Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1904-11-17
At JU II E !
MEETING
BY Martina
McCulloch-W Williams
Copyright, 1901, bp S. s. Mcclure Co.
I Copyright. 1901, bp S. s. Mcclure Co.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

|
w nodding his head after the
manner of an oracle toward his three
mounted nelghbors. Miss Sarah, she's
done been telln me so all the
year Jim Polk Day says she, you
may talk tell the COWS come home an
tell folks you've no need ter take the
bankrupt law, but sbo's you're knee
high ter er grasshopper they'll say be
hind your back: Man wouldn't go
round with his family a-horseback, ev-
cry beast totem double an tribbie, eff
he could help It, Must be Jim Polk
Day can't afford nothln' else"
II never let on ter her that minded
whut she said. | told her. oh, yes;
| III git you or hack! I'm wore plum ter
er fragile totem babies on err pillow. |
been at it now twenty years-eben.
An so-an' so-thar ye air An thar's
the hack"
He had begun with something Of ju-
dlcial calm. He ended almost abjectly
apologize. "The hack" a roomy leath-
err curtalned vehicle, drawn by span
| Of spanking grays, had halted in the
middle of the road ten yards behind.
Jim Folks eldest son, Andrew Jack
son, drove it. He was fifteen and call
ed Attacks for short. Notwithstanding
| there were still plenty of mudholes in
| the big road. the hack had come from
| town ma tier of twelve miles, with
out getting a single splash upon its
shiny wheels. Attacks looked down at
them with a grin of shaUefaced pride.
Silently, In uncouth boysh fashion, he
loved his mother and his blooming elder
sisters. He wanted them TO be daz
zled and delighted by sight Of the new
equipage without spot or Dlemlsh.
Joe Poole, the neighborhood wag
scrambled from his saddle to the seat
beside Attacks and began jumping up
and down The new springs rebound
ed so strongly he pretended to catch
his breath as he said, "Lordy. but she's
er bouncer an er jouncer!'
''Shet up, Joe, Them springs amt
mare mite too strong. Riccolect Miss
Sarah weighs some herself. Then
thar's or whole passed. er children ter
Gil up cracks an crevices"-- Gray Woo
ten began.
Not ter name the pullets, oh,
Teenyy" Joe interrupted, with wicked
look at the youngest of the three, who
had said nothing. Teeny flushed to the
roots of his fair hair. That made Joe
laugh more than ever Holding his
e;.l M, Il hp h1 oh
and leaned against his horse as he ran
on in pretended aside: Boys, don't you
believe mare word Jim Polk says erbout
totem babies on PLIERS an that sort o
thing We all know he's done got so
used ter that 1t gives him er crick in
his off shoulder ter ride long without
one. But sence his two oldest has
growed up, the pruttest big gals in the
county, nobody CANT blame him fer
wantn' ter keep 'em right under Me
ole hens wings"
Miss Sarab's husband laughed easily
"You so pestern' her chicks an youli
find out" he said "Shes got mighty
feelin' heart, Miss Sarah has. fer any
thing little an weakly"
"Ho, no. no! Then you're 'lected
Teeny Weakly Joe roared through a
gale of laughing. "Lordy, but don't /
wish wus you"
you'll wish you We're somebody
else'n yourself in short eff you don't
femme lone" Teeny retorted, his face
an apopectic crimson. He stood six
feet two in stocking and was the best
shot and wrestler in the county. The
ridiculous contrast between his name
and himself made him specially sensl-
tive. Joe, who was understood and
something flabby, automatically shift
ed ground,
al never meant no harm by telin the
gospel truth" he said. You all know
It Is the truth. But ef had old man
Anderson's passed. I'd never spend one
five cents fer nothin ter haul 'em
round in"
"Andersons gals air sinful ugly"
Gray admitted judlclally.
"An' slnruller many" Joe added.
Five full grown an the two twins
fairly fryln' size. Teeny you been
| keepin' the path hot ter Anderson's
1 ever sence Christmas Tel us, now
/ It's all between friends Mich air We
/ settin up to? Virginia Tennessee, Car
1 olina-TeXas or Kansas-NebraskaT
i None Of en- Teeny said, sQuarlng
his shoulders impatienty. For a year
! past he had been fathoms deep In love
with Rowena Day, Jim Folks second
I daughter.
Teeny had made no condolences, but
/ Joe knew pretty well how the land lay.
] He had further shrewd idea as to
Teoay's 'esssrsas COZ Size June meeting
I which lay three weeks ahead. His
eyes twlukled with merry malice as he
retorted "Lemme tell We before | fer.
get. promised 'em last night you
an med take 'em ter june meetln'."
Jim Folk smiled. then frowned slight
4 ly, cleared his throat ana slid: Much
as we all laugh Mt en-, boys. them An
derson gals is kinder niuMl. / know
they hate ter go two on or horse Now,
June meetn' day thar'Il De three good
horses an sldesaddles dom nothin
up at my house. You Joe en- Teeny.
come by an Kit 'em tor the Andcrsous
fthout sayin er word TRY, too, ter git
threefour more boys, So the whole
gang can have er beau apiece
"Lordyl Jim Polk. you must wantc-