Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1903-05-15

"I'm goin' to set right here till you
promise to be my own
"'All I've got to say is that you've
laid out long program for yourself
"They sot there, an sot. Is'bel
'peared to be c'ntented JUS to set an
hold his hand. an Reub tried to whis-
tie an act zif he didn't know she was
there. Every once in a while he'd try
to pull his hand away, but she'd grip
1t the tighter. an then he could hear
her whisperin' low to herself, oh, my
blovedr
after while the stars come out an
begun to play hide an seek with them
through the branches of the pines. 1t
got chilly, too, an once Reub suggest
ed that he would git blanket for
Is'bel, calclatin' that he could make a
run for it if he could git start. but
she only says, oh, my b'lovedv an
hung right onto his hand. She was
hard hit, Is'bel was.
Bout dusk, too, the bullfrogs over
by the spring struck up, an as it grew
darker an darker they became more
n more interested in the couple. FRS
a little fellow would chirp out an say,
What's he goin' to do bout it? Then
the little feller's ma would ask his pa,
What's he goin' to do bout it? an his
pa would c'nsider for minute, give it
up an ask anybody that could answer.
What's he goin' to do bout it?' Leas',
that's the way Reub said it seemed to
him.
"Then, long bout ten or 'leven o'clock
a big gray owl come an perched in the
branches over their heads, an pretty
soon he got Gurus an says. 'Who-o-o"
an Reub was so mad by that time that
he answers right up. It's me, blame
you! What you got to say about itT
But Is'bel only kinder sighed an says,
oh, my b'lovedr She was hard hit,
Is'bel was.
sot there. Reub was most froze, but
Is'bel didn't seem to mind it. Bout 2
o'clock, Reub says, he got sorter dis
couraged, bein' mostly an icicle by that
time. an so he says to her:
"'Waal, what do you want me to
doT
"'Only to be my own, my 'dored
one
"Reub want quite broke down yit,
so he says, "Waal, Pm blamed if
will! But after an hour or two mora
he got plum tired out an made his las
argument. 4 don't want to git mar
ried,' he says; L amt got 'nough
money to sport a wife, anyway
"'You needn't worry bout that
b'loved. Only say you love me an I'll
sport you
'Reub see he didn't STAN no show;
so he inquiries, sullen like, WAL.
where do you want to take meT
ITO Parson Elders an git married
to once, b'loved.'
"All the way to the parson's-seven-
teen miles it was-they walked, Is'bel
leadin' the horse with one hand an
Reub with the other. She didn't take
single chance till after he'd admitted
to the parson that he took her till death
us do part an all the res Of 1t. Then
she Leaved a sigh an let go Of his
hand, tenderly sayin', My own
b'lovedr She thought consid'ble
heap Of Reuben, Is'bel did. Reckon
I'd better meander."
The Old Settler "meandered," but
Mt the door he paused for a final re.
mark:
81 don't s'pose there's no happier
couple in Californy than Mr.. an Mrs.
Reuben Bannerton, or per'aps 1 orto
say Mrs. an Mr.. Is'bel Bannerton.
They've been married seventeen years,
an has five children, but she alters
c'nsiders Reub the frs and tenderes'
Of the lot. She's c'nsid'ble fond Of
Reuben, Is'bel is" Then he "mean-
dered. New York Times.