The Coconino sun., 1902-06-07
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Across Earnings Bridge

showed up in these parts. As said, nobody knowed whar he come from, but I alters thought he was runnin' from the revenue officers. We'll, he was powerful good-looking, wore fine clothes, and had the finest horse l ever seed. But I 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 Tow nobody to touch him but Dick. l alters lowed he'd take Dick to the devil, and, sho' 'nough, he did.
 ''As I was a-saying, as soon a Dick Lorick sot eyes on Truthy Skin- ner, that day in Fair Creek church, he must "a said to hisself: That's the girl 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. It was nip and tuck now between Dick and Will. 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. Trnthy was there, lookin' mighty white and mis'able, but she hilt her head as high as ever. Dick and her dad didn't Tow no one to git nigi her. After meetin' he kind O sneaked around and asked some O us to come to his house Wednesday and see Truthy married. Will was mighty cut up. and that evenin' [ heerh some O the boys say he'd gone to town, tho, says I to myself, it's a curious time to go to town, and the roads like they is, and another man walkin' of with your sweetheart. had been bettin' on Will all the time. give up right then and thar.
 "Well, Wednesday came, and 1t cleared up for the first time in two weeks. don't know whether Broth CT 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 1t 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 he goin' agin the Scrip lures to pray for what we all want ed so bad. We'll says he, I'll do it. if you are all SO set on it, but 'cordin' to my idee, 1t ain't 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, roarin' and chargin'; and way out of it's banks. My old oman said she wouldn't cross this here river to see
 
 ick. So I went by myself. It was more like funeral than a 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' a little too much corn for their own good. could hear Dicks horse neighin' and powin' out in the yard. where he