Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1902-05-22


from the revenue officers. Well, he
was powerful good-looking, wore
fine clothes, and had the finest horse
l ever seed. But / 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 10 touch him
but Dick. 1 alters lowed he'd take
Dick to the devil, and, sho' 'nough, he
did.
"As | was a-saying, as soon as
Dick LoriclS sot eyes on Truthy skim
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 Will.
All the neighbors was bettin' on one
or t'other of 'em. Win, 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 mp Dick. He
watched all the country papers to
see if they was advertiser for jail
bird, but he couldn't find no descrip-
ton 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,
looIin' 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 as to come TO his house
Wednesday and see Truthy married.
win was mighty cut up, and that
evenin' | heerd some o the boys say
he'd gone to town, tho, says / to |
myself. it's a curious time TO go to |
town, and the roads like they is, |
and another man walBin' off with |
your sweetheart. i had been bettin' |
on VIII all the time. i give up right |
then and thar.
well, Wednesday came, and it |
cleared up for the first time in two |
weeks. l don't know whether Broth |
er Sales pra'rs had anything to do |
with its clearing or not. You see it |
was just a-comin' down an ruinin'
all the crops, so we all lowed II |
might do some good to pray in meet
in for il 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
il, 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,
roarin' and chargin'; and way out
of its banks. Ny old oman said she |
wouldn't cross this here river to see
anybody spliced, let alone Dick Lor-
lex. So l went by myself. 1t 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' a little too
much corn for their own good. / |
could hear Dicks horse neighin' and
powin' out in the yard, where he
was standin' hitched to n 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 old |
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 like. 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
win Lacy; behind him two con-
stables. Dick, you're wanted for the
murder Dock didn't wait TO hear
the rest. In a iify he was out'n
the back door and in his buggy.
There was a general stampede; every
body 'eept Truthy rushed toward the
river. for we could see Dick drivin'
like mad. That horse of his'n looked
like he had the devil in him, sho'
nough. On 10 the bridge he flew
BY golly,' SAYS I, hes Comet But
just as he got about to the middle
of the bridge I heerd somebody on
t'other side holler: HALT an we
heerd pistol shot ring out. The
next minute we seed. for 1t was
bright as day, that devil Of a horse
rar up. and over the rail he went
lilo a fash buury aud al Il ,-.s ]