Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1902-09-25
SOWERBY'SCOURTING

around the stove. II had lasted TOR nearly
ten minute during which Wash Hancock
had mdustriou..y ,iged nearly all tie bark
from a iogf g,t STOW, length Of hickory.
Mart i's -. 4Gce o. twie ALLOW ed tnat
II wac G. baul time fe was et hockin' up fer
home" bat t.e stoyg was glowing rcd
Through is il-- taI-kntss OF IRON, and he
knew t.a- ..s wind wa- against him on the
Hacke.yas ilad. Tae stoickoeper was un-
wrappiGg a dteiul OF lamp cailnneys and
ranging them on the shelf waen tie cTcak
OF wagon " .ees on the crustcd snow was
heard outside and "Old Man Sowerby en-
tered the store.
"Oid Man Sowerby was long and lean,
vita a long, serious face, brusa OF wnite
hair and twinkling eyes. Hancock greeted
him almost with efusion, brig teriug per
oeptibly a. Mr.. Sowerby drew of bis clumsy
yellow icataor goyes, with the red wool
wrist attachments, kicked off his aTctics
and pushed his fur cap lightly to tEe back
o. his head.
Have a seegar on me, Uncle Jake, he
said. cord ally, as the old gentleman
fumhled in his pocket and drew out a corn
cob pipe. 81 guess you can stand one. Rufe
hates 20 have EN- smoked around the store,
but be dassent say so. You asst him an te'li
tell you they smell good Give Us three
with the red collars on, Rufe II anythin'
happens III tell the coroner you han't to
blame"
I'm seasoned" remarked "Old Man"
Sowerby, biting off the end Of cigar and
striking a match 81 tol you how come
got seasoned, didn't IY
you started TO" said Hancock, but
Ms Sowerby headed you off never seen
you -ret up 80 meek. You aid that was
in refrunce to your lickn' her pap"
"Old Man" Sowerby chuck'ed. $50 it
was, ..e aid. I'm tell you about it, scein'
she Aa.n't around now. II was wlcnI was
sparkin her. Her pa had tie reputation
Of being one Of the toughest old nuts in the
deestrick An Sarai WIS the only gal lie
had. Mi Walker died when she wus jest
a little runt, 50 jeff the old man allowed
he'd keep er home indefinite Some Of the
young bucks kind of objected. but ,lcG ad
a migaty eHoctual way Of discomag.n EN-.
Lac Il,v.ns allowed at he'd make Sarah a
visit one nIght, an come hac. with his face
all raveled out. Jim Allen. MIN that KEEP
the grocery at Hacketvll6. undertook the
same taing. wi,h the same result"
''MiFaty good lookin' woman now, Uncle
Jake said Nash, politely
''SAe liant as young as she was, an
neither am said Sowerby 81 wus
tol'able husky boy then and hadn't seen
the man ! was askeered ter tackle. so
one evenin' | spruced up in my best clo'es
an put some scented lie on my hair an
hoped in my single-footer an lit out Tor
the Walker residence.
Seemed like | was in luck. for Sarah
wus in an jeff wus out. | wasn't nachally
bashful. an | made the most of nv tine.
| don't know how late it was when we
walked down TO the gate together, but it
was tolable late. Tne first thing we knew
we heard horse comm down the road an
my horse began to whinny. Sarah started
for the house, but she hadn't got there an
! hadn't got my horse united before old
JEFF come ridin' up.
"'Nho is thisY he saws.
"1t. me- | saws. handlin' the bick'rv
clubs | cut on the way down kind o. keer-
less. 4 thought I'd come down an see how
you was. Some of the boys said YOU was
sick an ! allowed it'd be neighborly to
call.
"'Why, howdy, Jakep he saws. iust's
tic'sled ns he could no seemed lIe i bsd
10 % down to Rsdor's NJ eco ,pern b1rs ~
his an / couldn', eat a,yav ~. 49,, ,o,,r
boss again mr. come in /, am, 10 Iata
but What vou c,n stav ,wb;lo lonn.r
81 wuz a Iectle SORT a. susnir,nus bnt 7
follor.J hin, ,,,,o ,ba ho,.o ~ Ia .,,,
some 4s-hourod corn whisky an -, counIe
O. plpes an A twist o. terbacEer A. longs
vnur ann I hsJ 20 ,aLo n .,,,... t,f,. III,
with him reckon he know IA ncver
smoked before. took half a dozen wb,fTs
an nav head heyon To swell /, go, l,,g,,s,
an bigger as big a. a bucket ar big as a
barrel as bug as barn-an' everythins else
grew in proportion. could see old jeff
loomin through the smoke with A smile a