Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1903-11-25

Dixon and the Taylor families
and by most Of the people
Tor five miles around, for that
amatter, that Tom Dixon and Bes-
sic Taylor become engaged as they
were riding home together from the
county fair in October The exact date
and exact circumstances of such things
are always Of vital interest in an agri-
cultural community.
y It was a match that pleased both
families, as Tom was a fine young
farmer and Bessie a smart girl of
he, who could have had the pick of
half q dozen.
( The. marriage was not to take place
for q year, and the course Of true love
ran smooth until December. Then
Bessie Taylor suddenly exercised the
prerogative Of her sex.
Tom was too sure Of her, and he
must be made to understand that his
bird was not yet Gagged. He had never
been told that no girl surrenders her
liberty without a last filtration, and
he was totally unprepared for the
blow that fell
There was to be a spelling bee at
the red school house. He and Bessie
would go, of course. AS both of them
were accounted among the best spell
IIers in the community, it was probable
that they might be asked to choose
sides.
1t was unfortunate for Tom that
he forgot to say that he would drive
{uD to Tay lor's at certain hour for
Bessie He meant to, and had no
doubt that she would be ready, but
the matter slipped his mind, and when
the evening finally arrived he got out
of his cutter at the door, only to be told
that Bessie had been gone half an
hour.
More than that, she had gone with
Ia windmill man who was canvassing
the neighborhood and stopping at her
fathers house.
Tom Dixon was stunned. Here was
coquetry, deceit, treachery. 1t didn't
occur to him that Bessie felt piqued
over his neglect and wanted to "get
even" in the only way open to her.
Neither could he know that she had
told the windmill man that her old
beau would probably escort her home.
He gasped-he muttered-he swore-
Then he got into his cutter and put the
whip to his horse and sent the animal
over the two miles Of smooth road on
ID dead run.
His first idea was to kill that wind
mill man on sight, his second was to
kill the pair Of deceivers, his third
was to blow his own brains out and
Gle the death Of martyr. Then he
happened to get fourth idea, and he
adopted 1t and stuck to it.
He entered the school house with
his jaw set and the firm resolve to
make a certain person repent in sack
cloth and ashes. Bessie Taylor was
there, but he saw her not. The wind
mill man was there, but he was too
insignificant for second glance.
The homeliest girl for six miles
around was there, having hired her
mother to bring her, and Tom walked
straight up to her, and began to laugh
and giggle and flatter.
Worse was soon to come It hap
pened that he was chosen to lead one
side, while Bessie WIS not. Every
one looked to see him call her name
as first on his side, but he overlooked
her entirely. 1t was the homliest girl
who was called, although it was
known that she would go down and
out on the first syllabled word
When only he and Bessie remained
on their feet the climax of his mean
ness came. When they got among the
hard words he stood and glared across
at her as If he had never seen her
before, and, in her confusion, she
blundered and left him victor.
Next day it was known far and wide
that Tom Dixon and Bessie Taylor
were "out," and, though several par
ties volunteered their services as peace
makers, the gulf could not be bridged.
Bessie felt injured because Tom had
not understood her, and Tom felt mad
that she had tried to play with MS non
est love. There was no more court
ing that winter.
The couple were brought together at
a candy-pull, an apple-bee and a Sec
ond spelling school, but they held
aloof from each other and resorted to
sarcasm. The old folks on both sides
tried their hands, but the result was
the same, and. it finally came to be
understood that the match was off for
good.
Time wore on and the month OF
March came in. Mr.. Dixon had 2OC
sugar naples in his woods, and there
was sugarmaking every spring.
On this occasion the trees had been
AnDped during thu last DAYS OF Eebru