom
you think so?"
well, l amt objectin'," admit
ted Mr.. Burgess, IF Hi wants I,
tell about it,
You tell it, Milt." pleaded Mr.
Hustetter
NO, you do it, Ill.," insisted Mr.
Burgess. Il kin make a better col
pipe than you kin, but you kin out
talk me. You know that's wha
Mirandy al'ays said"
Mr.. Hostctter's face flushed
partly with pride, partly with EN-
barrassment.
EFF you rely want to know tn
pertickclars," he said" and Milt'
willin', reckon | might as vel
tell it SOS you'll git it kerreci
You see mo and Milt was both
courtin' Mirandy, fit to kill AM
murder, and it was nip and tue
atween us fer two year or more
, As Milt says, was a talkin'e r ma
than him, hut he owned farm
I md there is women that sees nor
in a farm than perlite conversation
other things bein' equal. As fe
re and Milt, retrospective of sui
stantials, Mirany liked me"
Hi was a heap site better lool
, in them days than he is now" e'
, planned Mr.. Burgess, whose person
al beauty was not, to put it mildly
j. exactly phenomenal.
Much obleeged, Milt," said NJ
Hostetter modestly. But as | VIZ
y sayin,' Mirandy kinder liked me
shade better, and with that and m
1 talkin' | was neck and neck wit
] Mills farm. 1t KEEP gittln' frol
bad to wuss twixt me and Mil
though we'd been pardners fl
- years, SOS lords the last We g
riled every time we met up Wit
each other, and folks begun sayi
there was as likely to be funer
on the creek as a weddin'. MiranG
seemed to injoy it, smilin' fust OIL
way aid then t'other, aggin' US {
all the time"
n "Mirandy could be the aggrav
finest critter," commented NJ
Burgess half to himself, and dream
lily, as out of the dead past.
Much obleeged, Milt," acknow
edged Mr.. Hostetter. GAS 1 W
sayin, things KEEP gittin' mo
- skeow-wowed, and me and Milt Ike
gittin' closeter and closeter, al
" like as not we'd a clinched son
- day right where we met, but N
randy packed up her duds and We
q ofer into~the admin county