Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1903-12-10

l.
chicken I've had lots of experience"
What Mandy might have said in re-
ply to this remark will never be known
for at this juncture Ezekiel entered the
room and passed through on his way
to the woodshed.
'.Now's my time said Hiram, and
he arose and followed him out.
Ezekiel was piling up some wood
which he was to take to Aliee's room,
when Hiram came up beside him and
slyly passed him the note. Then Hi.
ram looked out of the wood.shed win.
dow at the storm, which had lost none
of its fury, while Ezekiel read the note
Are you going home soon?" asked
Ezekiel
well, guess I'll try it again" said
Hiram, "as sson as I get warm and
kinder limbethd up"
81 guess I'll go back with you, "Nsaid
Ezekiel. I'VE will take Swiss with
us: two men and a dog ought to be
enough for a little snowstorm like
| this"
"You won't find it a little one, said
Hiram, when you get out in the road,
but | guess the three on lis can pull
through"
| Ezekiel went upstairs with the wood
and Hiram resumed his seat before the
Kitchen fire.
What did tell you?" said Hiram to
Mandy. "'Zeke's going back with me.
She has writ him to come over and
see her Now you see if you don't lose
your apple"
81 didn't bet" said Mandy; but
what was that other thing you were
going to tell me that was no secret?"
"Oh. that's about another couple"
said Hiram, "Tilly James is engaged"
well, it's about time" said Mandy.
(which one of them?"
Samuel Hill" replied Hiram, "and
she managed it fust rate. You know
the boys have been flockirg round her
for more than year. Old Ben James,
her pa. told me he'd got to put in a
new hitchin post You see, there has
been Robert Wood and Manuel Howe
and Arthur Scates and Cobh's twins
and Ben Bates and Sam Hill, but Sam
uel was the cutest one of the lot"
"Why. what did he do that was
bright?' asked Mandy.
well" replied Hiram you see, Til
ly sot down and writ invites to all the
boys that had been sparkin' round her
to come to see her the same night, She
gave these invites to her brother Bill
to deliver Well. Sam Hill met hir}.
found out what he was abont, and Xiv
der surmised what it all meant. Wn'l
the night came round and Sam I}i''
was the only one thet turned IN ~
the time app'inted. After tHlltin' ahci''
the weather last years rrops ard
: spring plantin'. Sam Just braced "
, and proposed, and lilly accepted hin'
on the spot"
"Where were the other fellers?" ash
, ed Mandy. 81 always surmised thai
( she thought more OF Ben Bates tina,
she did of Sam Fill"
"Well, it didn't come out till q coup
lie of days afterwards" said Hiram
5 "you see, the shortest way to or
| James place is to go over the mil
, race, and all of the fellers but Sar
S Hill went that way. and the joke Of i
. was that they all fell over into the riv
, er aud got o duckin'"
, well" said Mandy. "thev must hav'
? been drinking. Tilly is we'll rid Of tn,
r whole lot of them. Why. I've walked
Y over that log time and time again"
5 well, they hadn't been drinlSin'
t said Hiram. "You see it was prett,
1 dark and they didn't get on TO the fac
2 that the log was creased till it wal
S kinder too late to rectify Matters
1 .And did Sam Hill do that9" asked
t Mandy.
! HE did, said Hiram; and he burs
: into a loud laugh, in which Mand.
/ joined.
d The laughing was quickly hrshed a
/ the kitchen door opened and Ezekie
lentered, warmly dressed for his figh
with the snow and carrying heav
cane in his hand
Call the dog, Hiram" said Fsekie
"and we'll start. Mandy. tell Jim an
$ Bill to come over to Deacon Mason
e for me a'-Sut 4 o'clock, unless it look
7, too bad. il it does they needn't try
t. till tomorrow morning."
II "All readT." said he to Hiram. VIII
n was patting Swiss head and off the
e started.
:, Again Mandy went to the windo,
and watched the progress of the tray
It oilers. Mrs. Crowley came into III
n kitchen and seeing Mandy at the wiz
1t dow quietly turned out mug of tn
r. hot cider and drank 1t. She then al
d preached Mandy and said. What wa
= all the lauahin' about? ! like goo
II joke myself
Mainly Sdlu. vi. iS WSn tSilhs- III
q about girl that invited all her Teller
% to come and see her the same evenins
e and only one of them got there hecaus
he creased the log over the mill rae,
e and all the rest OF them fell into tn
e water"
n sit was a name trick" said Mr.
t. Crowley. Nov, when all the boy
were after me, for was a good-lookil
if girl once, Pat Crowley, he was m
II husband, had figh, on hand ever
" night for a fortnight and all on accouI
e of me; and they do say there wer
never so many heads broken in tn
e County of Tipperary on account of on
n, girl since the days of st. Patrick"
4. Mandy had paid but little attentio
lie to Mrs. Crowley's speech. She wa
i too busy watching the travellers, Mr.
N Crowley filled and emptied the mu
{. once more
sr The last potation was too much fc
IS her equilibrium, and forgetting th
/ step that led from the kitchen to III
d side room, she lost her balance an
e. fell prone upon the floor. Her Ion
% cries obliged Mandy to turn from tn
y window. but not until she had see