Willmar tribune., 1902-04-09

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 said,
nobody knowed whar he come from,
but I alters thought he was runnin'
from the revenue officers. Well, he
was powerful good-looking,. wore
tine clothes, and had the finest horse
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 low nobody to touch him
but Dick. I alters lowed he'd take
Dick to the devil, and, sho' 'nough, he
did.
"As I was a-saying, as soon as
Dick Lorick sot eyes on Truthy Skim
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
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. 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.
Will was mighty cut up, and that
eyenin' I heerd some O. the boys say
he'd gone to town, tho, says I to
myself, it's curious time to go to
town, and the roads like they is,
your sweetheart. I had been bettin'
on Will all the time. I give up right
then and thar.
'Well, Wednesday came, and it
cleared up for the first time in two
weeks. 1 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, I'll 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,
roarin' 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 went by myself. 1t was
more like q 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' little too
much corn for their own good: I
could hear Dicks horse neighin' and
powin' out in the yard, where he
was standin' l,itched to 4 buggy; for
Dick lowed he would take his wife
off that light 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 NJ
quiet and proud like. The preach
er started the sermon, and all wa7
as solemn as could be, when wa
heerd the sound of horses feet
splashin' thro' the mud. The door
opened sudden like and thar stood
viii Lacy; behind him two con-
stables. Dick, you're wanted for the
murder Dock didn't wait to hear
the rest. In jiffy he was out'n
the back door and in his buggy.
There was a general stampede; every
body 'cept 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 to the bridge he flew.
BY golly,' says I, he's gone!' But
just as he got about to the middle
of the bridge heerd somebody on
t'other side holler: Haiti an we
heerd pistol shot ring out. The
next minute we seed, for it was
bright as day, that devil of horse
rar up, and over the rail he went
like fash, buggy and all. It was
an awful cry Dick give as he went
down, but the roarin' waters closed
over him, and we never seed him no
more. That pistol shot must er
done the business, for the poor
horse, and Dick was caught in a
suck-hole. Any how, we never found