Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1903-01-07
A DEFLECTED
nIItl f. By William
~O- ]. lampiOn

Hover exclaimed Hiram Uostetter.
flushing angrily I'm response to taunt
from the hos;ler. "S'pose you ask Milt
nur-ess over there why he didn't marry
herr
The little crowd loafing i'm front OF
the livery stable I'm the country town
prcked up it's ears and concentrate, a
it's interest on the hostier and Mr.. Hos
letter. Mr.. Burgess I'm the meantime
becoming more intent upon the corn
cob pipe he was laboriously construct
ing.
"How's that. MiltT" inquired the
hostler I'm the same haunting tone. Ev-
identity he knew more OF the inner his
tory OF Hostettcr and Burgess than the
others did. for they were all curiosity
and had no comments whatever to
make. Both men were considerably
past middle age and had come to the
town several years before from the
hin country. bringing no credentials
other than desire to better their con.
dition and fair ability 70 do So They
were sober. honest and industrious.
and beyond that their acquaintance
took no concern. The hOstlcr i'm his
more prosperous days had made a
number OF trips into the hill country.
buying horses. and had heard some Of
the legends OF that section.
"Oh. you cit II out OF Iii if you kin"
responded Mr. Burgess. without look
ing up from his work.
Il never did hear the straight OF it."
said the hoStler the -taunting tone Civ
ing place to one Of soft persuasion.
'and I'm sure these gents ought TO
know it just for the sake Of your rep
utations. Don't You think so:"
We'll. I amt ohjectin'." admitted
Mr.. Burgess. III Hi wants to tell about
H."
You tell it. Milf" pleaded Mr.. Hos
letter
NO you do it. Hi" insisted Mr..
Burgess. Il kin make 4 better cob
pipe than YOU kin. but you kin outtalk
me. You know that's what Mirandy
arays said"
Mr.. HoStetter's face flushed. partly
with pride. partly with embarrassment.
III you rely want 10 know the per.
tickelars." he said. "and Milt's willin'.
! reckon l might as well tell II SOS
you'll git il kerrect. You see. me and
Milt was both courtin' Mirandy ft TO
kill and murder. and it was nip ana
tuck atween us FER two year or more.
As Milt says. ! was n talkin'er man
than him. but be owned n farm. and
there is women that sees more in
farm than perlite conversation. other
things bein' equal. AS fer me and
a VI Of g-f-
randy liked me-
Hi was 4 heap sight better lookin'
In them days than he is now" ex-
planned Mr.. Burgess. whose personal
beauty was not. 10 put Il mildly. exact
ly phenomenal.
Much obleeged. Milt." said Mr. Hos
letter modestly. But. as ! was sayln'.
Mirandy kinder liked me n shade bet
ter. and with that and my talkin' was
neck and neck with Milts farm IL
KEEP glttin' from bad TO wuss 'twixt me
and Milt. though we'd been pardners
fer years. SOS lords the last we got
riled every time we met up with each
other. and folks begun sayin there was'
as likely 10 be n funeral on the creek
as a weddin'. NIirandy seemed TO in
Joy it. though. and KEEP us on the tenter
hooks. smilin fust one way and then
tother. and agSin' us on all the time"
"Mirandy could be the aggravatin'est
critter." commented Mr.. Burgess half
70 himself and dreamily, as out OF the
dead past.
'Much obleeged. Milt." acknowledged
Mr.. Hostetter. AS was sayin', things
KEEP gittin' more skeow-wowed. and
me and Milt KEEP gittin closeter and
closeter, and like as not we'd clinched
some day right where we met. but Mi
randy packed up her buds and went
over into the Admin county TO teach
winter school. and when she was gone
me and Milt SHED of for awhile and
didn't have no grievance ag'in each
other. leastways not in sight Mirandy,
so we heard. had a sight OF beaus
where she was teachin'. but she never
told nobody at home about her bust
ness in that line when she come back
three er four times visitin' The school
lasted three months and when it was
out Mirandy showed up ag'in. and was
jlst as smilin' at me and Milt as ever
-smilln'er. ! reckon. fer before we
knVwed where we was at we had dit,
tooth and toe nail. fer her right in the
road. Neither one OF us got the wusI,
but both Of us got it purity bad. and so
we agreed TO shoot il off with our shot
guns and settle il fer once and ALL"
Mr.. Burgess stopped work on his cob
pipe long enough TO chuckle audibly at
something or other which Mr. Hostel
ter's remarks had suggested.
Much obleeged. Milt." said Mr.. Hos
letter. smiling himself. las / was say
in, We agreed 10 shoot off the prize,
and the live man left over was to git
the gal. You see. each one of us was
bettin' odds that he was the choosing
people"
Again Mr. Burgess chuckled audibly.
Much obleeged. Milt" said Mr. Hos
letter. "As ! was sayin'. when we
agreed 10 the shOotin' proposition we
got second apiece and a kind Of gen
eral superintendent TO manage the
match. and we picked out a nice. quiet
place over in Brands holler, where
there was moonshine still once, and
nobody had ever been there since the
revenoos had scattered II to the four
winds aud wasn't likely TO go. il was
so dern lonesome. In course we swore
everybody TO eternal secrecy. but there's
no tellin' how leaky BARI is till you
put water I'm It. Anyway we was On
band prompt, fer we meant business.
didn't we. MltE"
"Ruther. reckon" responded Mr.
Burgess TO Mr. HoSfafter'S onpcol "ADd