Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-13

marry of We. Obed?' she asks, sort Of
pleadin' like.
can't bring myself to do it. I'm altogether
too Adams bashful.'
Then 1 stopped and thought it over for
a minute, and l see l simply couldn't. NO,
sir. That was right, l couldn't.
Well she says. almost a-cryin', I'm
goin' with you jest the same You can
make your mind up to it, Obed, an the
quicker that you tend to things, the more
uncertainty I'll save YOU
" I m glad to hear it, Lyddy, then says,
and-well, L guess L was! 1 was glad to
hear it. Mighty glad to hear it! Sh'll 1 go
an git the parson?' / asst next.
Not until you've asst me. Obed, she
says now. L can't and shan't git married
ill I'm asst to-
by John Quincy Adams, that was what
she said to me!
Il tried an tried to scare my courage up
to do it: but it wouldn't come L set there
quite a spell a-tryin'. then 1 give 1t up.
After l had made my mind up to II tnat II
wouldn't come. l see that we was jest a.
wastin' time. and SO l rose:
We'll. guess 1 better be a-goln, Lyo-
dy, now L says. Good-bye" l says to her.
"She jumped for me as if shed ben a
wildcat and there i was back on the
sofy there. Pushed there.
You set down there. Obed,' then she
says An you set there until l tell you
you en- go. she says You understand?
Yes l says L reckon so'-and sot.
II allus did like woman that had lit
tie sperrit. An l tell you-her temper
was jest up!
"She come an stood in front of me, an
mebbe she didn't jest look jest like a
statoo on a court house!
Now, Obed says she. with real gen.
tie voice. you asst me for to marry ye. II
you don't she says. I'll Jest yell bloody
murder, sure as cats!
Guess you'll have to yell then, Lyddy,'
/ says then, for l can't do it! I'm too bas-
md I'm H.
full when I'M where they's women folks, L
says eXplain'n'.
.'Well, you set still then where We be,
while / jest step out doors to try to think
she says.
"'All right I says. TIL set here for a
"''Tain't all 1 want she says an you
know faint all want an faint all you
want neither, if you love me-
81 love you, Lyddy, 1 says then, but,
somehow l can't asst you. l jeS soon set
here, though, if you think that mebbe we
can find way out of our trouble by my
doin' of 1T"
"'set STILL she SAYS. and I'll jest go out
doris. I've got to think it out, and 1 must
go somewheres,' she says then, where
can't look at no setch fool as you be, fore
thught's possible, she says.
so l sot there. / must a-sot there quite
a spell, by John! She went out.
"Bimeby 1 found myself kind Of gittin'
sort o. nervous. an 1 went to tn end WIN
dow. 1t was wide open. an the smell of
apple blossoms was a-comin in, cause IL
was spring The tree they blowed on had
a bunch O. bresh a-growin' round it, so's't
no one couldn't see no one that got behind
it. but jest me from that window where
stood. An, by Quincy! there, down on her
krees behind that bresh was Lyddy, prayin
-prayn' with her hans uplifted an tn
water streamin down her face!
well, sir, it Jest brought the tears to
my eyes then to see her so upset. l tell
you'll loved that girl right then good
deal morn l ever had before, an l had
been a-lovin' of her for quite some little
I see clear as crystal that if she should
come back there right then, it wouldn't be
no better and that 1t wouldn't be no pos
sibler for me to asst her, than 1t had been.
I'm 'fraid / got blas-phe-mous. l up ana
said in words all right, but not SOS she
could hear me through the open window,
then l up and said
Well says l to God, l says, I don
think you're much l says if you can
answer that poor critters prayer out there"
But il didn't make difference
didn't feel no more able to asst her to marry
me than I had before, an / saw plain that
she wasn't goin to git no answer 1t made
me awful mad, and I s'pose that was SIN;
but someway, l couldn't noways help it.
1t was then that got wicked. i expressed
moren one opinion then that was PLAIN
sinful / hope I've been forgive by this
time 1t was a long time gone. and you'll
admit that / had prOvocation. But l was
wrong as you'll see in jest a minu &c.
Providence was busy lookin after us two.
even then.
Il got away from tn window before
she got chance to see me.
1T was quite spell fore she come