The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-12-15

| blood Is cool. this yere Polly don't seem q
plumb prismatic as she does once. Still, ]
must say. she's plenty radiant
Does you-all.' says Dan Boggs. put this
yere Polly in nomination to be your wife
while you're pulled up sick?
".No. I defers them offers to moment
when I'm more robust says Enright.
You shore oughter rode at her while
your sick that away demonstrate
Boggs. That's the time to set your stack
down. Females is easy moved to pity; an
as I've heared.-for I've nothin' to go by
personal since I'm never married an Is
never sick none.-is a heap more prone to
wed a gent who's sick than when he's well
a lot
'"T holds them doctrines myself OBJ
serves Enright, however. I don't descend
on Polly with no proposition, neither then
nor final, as you-all shall hear. Dan. II
you'll only hold yourself down. No. l con-
tinyous on lovin' Poly to myself that a.
way. ontil I'm able to go pokin~an pirootin'
about on crutches: an then. as thar's no
moro need Of her mi%nistrations. Polly p'ints
out for old Aunt Tilly's cabin ag'in.
It's at this yere juncture things hap
pens which sort o. complicates them hopes
Of mine. While I amt been sayin' nothin'.
an has been plumb reticent as to my feel
ms. Jest tn. same by look or act or mebby
It's a sigh, I tips of my hand. 1t amt no
time before all the %neighbors is aware Of
my love for Polly Hawks. Also. this Polly
has a lover who it looks like has been CO tin
her an bringin' her mink pelts an wild
turkeys indeescriminate for months 1
never do hear Of this, gent ontil I'm Grip
nJtps sroasnH ~ %hnvo afiIfo ~ orprtc6oo. o~s
then I amt informed Of him only after he's
informed Of me.
"'Thar's q measley little liberjaw of a
party whose name is Ike Sparks; this Ike
is alters runnin' about tellin' all he knows
an settin' traps to capture trouble for
other folks. Ike Is . ornery anamilselttle
an furtif-mean enough to suck aigs. an
cunnin' enough to hid the shells. He hates
everybody. this Ike does. an ID az sus
picious as Bill wheeier's dog which last
is that doubtful IN suspicious he shore
walks sideways all his life for fear some
ones goin' to kick him. This low-down Ike
imparts to Polly's other lover about the
state Of my feelin's. an 1t amt no time
when I gets notice Of this sports existence
".It's in the Ticker room Of the tavern at
Pine Knot. to which scenes Tv scrambled
on my crutches one svenin'. where this
party first dawns on mo in person. He's
big. tall citizen with lanky. long hat. an IS
dressed In q blanket untin' shirt an has .
coon kin cap with the tail hangin' over his
left year. Also. he packs a Hawkins rifle,
bullets about forty to the pound. For
myself I don't get entranced none with this
PERSONS LOO. an as I amt fit, physical.
for no skrimmage, I has to sing plumb low.
".Thar's q band Of US settin' round when
this lover Of Polly's shows In the door:
we're drinkin' an warblin' that entertainin.
song. which goes:
Thar sits a dog. by a barn door,
An Bingo IL his name. OF
An Bingo IL his name
".As Polly's other beau comes in. We
ceases this refrain. He pitches his rife to
the landlord over the bar. an calls for
Baldface whisky toddy. He takes four or
i've drinks. contemplatin' as meanwhile q
heap d%isdainful. e he arches his back.
bends BIZ slbewA begins . wasDsuG -