Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1901-12-13
he thought would Be- the WORT Wipe

1t seems that Jephtha Virgins was
the greatest pelt gatherer in the Old
Passadanky country, and he had "a
daughter named Prudence. Paley
Since, q likely young woodsman, was
in love with Prudence, and the feeling
was reciprocal.
"Now," as the Passadanky narrator
will tell you, 'mebbe you mowt won
der what under the canopy Old Beelze-
bub had to do with that. Nothin', meb
be-. faint likely that he cared snap
whether Paley Since loved Prudence
Virgins. But Jepthy Virgins cared.
He had other ideas for his daughter,
and well that amazin' bear knowed it.
Jepthy wanted the Squire Bimbler pos
sessions in his family, and be could git
'em by marryin' Prudence to the
squire's son Jorum. Jorum didn't
want to git married, and Prudence
didn't want to marry Jorum, but jo-
rum and Prudence didn't have any
say in it. The squire and Jepthy fixed
it to suit themselves. The weddin'
night come, but no Jorum.> Along in
Jorum to Virgins.
"'Old Beelzebub kidnapped me as !
was on my way over here through the
woods yesterday! said forum. He run
me straight and fast to Gormley's bar
pen, way back at the head Of the big
swamp, and KEEP me there all night
Jephtha Virgins swore that he would
hunt down that .vengeful: and vindic-
tive bear and strip or his pe1t ii It took
him all the rest Of his days.
1T was gittin' along to'rds Christ 4
mas time when Paley plucked up cour-
age to ask Jepthy ag'fn for Prudence.
Jepthy turned on him, GRIMM the as-
gravatinest kind. and blurted out: =.
Yves, you kin have her-that ID, II
you fetch me two black sheepakins for
a Christmas present! II You don't. ysu
can't never have her! i: 49,: I'll
Nov, Of course, that was lust - !
good ~ tellin' Pa]ey that there want
any use. He never knowed TO, biz
dyin' day what 1t could a. BEEN that
sent him roamin' and roamin' that DAY,
but he went a-roamtn', and the Arst,
thing he knowed be found himself on
the edge Of a scrubby lookiH clearin'
in the Sour Medder district, and he
seen man clubbin' what he s'posed
was a tame bar. That riled him
more'n ever, and he shouted to thes]
man: :"
"'what are you poundin' that poor:
bar forr
"Tt's my bar the man shouted
back, and If you don't like what I'm
DOM come here and I'll pound you
awhile and give the bar restv
"And what did Paley do but go over
there, and I s'pose that when he got
through with that citizen of the Sour
Medder district the citizen was a leetle
the worst whipped man ever seen in
them parts. i
"There! said Paley. When you
run ag'in me, you haven't got no bar
to fool WITH
"And then P alley see that it was Bart
Sproat he had been lickin' and that the
bar was Old Beelzebub. Paley hadn't
gone more than hundred yards on
his way when, lookin' over into Bart's
field, he see two Of the biggest and
blacklist sheep that ever cropped sor-
rel!
1.-The only two black sheep in the
hull blame countryv Paley groaned,
and here I've gone and most hammer
ed the life out Of the man that owns
'em! Tossed Prudence away jest to
take the part of rambunctious old
sheep stealin' bari
"Paley actually batted himself ag'in
his head with his fist and lifted up his
voice and wept. After awhile he cooled
down leetle and got an idee.
"'I'll 60 back and apologize to Bart
said he, and offer him twenty dollars
for them sheep! That's as much as his
hull clearin' would fetch!
$50 Paley went back. The bar laid
on the ground lickin' himself. and Bart