St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1902-05-10

lookin' to the time when Truthy
would marry him. But she said she
didn't believe it was right to leave
her dad, no matter how bad he treat
ed her. Somebody had to do for him.
Just about this time Dick Lorick
showed up in these parts. AS I said,
nobody knowed whar he come from,
but l alters thought he was runnin'
from the revenue officers. Well, he
was powerful good-looking, wore
fine clothes, and had the finest horse
L ever seed. But l wouldn't "a rode
him or driv' him for all the money
you could "a give me. He sartinly
was close kin to the Old Boy. and
wouldn't low nobody to touch him
but Dick. I alters lowed he'd take
Dick to the devil, and, sho' 'nough, he
did -
AS l was a-saying, as soon as
Dick Lorick sot eyes on Truthy Skin
ner, that day in Fair Creek church,
he must "a said to hisself: That's
the girl l want, and I'm goin' to have
her. So he made up to old Skinner,
and Skinner asked him to the cabin,
and they got to be as thick as two
peas.
'You bet your bottom dollar this
kind O thing didn't suit Will Lacey;
but what could he do? The old man
was agin him, and he couldn't get
to see nigh as much of Truthy as
Dick did, and he was mighty feared
she would be took with his good
looks and sto' clothes. 1t was nip
and tuck now between Dick and VIII.
All the neighbors was bettin' on one
or t'other of 'em. Will, he begun to
think that Truthy liked Dick the
best, and she was too proud to tell
HIM better. So things went on get
tin worse and worser. Wills only
chance was to show up Dick. He
watched all the country papers to
see if they was advertisin' for Jail
bird, but he couldn't find no descrip-
tion that looked like Dick.
''At last we heerd that old Joe was
goin' to make Truthy marry Dick
the next week. We all went to meetin
that Sunday. Truthy was there.
lookin mighty white and mis'able,
but she hilt her head as high as
ever. Dick and her dad didn't low
no one to git nigh her. After meetin'
he kind O. sneaked around and asked
some o us to come to his house
Wednesday and see Truthy married.
VIII was mighty cut up, and that
evenin' I heerd some O the boys say
he'd gone to town, tho, says l to
myself, it's a curious time to go to
town, and the roads like they is.
and another man walkin' off with
your sweetheart. / had been bettin
on viii all the time. I give up right
then and thar.
"WeH. Wednesday came, and it
cleared up for the first time in two
weeks. / don't know whether Broth
er Sales pra'rs had anything to do
with it's clearing or not. You see it
was just a-comin' down an ruinin'
all the crops, so we all lowed it
might do some good to pray in meet
in for it TO hold up. So we elders
got together and told Brother Sales
he wouldn't be goin' agin the Scrip
lures to pray for what we all want
ed so bad Well says he, III do
it, if you are all so set on it, but
'cordin' to my idee, it amt much
use in it as long as the wind sets
from the southeast Anyhow it did
stop, an the Lord got the credit for
it. But the roads was terrible, an
the river was just like it is now,
rcarin' and chargin': and way out
of it's banks. My old oman said she
wouldn't cross this here river to see
anybody spliced, let alone Dick Lor.
ick. So I went by myself. It was
more like a funeral than weddin'.
Poor Truthy looked awful white, and
kept goin' to the door like she was
'spectin' somebody. Joe Skinner and
Dick was the only pleased ones, and
they had been havin' little too
much corn for their own good.
could hear Dicks horse neighin' and
was standin' hitched to buggy; for
Dick lowed he would take his wife |
off that night to catch the train
"Pretty soon the preacher and five
or six neighbors come in, and Ole
Joe he lowed thar wasn't any use
waitin' any longer Truthy took one
more look out'n the door and came
back and stood up by Dick just as
quiet and proud Ike. The preach
err started the sermon, and all was
as solemn as could be, when we
heerd the sound of horses feet
splashin' thro' the mud. The door
opened sudden like and thar stood
Will Lacy; behind him two con
stables. Dick, you're wanted for the
murder Dock didn't wait to hear
the rest. In a jiffy he was out'n
the back door and N his buggy
There was gener; stampede; every
body 'cept Truthy rushed toward the
river. for we could see Dick drivin'
like mad. That horse e his'n looked
like he had the 3evil in him, sho
nough On to the bridge he flew.
by golly.' says /, 'he'S gone!' But
Just as he got ag 1t IL the middle
of the bridge / h""rd omebody on
t'other side holi' Haiti! an we
heerd pistol S' ring out. The
next minute we !. fer it was
bright as day this evil of a horse
rar up, and over II ! he went
like a flash, bugs i'd II. 1t was
an awful cry Dicil Vve ~ he went
down, but the ro; VA ers closed
over him. and we ." 81 I'd him no
more. That pist' OF must er
done the cuisines IT The poor
horse, and Dick caught in
suck-hole. Any ho' never found
anything but som. Hces of the