The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1902-01-03
LOVE AND
= CHICKENS.
~ FRANK H. sWHHT.
neutrality-suspicious. \
Copyright, 1901, by Authors syndicats.)

AA~S~
known, and Deacon White-in spite Of
an unsavory reputation for sharp deal
ing-sold his chickens and truck in, the
citY on commission For this reason,
Microbe still wore old clothes, a.
though he was ashrewd, Woodworking
young man. But Deacon White had q
daughter, Cassia.
One Sunday morning Microbe called
At the White cabin, as usual. The
deacon himself came to the door, but
looked his visitor over in marked dis
approval.
!, "Why ain yo' hustle roun' an buy
better clos, Microbe?" he demanded,
gruftly. "Yo' ain fifteen to show yo'se'f
on Sunday, specially at chu'cS ossi-
fer's house."
"Money too scarce TO- clos jes' now,
Deacon" Microbe responded, cheerily.
"But whar's Cassia? rs come to see
her."
81 spec yo' fin her roun' on de back
pooh, peelin' taters TO- supper" he
answered, discontentedly. "Yo' kin
go frou de ca bin, or roun' de cabin, jes'
as yo'' LAX. But. say" as Microbe was
half way across, the floor; show bout
dem hun 'erd chickens yo' low is ready
to sell? Is dey coop up?"
"No, but kin coop dem tonight"
:"I reckon yo' better. Hits time to
sell now; rs be roun' in de mawnin' wild
my big Vaughn. Mist Williams an
Mist Buckler dey's got heap, an rs
gwine take all togedder."
Cassia was bending .industriously
over her pan of potatoes when Microbe
stepped upon the porch, closing the
door carefully behind him. Evidently
she had heard his voice, for she looked
up roguishly,. with an odd sparkle in
her eyes.
"Howdy, Cassia. rs come to talk
bout what tole yo' las Sunday. Yo'
member"
II 'spect yo's too young to know
bout Tub, Microbe," she interrupted,
demurely. "Yo's muffin but boy, lax
daddy say"
"I's ole as you,' Cassia."
"Dat ain count. Boys ain grow lax
gals. Dey ain so SMART
II reckon yo's right bout de smart
nes," he agreed; "but not bout de hub.
I been lub yo' mighty long time, Cassia.
Yo' know dat, on'y yo' aim tell"
"Yaas, boy Tub, in ole clos" care
1essly. II ain nebber see yo' fix up in
all my life, Microbe. Yo's mighty
nice boy, an I lax yo' better dataway
dan airy udder boy roun'. But de man
I marry's gwine hab handsome clos so
I ain feel feel 'shamed when we go to
chu'ch an udder places"
"I's gwine hab plenty nice things,
Cassia," eagerly. "When we's married,
rs gwine be de bes' man in de cake
walk. Yo'll see. been let yo' daddy
f,a b. my truck so fur; -ka se--kase4yo'
know. So aim git ahead"
"Den yo' aim fitten to be Marie
she flashed. "When folks count to be
married dey ought to fix dere truck to
git ahead" :>
''I's gwine do dat right off," Microbe
declared, sturdily. II ain low things
go dataway kase didn' know better.
No, sab! gwine begin to git ahead
wild de sun to-morrer mawnin'. Any
ting else, Cassia?'
She did not lift her eyes this time,
but her voice was steady.
mo gal ain gwine marry man wild
a sickness name," she declared. II
been 'quire bout yo' name," she went
on, "an' folks say hits muffin but jes'
4 sickness name, all kim OBJ ketchin'
t'ings lax measles an yaller jack an
distemper an'-an' eberyt'ing OATS
bad. No gal ain marry dem t'ings."
"Well, den, if hits dataway, tain
gwine be my name no mo-, honey. My
nanny glib hit kase OBJ a name she
heah a doctor tell, an 'spects she
done got mistook. rs gwine 'quire
bout hit, an if hits lax yo' say, den
rs gwine git anudder name dat'll be
mighty fine an nice. Anything else?"
"Yaas; I air" gwine marry no man
'cep' my daddy say SO. rs de on'y gal
he hab." She raised her eyes with an
unmistakable flash of archness and tri-
umph. ''S'pose yo' gwine git Deacon
Wife to say yaas to Microbe-which
ain his name-who aim got fur 'nough
ahead in TO- yeahs to buy clos fifteen
TO- Sunday
"Co'se is" sturdily. II been lub yo'
mighty long time, Cassia, an mighty
hard; an when a man lub dataway, he
gwine do anything. Aim dar mo- yo'
lax me do?"
"No, dat's all, Microbe," she said,
frankly. "Yo' jes' git ahead, an hab a
name dat aim no sickness to hit, an
conjur' my daddy to say he ain car
if yo' marry me, den I say yaas-kase
fore yo'. git all dat done yo' gwine be
mighty push-ahead man." and with a
sudden ripple of laughter she caught
up the pan of potatoes and disap"
peared within the cabin.
When Microbe had reached home the
chickens had gone to roost, but it was
still light enough to distinguish them
and the marketing coops which were
piled handy for use. He looked from
one to the other doubtfully, for he
must begin at once to "git ahead" and
at the same time be careful not to an
R,@k ~r,hn IN